Holiday venues that didn’t live up to expectations

Another vote for Paris here. Also gets the family vote as our worst ever trip. Noisy, dirty, unfriendly, expensive. Lots of pickpockets, felt intimidated on the train by beggars and in the Metro. Hotel was hideous, cramped, old fashioned and with a horrid lurching lift the size of a coffin. We were treated with huge disdain and indifference by the staff. Couldnt wait to head home.

Mt61

Sarahr

Paris. Filthy. Chaotic. Unfriendly. Needless to say, I won't be going back.

I found that in Paris. London is the same. I bet that carnival was a nightmare! I can’t do concerts now, done with the RF. so no need to ever go there again.

Sounds as though you had completely the opposite experience to ours. We found Paris lively, enthralling, beautiful ( if you knew where to look,) and romantic. We adored our several trips there.

RosieandherMaw

escaped

cc

readsalot

Paris. I was underwhelmed. Very disappointed.

I've felt the same when I've visited, but not many share our view.

So that now makes 5 of us on here!
Paris used to be beautiful, I'm talking 30 - 40 years ago. Now it's dirty, smelly and lacks the je ne sais quoi it used to have.
Nul points from me.

Fair enough on the main tourist drag, but quiet little back streets and cafes with not an English voice to be heard, are still hard to beat.

Well said, Rosie! I have just written about our experiences of those!

The Cotswolds, I kept thinking the stunning countryside and chocolate box cottages will be around the next corner but they never appeared. Scotland, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Derbyshire, Isle of Man, North East, Wales all in a different league to The Cotswolds. Dorset is nothing special either. Bath was a huge disappointment and I get really cross when it's compared to York and Chester. They are in a different league to Bath.

I haven't been to Paris for over 30 years but it was a smelly, dirty dump then.

Crossstitchfan

Mt61

Sarahr

Paris. Filthy. Chaotic. Unfriendly. Needless to say, I won't be going back.

I found that in Paris. London is the same. I bet that carnival was a nightmare! I can’t do concerts now, done with the RF. so no need to ever go there again.

Sounds as though you had completely the opposite experience to ours. We found Paris lively, enthralling, beautiful ( if you knew where to look,) and romantic. We adored our several trips there.

Fortunately the French get nicer the further south you go. 😊

Monaco. Like toy town, no real substance at all.

I've always liked Monaco Babs03 So wonderfully clean, and we were able to take dogs into the Cafe De Paris. And, of course, you can drive round the F1 racetrack!

We stayed in Venice one February when it was really quiet, no queues to get into St Marks, and all the shopkeepers were happy to see us.

Cornwall was disappointing when we went down there a couple of years ago. We lived there for 25 years, but everything has changed. So many designer shops and "quaint" little cafes. Not the Cornwall I knew.

SunnySusie

Another vote for Paris here. Also gets the family vote as our worst ever trip. Noisy, dirty, unfriendly, expensive. Lots of pickpockets, felt intimidated on the train by beggars and in the Metro. Hotel was hideous, cramped, old fashioned and with a horrid lurching lift the size of a coffin. We were treated with huge disdain and indifference by the staff. Couldnt wait to head home.

Good gracious! You were very unlucky as our several hotel stays in Paris (basic, such as Timotel, and not expensive) have been amazing and the staff were lovely. Admittedly, staff in hotels, restaurants and shops can be a bit iffy if you make no attempt whatsoever to speak French and, worse still, shout loudly in English at them. Can’t blame them for that really! They don’t care how bad you are at speaking their language (our French left a lot to be desired) but we found everyone more than happy to help as long as we at least tried, greeted them with a smile and were polite. Some of our attempts at French caused hilarity but not in a nasty way, and they always helped us out, as long as we tried!
We went many times over the years and always received excellent treatment. The magic word is ‘Bonjour’ (if you go into a shop, for example) before you try to ask for anything. It is considered rude not to acknowledge staff and customers when you enter, so a ‘Bonjour Messieurs, Mesdames’ will help you get better service. ‘Bonjour’ on it’s own isn’t enough.

