Most overrated international destination?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only place that I've *ever* been that I had thought would be a cool place to wander around and was really disappointed in was Berkeley CA.

I don't know if it's the *only* place that I've had that reaction to, but this is the exact reaction that I had to Berkeley as well. And I lean left politically.

[Anonymous]

Washington DC - hands down.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would invite everyone to consider the possibility that if you find somewhere overrated, it is because you are doing it wrong. Eg going in peak season, going to see shat all the tourists are seeing rather than quieter bug still interesting places etc.

People who blithely dismiss cities like Rome, which contain some of the greatest treasures of art, architecture, and history that the world has ever produced, as “overrated”…

Exactly we loved visiting Rome and Venice in the fall. Loved seeing the forum lit up at night and visiting small neighborhood bars. And walking down empty alleyways in Venice. Plus best pizza in Naples.

Yes! I loved Venice in the fall. It was so empty, and the whole "city without cars" / canals just felt magical. I wish we'd spent more time there. I could have just walked for hours.

I've been to 9 different countries, and found something to love in all of them.

A whole 9 countries? Wow!!

What a jerk!

Why? Most Americans have been to at least 30 or more, so it was kind of a weird thing for PP to say.

Most Americans, or most DC area nerds?

Let me rephrase. Most educated, upper middle class Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lisbon has a weird vibe to me. I’ve been there multiple times over many years and it just doesn’t have the warm, relaxed, and friendly feeling I get in so many other southern European places

OMG. First time in Lisbon this summer, and the people were the most friendly and warmest of the dozen or so European countries I've been to over the past 35 years.

That said, we were only there for three days, so perhaps we just got lucky and encountered the right people on our short visit. Just get the right Uber drivers, restaurant servers, and Airbnb hosts, and it makes all the difference. Small sample size of course.

Still, I'm not sure if I'd call it overrated or underrated. Who is doing the rating we're basing our responses to? Is there a common ranked list that we're all reacting to? That's why this thread is silly.

But there are more than four dozen countries in Europe, so….

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would invite everyone to consider the possibility that if you find somewhere overrated, it is because you are doing it wrong. Eg going in peak season, going to see shat all the tourists are seeing rather than quieter bug still interesting places etc.

People who blithely dismiss cities like Rome, which contain some of the greatest treasures of art, architecture, and history that the world has ever produced, as “overrated”…

Exactly we loved visiting Rome and Venice in the fall. Loved seeing the forum lit up at night and visiting small neighborhood bars. And walking down empty alleyways in Venice. Plus best pizza in Naples.

Yes! I loved Venice in the fall. It was so empty, and the whole "city without cars" / canals just felt magical. I wish we'd spent more time there. I could have just walked for hours.

I've been to 9 different countries, and found something to love in all of them.

A whole 9 countries? Wow!!

What a jerk!

Why? Most Americans have been to at least 30 or more, so it was kind of a weird thing for PP to say.

Most Americans, or most DC area nerds?

Let me rephrase. Most educated, upper middle class Americans.

Weird. I'm highly educated, grew up wealthy, and consider myself pretty well traveled, but I am still only coming up with about 20 countries in my 45 years (although some of them I've been to several times each). That feels like a lot, and I feel like I've done a lot (or at least similar amount) of travel relative even to my DC wealthy, well educated peers. The only people I know with 30, 40+ countries are the stunted immaturity DC types who got "masters in international relations" and are only marginally employed in their 40s with less developed social networks because they focus so much on travel. That's fine that they made those choices, but they hardly reflect the average well educated American who only has two weeks of vacation to use a year, because of that pesky job thing that they are using their degree for.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would invite everyone to consider the possibility that if you find somewhere overrated, it is because you are doing it wrong. Eg going in peak season, going to see shat all the tourists are seeing rather than quieter bug still interesting places etc.

People who blithely dismiss cities like Rome, which contain some of the greatest treasures of art, architecture, and history that the world has ever produced, as “overrated”…

Exactly we loved visiting Rome and Venice in the fall. Loved seeing the forum lit up at night and visiting small neighborhood bars. And walking down empty alleyways in Venice. Plus best pizza in Naples.

