Most overrated international destination?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Overrated in what capacity?

You have to manage your expectations.

We loved Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica but not Arenal. For us overrated in Arenal had to do with not a lot of great food choices. We didn't feel there was as much to do there that were better than MA for example,

I love Paris but from a perspective of there's something in the air - not literally there's anything special other than being a major city. I love this quality of romance about Paris. But it's just another big city. So you have to expect that any big city is about the same. What defines it is not about what there is to see and do there but the quality of that place.

I think Rome is amazing for its history. Take away that part and yeah it's dirty and just another big city. But how do you call it overrated in terms of its history in its architecture?

I think people like and dislike for many reasons but to call an entire country or city overrated is neither here nor there. You have to define what you were hoping to find there to be fair.

I agree that a lot of these responses reflect a failure of planning or expectations, and aren't really examples of overrated places. To me, it's hard for a major city or an entire country to be overrated, because there is a way of experiencing almost anywhere that will make the most of it and be worthwhile.

Now, a hotel or a certain neighborhood or something? Yes, can totally be overrated. For instance, I have specific resorts we won't return to because while they get great ratings, I don't think they offer anything special or I don't think they are a good value. The one time I've been to Riviera Maya I was underwhelmed by the resort, and while we had a good time, it felt incredibly generic, like that hotel could have been anywhere. I also discovered that I don't like staying in the Marais in Paris, even though that's considered a very classic thing to do, because I actually like a little more rough around the edges in Paris. But I wouldn't say that Mexico or Paris are overrated, even though I'm describing some slightly disappointing experiences I had both places. I've been back to Paris several times since and stayed in in other areas and been way happier. Haven't been back to Mexico but would go again in a heartbeat, just not back to that resort, perhaps skip Riviera Maya and just do Mexico City or go west coast, stay in a boutique hotel instead of a big resort, that kind of thing.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Venice, Florence

Barcelona, Venice, and Florence are just too overrun with tourists. I actually thought Madrid was fabulous—it seemed like a real city with actual locals and I wasn’t tripping over a tourist every two feet.

I found the people in Madrid and Barcelona and Spain in general to be assholish.

The feeling was likely mutual.

It’s OK. Portugal and the Portuguese are way better anyway. Plus Portuguese food is superior. People finally learned Portugal is better destination.

I am European, travel is my hobby, I have been everywhere and to many places multiple times, and I actually think Portugal is one of the worst countries to visit with some of the worst, unhealthy food. Zero salads to be had. Crumbling buildings and infrastructure. Sure, the people are friendly, but so are most Europeans.
I love Spain, Greece, Italy, Germany, France, Croatia, the UK, the Netherlands and many others.

I doubt you have been even close to everywhere. Who says that?

Johnny Cash does

[Anonymous]

I can't say anywhere I've been has been underrated or disappointing. Except Hershey Park. We took our kid when he was about 10 and it was stunningly lame to me. We left early.

I am not a world traveler and didn't even get to Europe until my 30s for the first time. That was a point of embarrassment for me for a while but now that I am in my 40s with means I value it as a marker that makes me an eager experiencer of places and not a a snob who has always been jet setting. Maybe I just appreciate the places more since I haven't traveled my while life. Been to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos, Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Argentina, and I think that's it.

Grateful that now we can afford nice trips, but also lucky that I've always traveled with people who want to do research to see cool things and not just be a traditional tourist all the time.

[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.

Pretty sure this is demonstrably false.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Italy

Where did you go?

Rome and Naples. Total dumps

Rome is a dump? Too many old buildings for your liking? You prefer more urban renewal I suppose.

+1 Seriously! Who wouldn't love Rome?!

[Anonymous]

Lived in Europe and Japan.

I realized that my favorite places were the ones that I visited when the weather was great. Most of my favorite places in Europe, I visited in the Fall.

I love Venice and visited a number of times. But, once I visited when it was flooded. Had that been the only time I was there, I would have hated it.

Visited Paris in December when there was a dreary snow. Never went back.

[Anonymous]

Brussels. Dark, dreary, and boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Venice, Florence

Do you like Disney World?

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Anonymous wrote:Quite honestly, you can get incredible food and views in the US without all the hassle. I'd put Big Sur, CA, much of the state of Washington, Sedona, AZ, and the 30a beaches against most international destinations.

Incredible food in the US is very hard to come by, [unless you have deep pockets to pay for the best restaurants] and I say this as a New Yorker with access to the best restaurants in the world. Our food industry sucks, and our ingredients are just not as good/fresh. Even our fruit is not as good as in other parts of the world, it is never quite as sweet and flavorful. Therefore, I suspect that those claiming that the food in Paris, Spain, Italy is not good have what I call that soda/burger palette…

This! Food in the US is of poor quality which is why the majority of Americans are overweight. I recently read an article that China now refuses to import American wheat. China!

Guess where Italy gets wheat from?

Most imports of wheat into Italy are not from the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bahamas. Just boring!

+1, overrated

[Anonymous]

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”…

100%. I’ve been to every European place listed on here so far - none are really “over rated”. I do have preferences, like Spain instead of Italy. Everywhere in Europe instead of Germany. But if you do the right trip at the right time, there are amazing experiences everywhere.

Everyone loves to hate Paris, I’ve been around 10 times and I love it and I’m far from a Francophile.

[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.

Pretty sure this is demonstrably false.

Only 1/3rd of the US has a valid passport - so I’m not sure how half of them got to 29 other countries

[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.

Pretty sure this is demonstrably false.

Only 1/3rd of the US has a valid passport - so I’m not sure how half of them got to 29 other countries

It's much more than that now - 56% of adults.

https://www.americancommunities.org/who-owns-a-passport-in-america/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Verona, Italy

Everywhere, Costa Rica

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Agree Verona is super dull.
Costa Rica we loved the Four Seasons

[Anonymous]

Been to Paris 6 times because i love it. I don't stay in the touristy arrondissements -- I stay in real neighborhoods where the women at the boulangeries do not speak English.

I can't remember when I ever stayed in the touristy parts of anywhere.

oh, I hated Costa Rica. It's the only place I can say that about.