We used to love the Brocantes and I once tried to knock the price of a beautifully made, jewel-encrusted little box down from €20 to €15 in pretty poor French. However, I got my numbers muddled and offered him €50! Great hilarity in spite of the language problem and he gave me a good discount because he had enjoyed serving us.

We had no real trouble with pickpockets, although they were around. You do have to keep your wits about you, and your purse/wallet in a handbag, or manbag, preferably across your body with your hand across the flap that opens it. Beggars are a pain. When they approach you, a very firm, no nonsense ‘Non merci’ with your hand held up, usually works. Keep walking! They will swear at you, but ignore them.

Brits seem to think the French hate us. They don’t, unless we treat them like dirt (which, sadly, I have seen many Brits do).

I am sure you were just unlucky. Paris is one of my favourite cities and I love it and it’s people!

Paris did not impress. Found staff in restaurants,both cafe and highend styles to be rude, felt ignored once discovering British inspite of speaking French. A lot of places, areas appeared neglected and dirty.

Sorry you found that. We've always loved Paris and enjoyed our stays there.

Malta. Awful hotels, most of it looks half built, rude locals

4allweknow

Paris did not impress. Found staff in restaurants,both cafe and highend styles to be rude, felt ignored once discovering British inspite of speaking French. A lot of places, areas appeared neglected and dirty.

You have been unlucky. We found it completely impressive, both the staff in restaurants and shops, and the architecture. Some of the places we found in Paris were magical. Would love to go back but it wouldn’t be the same without my lovely husband. I shall content myself with remembering how wonderful it was.

Just for you Flappergirl...
The town gates are where the 2 turrets are, on the far left.

JdotJ

Venice, which I'm sure is really lovely, but unfortunately, when we were there, it was overrun with cruise ships and the masses of tourists being herded around so incredibly frustrating trying to get anywhere.

The locals weren't particularly friendly and the shop owners became downright rude when we refused to be enticed into their establishments.

Shame, but I wish we had gone to Verona instead, which everyone said was beautiful.

Another vote for Venice, was so disappointed, although others I have met who have been there disagree.

1 - Isle of Wight, whole place very disappointing except Osbourne House which was lovely.
2- Cornwall, total ripoff
3 - Ireland, got short changed everywhere we went
4 - Vienna, got bitten to death by bedbugs, stayed in a hugely expensive hotel too!

I suppose it’s like that in any large city Petra. Just can’t be bothered with all the hussle & bussle of it all. London was great twenty yrs ago but not now, too packed.

srn63

1 - Isle of Wight, whole place very disappointing except Osbourne House which was lovely.
2- Cornwall, total ripoff
3 - Ireland, got short changed everywhere we went
4 - Vienna, got bitten to death by bedbugs, stayed in a hugely expensive hotel too!

I have friends who live on the isles of White, say it’s transportation, taxis & ferrys are super expensive. Not cheap to live there.

Sochi on the Black Sea. Russia. Felt like the old Soviet Union. Awful. Unfriendly.

Niagara falls... All of it.
SaxonGrace

Also Lyon
Not for me at all!

And the Isle of Wight is pretty grim now... I used to enjoy visiting my aunt there.

Anywhere that has huge cruise ships docked
Santorini - the donkeys were treated appallingly

Bukkie

The Cotswolds, I kept thinking the stunning countryside and chocolate box cottages will be around the next corner but they never appeared. Scotland, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Derbyshire, Isle of Man, North East, Wales all in a different league to The Cotswolds. Dorset is nothing special either. Bath was a huge disappointment and I get really cross when it's compared to York and Chester. They are in a different league to Bath.

I love Bath, perhaps because I lived there until I was 13 so maybe it’s nostalgia at work, though the architecture is beautiful. I live near Chester now and it always seems underwhelming to me. York though is lovely. These popular places are always too busy for me now. I really dislike crowds which limits the places I choose to visit. Off to Edinburgh next week, also nostalgic for me as that’s where I went to university. We’ll see how that goes.

Edinburgh is a tourist hell!!

Oh, not a fan of Edinburgh - rather "up itself " in my opinion.