Yes! I loved Venice in the fall. It was so empty, and the whole "city without cars" / canals just felt magical. I wish we'd spent more time there. I could have just walked for hours.

I've been to 9 different countries, and found something to love in all of them.

A whole 9 countries? Wow!!

What a jerk!

Why? Most Americans have been to at least 30 or more, so it was kind of a weird thing for PP to say.

Most Americans, or most DC area nerds?

Let me rephrase. Most educated, upper middle class Americans.

Weird. I'm highly educated, grew up wealthy, and consider myself pretty well traveled, but I am still only coming up with about 20 countries in my 45 years (although some of them I've been to several times each). That feels like a lot, and I feel like I've done a lot (or at least similar amount) of travel relative even to my DC wealthy, well educated peers. The only people I know with 30, 40+ countries are the stunted immaturity DC types who got "masters in international relations" and are only marginally employed in their 40s with less developed social networks because they focus so much on travel. That's fine that they made those choices, but they hardly reflect the average well educated American who only has two weeks of vacation to use a year, because of that pesky job thing that they are using their degree for.

I feel seen.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would invite everyone to consider the possibility that if you find somewhere overrated, it is because you are doing it wrong. Eg going in peak season, going to see shat all the tourists are seeing rather than quieter bug still interesting places etc.

People who blithely dismiss cities like Rome, which contain some of the greatest treasures of art, architecture, and history that the world has ever produced, as “overrated”…

Exactly we loved visiting Rome and Venice in the fall. Loved seeing the forum lit up at night and visiting small neighborhood bars. And walking down empty alleyways in Venice. Plus best pizza in Naples.

Yes! I loved Venice in the fall. It was so empty, and the whole "city without cars" / canals just felt magical. I wish we'd spent more time there. I could have just walked for hours.

I've been to 9 different countries, and found something to love in all of them.

A whole 9 countries? Wow!!

What a jerk!

Why? Most Americans have been to at least 30 or more, so it was kind of a weird thing for PP to say.

Most Americans, or most DC area nerds?

Let me rephrase. Most educated, upper middle class Americans.

Weird. I'm highly educated, grewa up wealthy, and consider myself pretty well traveled, but I am still only coming up with about 20 countries in my 45 years (although some of them I've been to several times each). That feels like a lot, and I feel like I've done a lot (or at least similar amount) of travel relative even to my DC wealthy, well educated peers. The only people I know with 30, 40+ countries are the stunted immaturity DC types who got "masters in international relations" and are only marginally employed in their 40s with less developed social networks because they focus so much on travel. That's fine that they made those choices, but they hardly reflect the average well educated American who only has two weeks of vacation to use a year, because of that pesky job thing that they are using their degree for.

NP here. You should probably just not consider yourself well traveled, really. There are almost 200 countries--some one can't visit. So you've been to probably 15% of the world's countries. Eh.
I don't have Master's in IR (STEM degrees instead), but even I've been to more than that. Sometimes the job requires travel, sometimes you grew up with wealthy parents who like to travel, etc. There are many reasons why you might have been to more places without being"stunted". I don't know who you consider the average American, but the only person I know who only has 2 weeks of vacation is my DS who just graduated in May and started his first job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lisbon has a weird vibe to me. I’ve been there multiple times over many years and it just doesn’t have the warm, relaxed, and friendly feeling I get in so many other southern European places

OMG. First time in Lisbon this summer, and the people were the most friendly and warmest of the dozen or so European countries I've been to over the past 35 years.

That said, we were only there for three days, so perhaps we just got lucky and encountered the right people on our short visit. Just get the right Uber drivers, restaurant servers, and Airbnb hosts, and it makes all the difference. Small sample size of course.

Still, I'm not sure if I'd call it overrated or underrated. Who is doing the rating we're basing our responses to? Is there a common ranked list that we're all reacting to? That's why this thread is silly.

I'm with you. I spent a week in Lisbon and would go back!

[Anonymous]

Aruba hands down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Italy

Where did you go?

