I rather suspect Sarah may not particularly care beyond clicks on the link she provides.

Why pick on Disney World?
___________________________
Because it is practiced entertainment where each individual has a unique experience 100 million times a year.

The history is plastic and manufactured and the culture is controlled and unrealistic.

Oh, IMDonehere, irony is lost on you.

And there are always Fodorite fangirls confirming these beaten paths.>>

and lots of us who don't.

[who then get told off by others for "not answering the exact question asked by the OP!]

My main problem with Barcelona [apart from the crowds which were very evident in September] was that we discovered that we don't like Gaudi very much. There was still quite a lot left for us to see in the 3 days that we spent there but it was a bit disappointing!

@ traveller1959

I just wanted to thank you for writing that most informative post. I must admit I had never thought of it that way. While I can't comment on the other countries, you are, spot on with Italy. I am in the early stages of planning a trip to England and the places you listed are the only ones on my itinerary, happily I read this before making any concrete plans and will do deeper research thanks to your comments.

bettyboop22~
Welcome to the Fodor's forums!! Interesting there are so many 1st-time posters, just for this very thread.

Oh, IMDonehere, irony is lost on you.

_______
Yes, I missed it. How ironic.

>> Can you please suggest me any other venue in Spain that is good enough to spend your holidays <<

For a first-time visitor to Spain, I would suggest Madrid and the surrounding region including Toledo, Avila, El Escorial, Oropesa (this is REALLY oof the beaten path, but has a fantastic parador and is a most charming, authentic town). There find enough to spend a week.

If you want a taste of the Costa Brava, Cadaques is gorgeous, also including the surrounding area (Cap Creus, Figueres, Pyrenees, dipping into France...). You can visit Barcelona, but 2 days would be enough for my taste.

"Just got back from Barcelona and absolutely loved it"). This is also a kind of self-justification: I have carefully planned my trip would I admit that I chose the wrong destination? "

Posters on Fodor don't have to "admit " a thing to anyone here.
What makes one think that loving Barcelona is somehow fake ?

I visited Bercelona ten times and would gladly go again,
( also, Madrid, Seville, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Toledo, Salsmanca, Segivia, Valencia,Granda, Malaga ,Santander )

À chacun ..

Ses sales gouts ?

pourquoi pas ?

Traveller gives good advice. Barcelona has some very beautiful parts. It's worth visiting in my opinion, if only for the Sagrada Familia and the "joie de vivre" danon desribes.

But go expecting to see a spectacularly beautiful city, and you'll be in for a disappointment.

In fact I think Barcelona's cityscape is depressingly monotonous and ugly.

This kind of disappointment only happens when people go somewhere with a preconceived notion of what it will be like there. Go in with an open mind and it's impossible to be disappointed by it not measuring up to your expectations.

"spectacularly beautiful city, and you'll be in for a disappointment."

is there a "spectacularly beautiful" city that has not disappointed some
travellers...?

what suze said.

suze, that's not entirely true.
I don't think anything can prepare you for the seediness that prevades slum-like El Raval and Barrio Gothic. If this was on the outskirts of the city, far from the tourist sights it would have been understandable. But the drug dealers and questionable sorts hang on La Ramblas, giving the city a gritty uneasy vibe.

You'd expect this kind of scenes in Mexico or Colombia but not in Europe.

<You'd expect this kind of scenes in Mexico or Colombia but not in Europe.>

That exactly proves my point.

<You'd expect this kind of scenes in Mexico or Colombia but not in Europe.>

Talk about exaggerating!

Time and time again the locals just immediately began speaking to us in English. I'm not sure if it's because they want to practice their English or because they prefer Catalan over Spanish but I found it arrogant and presumptuous.>

Most tourist would love to have most of the locals speak English.

Probably a troll post- what other reason for a first-time post like this?

"For a first-time visitor to Spain, I would suggest Madrid and the surrounding region including Toledo, Avila, El Escorial, Oropesa (this is REALLY oof the beaten path, but has a fantastic parador and is a most charming, authentic town)."

Please, do not listen to traveller1959, and go to Oropesa. It is impossible to get there by train, there is a major highway running right by it, the Parador is on top of the hill making it difficult to get there with seven pieces of luggage.

Other places to be avoided are Zaragoza, Teruel, and especially, Albarracin and its surroundings.

Merida is such an unpleasant city that it should be taken off all maps.

Madrid, train to Seville, train to Barcelona, back to Madrid is the one and only itinerary.

After all, twenty million people can't be wrong.

Mark

I used to visit Barcelona frequently for business. As such, became quite familiar with sights and overall layout of the old town/touristic areas.

Let me just say that if Barcelona fell off the edge of the planet tomorrow I would not missed it. After witnessing so much rampant abuse of tourists and visitors by the sheer disregard of authorities to provide better security, I have no desire whatsoever to ever step in Barcelona again.

My opinion. Thank you.