GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT?
 

Generally speaking, I try to look on the brighter side of things most of the time. However, as I sit and read many of the great stories about favorite cathedrals, restaurants, etc., I often wonder what some of the disappointments were. <BR> <BR>I went to Europe for the first time last fall (Sept. '98). We did Brussels, Paris, and London. I was thrilled with the trip overall but was surprised at the "Disney" feel of Paris. (And no, we did not go to EuroDisney) It seemed that there was some type of vendor or merchandiser every 10 feet. I loved Paris. It was beautiful and I'll go back. I just wasn't prepared for the feeling that I was at Disneyland overpaying for everything. <BR> <BR>I would have loved to have seen it 20 or 30 years ago when it was probably more like my mind had envisioned it. <BR> <BR>I loved going to Europe and can't wait to get back and see more. Please tell me what experiences were not quite what you expected, I'm sure there are many people who share the same feelings. <BR> <BR>Happy Traveling! <BR>

Hello Lynn, For me, this one is easy. <BR>We have enjoyed 14 trips to Europe and <BR>each one has had it's minor faux paus. <BR>We recently spent a fabulous 20 days in <BR>Greece, but the major disappointment was <BR>Athens itself. It is a big dirty crowded <BR>city with too many people and tour busses. We fell in love with Greece, but <BR>typical of many BIG cities we could skip <BR>Athens and not miss it.

Land's End, at the tip of Cornwall in Britain, is a great disappointment. I understand that an American owns this place and he is the one who turned it into a honky-tonk. You have to pay to get out to the final view of the cape, past ice cream stands and candy floss shops. Otherwise, the coast moorland is quite beautiful in its own bleak, windswept way. It's just a shame that crass commercialism has stomped so severely on this famous site.

I agree with Bob regarding Athens. I was disappointed with it due to the smog and overcrowding. The Greek Islands, on the other hand, were definately not a disappointment! <BR>

<BR>Hello Lynn, we have been to Paris at least three times and have never had that feeling you experienced. However, having alot all over, I can tell you that most big cities have the same type of street vendors all over. So maybe I'm just used to seeing that and it doesn't bother me. However, on our first trip to Rome, I remember feeling a bit ticked off or offended about the vendors we saw right outside entrances to churches and cathedrals, complete with t-shirts with the cathedral on them etc. I was kind of surprised they allowed that so close to the churches. <BR>

Lynn: Isn't it funny - our pre-conceptions and our impressions? Before making my maiden trip to Paris this summer, I'd been feelinig like, 'Oh, I missed the best part -- should've done it 30-40 years ago....' And when we got there, we were enchanted! I loved how very old and beautiful it is, and how, for miles and miles, you feel like you are seeing, "...the Paris that has always been." I too am mystified at your dismay about the vendors. Saw some in a few places (and even made purchases) but nothing to an extent that could take away from the overall beauty, charm etc. <BR> <BR>Now...returning to England and hoping to repeat our first so-thrilling and pleasurable motoring excursion of a decade ago --- THAT was a disappointment. Over-priced, dreary B&B's (where were the charming spots we'd found last time?), getting hopelessly lost, breaking down -- a definite downer, to be sure. But I've come to the conclusion that travel is a lot like childbirth labor -- after a while the awful parts fade, and the wondrous, enjoyable stuff sticks in your mind...and makes you start planning the next trip!

I agree to the people who said that Athens was a dissapointment. I did not see much of it but what I saw was nothing to brag about. I would still go if in the area though to see the Acropolis. I stopped in Athens on my way to Iraklion, Crete which was really dirty as well. <BR>

