Memberkarkar1234 : Both times were for a conference and I’ll be going again in November as well. I stayed in the Gaslamp Quarter and did stuff around there. I also went to the zoo and did a whale watch cruise thing. It wasn’t bad, I just don’t get the hype.
Memberkarkar1234 : I was going to say the same thing! I am from San Diego and I’ve literally never met anyone from anywhere who didn’t love San Diego!!
MemberSithLady : the Gaslamp Quarter is boring.
MemberDubai and Bangkok.
Membermissinthecity : omg yes. I loathe Myrtle Beach. What a nightmare. And Disney. And Vegas, for that matter. I enjoy quieter things, I guess.
MemberI think part of the reason people find Paris dirty is that the French unions strike a lot. They had a garbage strike a couple of months ago and it’s not fun. I don’t love Paris but don’t find it too dirty. Anyone who has had to fly around Europe a lot the last few months will know how maddening the ATC and rail strikes are. Some strikes I understand but others just take the piss.
MemberNot so much as a specific place, but AI resorts and cruises (primarily Caribbean). I don’t understand going to another country to hang out in a generic sanitized resort area. I could rent a suite at a hotel a few miles from my house, hang out by the pool, and order room service without the hassle and cost of travel. And many of the Caribbean port areas are built/paid for by the cruiselines and consist of the same generic beach/shopping/overpriced overhyped bar a la Margaritaville.
I see the appeal of European or Alaskan cruises more, although the ports on European cruises are usually really far away from the major sites and you’re stuck traveling on a bus or train for several hours each way just for a few hours of touring. It is a good way to hit a lot of major countries in a short time frame, but I would rather pick one or two cities and have a few days in each than spend significant periods of time traveling and being on someone else’s timetable.
Also not a place, but I found Chicago deep dish greatly overhyped. I greatly preferred the thin crust at Pizano’s over any of the three deep dish pizzas I tried at the usually hyped spots.
And the Mall of America. Just…ugh. Crowded and pretty much all the usual crap you find in any mall anywhere…Just more of it.
MemberLove Paris. Extremely romantic and I didn’t find it any more dirty than any other big city. Also NOLA is the friendliest, coolest place I’ve been to in the U.S. Would live there in a heartbeat. We’re going to Venice for our honeymoon and staying for a week before heading to Tuscany. I’ve been before and it’s truly a magical place.
An overrated place for me is Disney for sure. I don’t understand why adults go there if they are not accompanying their children!
MemberAnother vote for Vegas and Venice. Venice is always so crowded (would be ok otherwise), Vegas is so fake and the spectacle does nothing for me (it’s well worth leaving the city to see the beautiful sights around the state). Agree with Waikiki, it doesn’t do Hawaii justice at all. Not a fan of Paris or London either (the rest of France and the UK have so much to offer, but people rarely get outside the big cities).
MemberI don’t like Vegas. I’ve also lived in Utah for the last 5 years and am not a big fan.
MemberMrsBeck : I disagree with Iceland. I recently spent 2 weeks there and it was INCREDIBLE. Truly magical. It’s expensive and very active but if you’re into hiking you have to go 🙂
MemberFlorida keys. I lived there for a few years and most tourists expect it to have beautiful beaches. With the exception of a few that are public access, most nice beaches are fake and created by the hotels and resorts. Most of the coastline is coral rock and mangroves. Unless you are into diving, there are plenty of other places with better beaches and swimming areas.
Key West is basically like any touristy place. Bars and touristy shops.
I really love the keys because I dive and paddle, but most tourists I interacted with were pretty confused about what to do there.
MemberI hope the post about Colorado isn’t true because I’m going there for the first time in a couple weeks!
I was skeptical about Paris but was pleasantly surprised! Darling Husband and I went over Christmas last year and it was lovely. I think it was probably better because it was off season and decorated beautifully. We visited the Eiffel Tower on Christmas Day with zero line. I didn’t enjoy Versailles though.
I think visiting places in the off season is the key to having a more enjoyable experience. We do this with most international trips. We went to Croatia in early Spring and it was beautiful and not T all crowded.
I think Cancun is awful. So is Vegas. Times Square is super crowded but it is electric. My ex’s family visited from Mexico once and were very much anticipating Times Square but were let down and not impressed. Honestly I hate any touristy activity (like sight-seeing). I much prefer visiting small towns and scoping out good food.
My absolute favorite place I’ve ever been was Slovenia (we went in the Spring). Beautiful and not very crowded. I also love visiting US national parks out west, and Maine was amazing.
MemberDisney. I honestly do not undertand the cult like following. People who go multiple times a year. It’s crazy expensive for what it is. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the magic for little kids and we will definitely take our LO there when he’s old enough to appriciate it but it’s not my idea of a fun vacation.