Rome and Naples. Total dumps

Naples is definitely a dump and Rome is huge - so it's possible you only saw bad bits. But Tuscany otherwise is beautiful and there's some lovely parts of Florence (I would avoid the tippy south where there's a port crossing to Greece, that's a bit dodgy)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cabo- hated that I couldn’t go in the ocean because it’s too dangerous. We stayed by the pool the whole time and no one really went to the beach at our resort.

Amsterdam- turned off by the people and sex industry there.

Nice- very disappointing and unattractive compared to surrounding beaches and countryside in the South of France.

+10000 on Cabo

You stayed in the wrong part of Cabo then. Medano beach is 100% swimmable and walkable to the marina. So much to do there and super awesome.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would invite everyone to consider the possibility that if you find somewhere overrated, it is because you are doing it wrong. Eg going in peak season, going to see shat all the tourists are seeing rather than quieter bug still interesting places etc.

People who blithely dismiss cities like Rome, which contain some of the greatest treasures of art, architecture, and history that the world has ever produced, as “overrated”…

Exactly we loved visiting Rome and Venice in the fall. Loved seeing the forum lit up at night and visiting small neighborhood bars. And walking down empty alleyways in Venice. Plus best pizza in Naples.

Yes! I loved Venice in the fall. It was so empty, and the whole "city without cars" / canals just felt magical. I wish we'd spent more time there. I could have just walked for hours.

I've been to 9 different countries, and found something to love in all of them.

A whole 9 countries? Wow!!

What a jerk!

Why? Most Americans have been to at least 30 or more, so it was kind of a weird thing for PP to say.

Most Americans, or most DC area nerds?

Let me rephrase. Most educated, upper middle class Americans.

Weird. I'm highly educated, grew up wealthy, and consider myself pretty well traveled, but I am still only coming up with about 20 countries in my 45 years (although some of them I've been to several times each). That feels like a lot, and I feel like I've done a lot (or at least similar amount) of travel relative even to my DC wealthy, well educated peers. The only people I know with 30, 40+ countries are the stunted immaturity DC types who got "masters in international relations" and are only marginally employed in their 40s with less developed social networks because they focus so much on travel. That's fine that they made those choices, but they hardly reflect the average well educated American who only has two weeks of vacation to use a year, because of that pesky job thing that they are using their degree for.

PP here. I think you should stop thinking of yourself as “pretty well traveled.” Sorry I struck a nerve.

PS, I also have a big job by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: All my life I dreamt of Bali- boy, was that a disappointment!
Ok the beach was a total disappointment nut thats what Bali is “famous” for.
However the rice fields, mountains, sceneries were very beautiful!

Maldives - gorgeous water beach….but cant go in water at the beach, too dangerous - another teaser.

Might as well stick to Caribbean.

We were in the water in the Maldives all the time. I guess it depends on which atoll u r on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tokyo
Seychelles
Mexico City
Phuket
Nepal
Prague
Martha’s Vineyard
Jackson Hole
Dubrovnik
Marrakech
Antarctica
Easter Island

I have the feeling this poster is likely insufferable in real life.

Tokyo is one of the most amazing places in the world. It's a lot, but I'd go back in a heartbeat. There's something for everyone.

NP: love Tokyo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who hasn’t traveled a lot, but wants to..
when I hear overrated, I’m excited to hear a list of places that I shouldn’t bother going.
Im 38, and if I have a couple of decades of travel in me, I don’t want to waste it. Especially not near the beginning of our adventures.


We are now able to / prioritizing it more. Already have a couple of trips booked and planned.

Some of these destinations I think the PP must have just stayed in the wrong area. Santorini is fabulous - you just can't stay in the busiest cities. You get a place with a view and sit on your own balcony and don't fight the cruise shippers for the best sunset view spots. Paris is fabulous - I stayed in Bastille for 10 days and it was all postcard perfect. Costa Rica is also awesome. I can't imagine where PP went and didn't like it. Portugal is also great. Basically, you can just ignore all the posts TBH.

Sorry but Santorini is pretty but way Over-rated.