We, too, were completely enchanted by Paris. 20-30 years ago, you would have visited a city that was quite filthy, where people tossed their garbage out their windows and into the streets, and an en suite bath was rare and exhorbitantly expensive. In fact, in numerous photos of the Arc de Triomphe, for example, it is nearly blackened by exhaust fumes. We were astonished to find it (and nearly every other building and monument) sparkling clean! While we were there, they were working on the Pont Alexandre III, Hotel de Ville, and one of the other bridges - half before, half after, and you sure could see the difference! The residents and business owners pay enormous taxes (there was a piece on "60 Minutes" about this) for all of us to enjoy. I can't imagine a "Disney" feel in Paris. Where else are so many buildings centuries old beautifully preserved and/or restored? Overpaying? Consider that the residents pay the same prices you do. So, how do you define "overpaying"? Further, while coffee may be $3, rather than whatever you pay at home, it's the absolutely finest cup of coffee you could possibly enjoy. Chefs pride themselves in serving the finest and freshest ingredients, perfectly prepared and artfully and professionally served. And, where else is a $3 bottle of Coca Cola served as though it were the finest Champagne? I have found each trip to Europe to be an overwhelming learning experience. I can't remember the disappointments, but cherish the collection of moments: a breathtaking view, soaking up the local atmosphere, the attention to detail, that buildings, hotels, restaurants are improved year after year, rather than being torn down and replaced with quickly and cheaply constructed substitutes. The preservation of architecture, tradition, atmosphere of foregone eras is astonishing and ever so inspiring. If admission to the Louvre were $50, I'd consider it a bargain! While driving around stateside, my husband and I are astonished when we discover the rare town that is not full of fast food chains, Motel 6 and Super 8, and the ubiquitous Wal-Mart that has put all the family owned shops out of business. While in Paris, we hardly saw any street vendors at all, certainly not every 10 feet. Although, when we arrived at Versailles, we were a bit annoyed at the many vendors of accordian postcards in your face outside the entrance. However, we did buy one and treasure the beautiful collection of pictures which we could not possibly have captured ourselves. I'm totally guessing that, perhaps, you spent your time in Paris at Place du Tertre, the Champs Elysees, and other major "tourist" spots, rather than out and about in the neighborhoods.

My dear Lynn, whatever are you talking about? Paris is a marvelous city. One of the most beautiful and special in the whole world. I have been there many times and have lived there once. I have never seen many vendors and certainly never got a feeling of being in Disneyland. How strange you did. I've never heard of that reaction from anyone else. As for myself, I too found Athens a bit dirty but I enjoyed being there once (but will not return). I can't recall any real disappointements I have had in Europe on trips or when I have travelled about while living there. All travel is marvelous IMO. <BR>

This is SUCH a bizarre topic! I can't imagine remembering, much less recalling, one's "disappointing experiences". No matter where you go, surely the positive experiences completely overwhelm any "disappointing experiences". With the incredible wealth of resources available these days, a little research and planning results in knowing what to expect. "Overpaying"? What do you mean? One can only wonder why, if you "try" to look on the brighter sie, you "wonder" about disappointments. I guess that's the difference between trying and doing.

Poor Lynn! I guess this will teach you to post an honest but negative reaction on Fodor's. I think the difference is not between trying and doing, as Jody suggests, but between planning/imagining and actually being there. It's the difference that makes us get on a plane. My biggest diappointment was Venice, star of films, literature, and guidebooks. Even though I thought it was fine, it wasn't the magical place for me that it seems to be for so many people. I didn't want it to be just fine. I wanted magic, darn it. I think the food and people in the rest of Italy (well, from Rome north) spoiled me for anything less, no matter how scenic.

I'm with you, Martha. Venice can be picturesque, unique, crowded, filthy, smelly, overpriced, beautiful, noisy, and grasping. We've been there several times and have no urge to return. But the point of this web site is to post your honest impressions. I have often suspected that Pollyana-postings perpetuate rip-offs when starry-eyed persons believe they might be committing some kind of social error by "telling it like it is." We've been rambling around the globe since 1952 as a couple, and I can only say that some spots have become ever so much better and other spots have deteriorated enormously, largely due to becoming over-touristed (if there is such a term). Our duty: call the shots as we see them. IMHO

<BR>Oh my greatest dissapointment of my two trips to England this past year are easy to remember: having to get back on the plane and come home again so soon! :) What a wonderful place. Can't wait to go back.

