Most overrated tourist attractions in the world
Feb 18, 2011, 8:53 pm
#226
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 700
I consider something over or underrated to how I "pre-rated" the attraction prior to going there (reading, word of mouth etc.).
Prior to going to New Orleans, I hadn't heard a bad thing about it- therefore I had reasonable or high expectations. I did not like it very much, thus disappointed = overrated!
Manekipiss, I had heard and read repeatedly prior that it was what this thread has been saying about it. Nothing to see, maybe just a checkmark on the things in life you have seen in your life. I ranked that neither over or underrated.
Regarding the Alamo comments previously - I dont think it matters whether it has history or not - it could still be overrated. The fact of the matter is that everything "real" (ex- disneylands of the world) has history, or culture, thus must be "interesting" to a degree, but it could still be overrated.
Re: Mona Lisa. What I did find interesting was the crowd of people - and that made for a good picture... and to be honest, I would prefer that many of them just run in and out to see that painting - so there is less people for the others!
Prior to going to New Orleans, I hadn't heard a bad thing about it- therefore I had reasonable or high expectations. I did not like it very much, thus disappointed = overrated!
Manekipiss, I had heard and read repeatedly prior that it was what this thread has been saying about it. Nothing to see, maybe just a checkmark on the things in life you have seen in your life. I ranked that neither over or underrated.
Regarding the Alamo comments previously - I dont think it matters whether it has history or not - it could still be overrated. The fact of the matter is that everything "real" (ex- disneylands of the world) has history, or culture, thus must be "interesting" to a degree, but it could still be overrated.
Re: Mona Lisa. What I did find interesting was the crowd of people - and that made for a good picture... and to be honest, I would prefer that many of them just run in and out to see that painting - so there is less people for the others!
Feb 19, 2011, 12:00 am
#227
Join Date: Jun 2010
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I've really enjoyed most of the places I've been, including Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Two places, however, that I thought were awful, awful places were:
1. Casablanca. Awful, dirty, unfriendly city. Several people screamed obscenities at us on the street. Even the Hassan II mosque -- the largest in the world -- wasn't really that great. Worst place I've been by a large margin.
2. Nassau, Bahamas. What a miserable, dilapidated town.
1. Casablanca. Awful, dirty, unfriendly city. Several people screamed obscenities at us on the street. Even the Hassan II mosque -- the largest in the world -- wasn't really that great. Worst place I've been by a large margin.
2. Nassau, Bahamas. What a miserable, dilapidated town.
Feb 19, 2011, 1:27 am
#228
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
Stonehenge must be near the top in terms of mismatch between expectation and reality. It was marginally more interesting in the days when you could go right up to the stones; now you can't even do that. Of course it's extraordinary that it was built in the first place, but still...
Capri in the Bay of Naples: yes, it's a lovely island with some good views and some nice enough scenery, some attractive houses and gardens, a bit of interesting history – but I can't understand why it's (apparently) one of the "top ten tourist destinations in the world".
The Mannekin Pis (the statue of the boy urinating) in Brussels. (At least the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen warns you in its name that it's going to be little!)
Capri in the Bay of Naples: yes, it's a lovely island with some good views and some nice enough scenery, some attractive houses and gardens, a bit of interesting history – but I can't understand why it's (apparently) one of the "top ten tourist destinations in the world".
The Mannekin Pis (the statue of the boy urinating) in Brussels. (At least the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen warns you in its name that it's going to be little!)
Feb 19, 2011, 12:17 pm
#230
Join Date: May 2007
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Feb 20, 2011, 8:32 pm
#231
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Feb 20, 2011, 11:59 pm
#232
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
http://wwp.millennium-dome.com/dome/show/index.htm
Feb 21, 2011, 2:00 am
#233
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,605
Yes you can if you do an out of hours tour - details are on the English Heritage website
Feb 21, 2011, 3:32 am
#234
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London
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The dome was a complete joke as a tourist attraction and should never have been built with public money, however it supposedly makes a lot of money now as a concert venue so some good has eventually come out of it.
Feb 21, 2011, 7:18 am
#235
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
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Posts: 1,920
I find it amazing that the reviews on Tripadvisor average out to 4.5 out of 5 for Meramec Cavern, a.k.a America's Cave in Missouri. Meramec cavern has an excellent history including being a hidding spot for the outlaw Jesse James. But upon arriving, the place was tourist kitch. The main entrance was turned into a ballroom complete with disco ball. The cave was nice, but nothing special and no ability to get off the tourist trail and really explore the cave. At the end, you get to sit and watch a SUPER CAMPY light show while "God Bless America" plays, ending with the American Flag being shown in lights on the side of the cave wall. Not at all the day of cave adventure I was hoping for.
I was underwhelmed by Stonehenge and Palace of Versailles as well, though enjoyed my day visits to both well enough because of the saving graces of Salisbury and the gardens at Versailles respectively.
I was underwhelmed by Stonehenge and Palace of Versailles as well, though enjoyed my day visits to both well enough because of the saving graces of Salisbury and the gardens at Versailles respectively.
Feb 21, 2011, 7:36 am
#236
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Norway, Maine
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Posts: 1,474
To each his own, but I am heading to the Great Wall for an 8th time in April. It is one of my top 10 travel experiences (along with Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu) in my life. Few things can beat imagining there is a Mongol attack on the wall and then scaring some unsuspecting tourist.
Feb 21, 2011, 7:56 am
#238
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,199
Is it rated at all as a tourist destination? I don't really think it is....in fact quite the opposite.
Which is probably why my wife and I found it very enjoyable on our first visit.....much better than we expected it to be. Give me Brussels any day before Paris I say.
Which is probably why my wife and I found it very enjoyable on our first visit.....much better than we expected it to be. Give me Brussels any day before Paris I say.
Feb 21, 2011, 8:32 am
#239
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: CLT
Posts: 181
re: Statue of Liberty
Visited in 2007, and not sure if I had any expectations as a first time visitor for the whole expereience. I don't think its really overrated, and should be visited once if you enjoy history, and what the statue stands for.
Now, the drawback, and I don't know if it's changed since my visit, is the security theater to get in. We went through security to board the ferry to the statue (relitivly efficiant), and I had to wait again in a very very slow security line to enter the pedestal (wait of an hour or so in a not really long line). The security wait made me feel rushed after the wait because I was the only one of our group that wanted to go in at the time.
My opinion: if you have the time to spare for waiting on security, then going into the statue might be worth your time if you haven't been before. Otherwise, either just visit the island, or look accross from Manhattan. Note; did not go to Ellis Island, but there was a big tent out front, so security was most likely just as bad.
Visited in 2007, and not sure if I had any expectations as a first time visitor for the whole expereience. I don't think its really overrated, and should be visited once if you enjoy history, and what the statue stands for.
Now, the drawback, and I don't know if it's changed since my visit, is the security theater to get in. We went through security to board the ferry to the statue (relitivly efficiant), and I had to wait again in a very very slow security line to enter the pedestal (wait of an hour or so in a not really long line). The security wait made me feel rushed after the wait because I was the only one of our group that wanted to go in at the time.
My opinion: if you have the time to spare for waiting on security, then going into the statue might be worth your time if you haven't been before. Otherwise, either just visit the island, or look accross from Manhattan. Note; did not go to Ellis Island, but there was a big tent out front, so security was most likely just as bad.