Thank you, Al and Martha! I thought I was the only one who was disappointed with Venice. My friends have torched me for saying that Venice was just "okay". <BR>Perhaps I had too many expectations about the place ... Anyway, those expectations came crashing down last summer. Venice was a nice place but it wasn't spectacular. <BR> <BR>St. Mark's Basilica was gorgeous and feeding the pigeons at St. Mark's Square was fun but ... the "romantic" canals reeked and the place was overcrowded (not just San Marco). <BR> <BR>But given all that, I would not have missed it for the world! <BR> <BR>I was also surprised at my first sight of Rome - dirty, decaying buildings, trash littering the streets and sidewalks ... oh, well, just another big city! <BR> <BR>

Did we hit a hot button? <BR> <BR>I think yes. Let's try to remember that just because we ask a question about disappointments, that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the entire experience of our trip. <BR> <BR>Perhaps those of you that think I hated Paris and only remember one bad thing should read my original posting again. I loved Paris. And I'll go back. I have a list of things I didn't get to see in my 6 days there! <BR> <BR>I simply thought this was an intriguing question to interject among all the "oh how I loved this" and "oh how I loved that" stories. <BR> <BR>Happy Traveling...

A very valid question, in my opinion. By telling others what we found disappointing about places, we can perhaps help them enjoy their own experiences there more - if only by not creating too many expectations. For example, it might help that they go to Paris, Rome, or London with the understanding that they are indeed big cities with big-city problems, and not Disney-land type places. Hopefully though, they won't avoid these places but will go and form their own opinions to come back here and share. One thing I like about Rick Steves is that he shares these opinions with his readers. <BR> <BR>I also feel that my biggest disappointment is in getting on the plane to return. However, I did find some things a little disappointing, although not surprising because I had read about them - eg., Montmartre and Interlaken (the town itself, not the surroundings)- both were way too touristy. Still, I enjoyed them a lot more than being at home, and I am glad I went.

Martha, you said it well. I also side with Dan; this is a very valid question. We often forget that it is OK to have expectations when embarking on a trip and it is OK to DISCERN. That only make the journey the more memorable. I think it's balloney to say that EVERYTHING seen and done on a trip was just peachy...I believe that to have expectations, surprises, disappointments is an indication that you TRULY were there, done that... <BR> <BR>Disappointment for me: LONDON (Ok, I'm ready, shoot me!) Only reason I would visit again would be the British Museum, British Library and the Tower. <BR>For everything else, I rather go to NYC. Thank you very much.

I have to argue on behalf of Athens. Yes it is a huge, overcrowded, hot, dirty city. And I loved it. It is also has very beautiful neighborhoods, striking archeology, and great people. And you should see the white city gleaming in the sunlight from a sailboat! (Maybe I was so mellowed out from our sailing trip that I didn't notice the grime.) Anyway, I love Athens. <BR> <BR>My disappointment was Istanbul. Not the city, per se, although that is another huge, filthy, polluted, noisy city which I enjoyed. My disappointment was that there are hardly any women out and about in Istanbul. Islamic tradition puts a lot more men on the streets than women, and I really missed being able to learn about that part of the culture. <BR>

At the risk of being flogged, I figured I'd add my greatest disappointment - Interlaken. While the drive in and the surroundings were beautiful, the town itself was a big disappointment. Nothing but knife & watch shops & tourists everywhere. I'm sure that part of my disappointment stems from the vast amount of research that I did prior to leaving. I allowed my expectations to get too high based on the writings of those who obviously had very different perspectives than myself. <BR>Would I make alternate plans if I had the chance? Nah. Will I go again? Probably not.

Neuschwanstein - not nearly as grandiouse as the pictures I'd seen. A very rough walk/climb for a big disappointment. <BR>

Although I truly loved Paris, I didn't find the natives very accommodating. My greatest disappointmement was finding a hotel specifically for the purpose of being near the Louvre. When I got there , I felt just like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation. The Louvre was on strike the entire time I was in Paris. I agree with you Lynne as far as overpaying; I had a very small baguette and an Orangina at a small outdoor cafe and after I figured out the exchange rate, I found that I paid almost $15.00. On the upside, I thought the city was incredibly beautiful and very clean.

Zell am See. <BR> <BR>In the fall of 98, I looked forward to going there. I did and was underwhelmed. <BR>Maybe it was because I have seen many alpine lake towns so this one did not seem special. Maybe it was that the BnB I had looked forward to staying in was closed for the season, and I had to look for another in a town when a lot of construction was going on and traffic was a mess and my bladder was full. <BR>(I did find a great replacement, the Hotel St.Georg, beside a gurgling mountain stream, it was the saving grace of the 24 hrs I spent there). Or, maybe it was russian communist I talked to that evening, or, perhaps all the kitsch in the aldstadt. <BR> <BR>Maybe it was me, maybe it was Maybelline (who, alas, I did not meet!) But it was a definite nadir on what was, otherwise, a fabulous journey. <BR> <BR>Peace

Since prices are posted, and exchange rates can be easily determined in advance, one can only wonder why you walked into what you later determined to be a bum deal. And, it's always prudent to make reservations in a place you look forward to staying in - as they may be booked, whenever open. So, to all of you have been disappointed, it's not MAYBELLINE - it's YOU!

I hope this doesn't post twice, but you know this web site: <BR>To paraphrase DR. JOHNSON, "When one has tired of London, one has tired of Life." <BR> <BR>Personally I can see virtually no comparrison between the rather small, overcrowded, relatively dangerous smudge- pot that is NYC in relation to a 630 square mile giant of culture and history that is London. And that's the point, not everyone likes the same things in life, nor would we want them to. If that were the case everyone everywhere would be trying to live in just a select few spots. Whereas London is my second favorite place on the planet, right behind Bath, I can fully understand that others of my friends and family might not like it in the least. <BR> <BR> As much as I like London I'm sure I would like it more if I had 20-30 thousand dollars to spend while there. But I don't, so I make adjustments and I keep going back anyway. Life is disappointments, almost daily, but we all hold on because even disappointment is necessary to weave the fabric of our lives. I think it's a great topic and admire Lynn for posting it in the first place. Bon Voyage.

My biggest disappointment? <BR> <BR>Parisians. Not Paris itself, but many of it's citizens. I'm a very outgoing traveler. I smile a lot, start almost every conversation with "I'm sorry I don't speak your beautiful language well, could you please help me with...", etc. Despite these efforts I have never run into more rude, arrogant, smelly and down-right mean people than while in Paris. <BR> <BR>Were there exceptions? Sure. But for the most part I was very disappointed in how we were treated from the hotel clerk, to waiters, to taxi drivers, museum staff or a guy on the street sending us in the opposite direction when we needed help finding our way. <BR> <BR>Beautiful city, amazing art, wonderful food - RUDE people.

The holiday Inn sunspree resort Orlando, not cheap and totally ghastly in every respect when we were there. Not child friendly but puerile with cartoons and silly messages on every wall and counter and a horrible restaurant that even our young son thought was uncool and which remidned us of a British motorway stop off i.e. vile. [we fortunately escaped most nights to the nearby shopping cetnre which had a great range of cheap and cheerful places that we really liked and were ideal post disney but would have preferred to havethe option of eating in] A direct contrast to the second stop of our stay in Florida the Registry Resort in Naples. Simple fab, a hotel that welcomes and caters for children whilst also making the grown ups in the party feel seriously spoilt. Their sunday brunch is to die for.

We were disappointed with Venice. I like "old", thats why I wanted to see Europe, but Venice was almost too shabby and dreary for me. And I cannot understand the tourists fascination with all those horrid pigeons in St. Marks Sq. I would like to see it when it is pigeon-less!! Many people have told me to give Venice a second chance, and I probably will someday. I did love Murano and Burano.

Whistler. <BR> <BR>Too crowded. <BR>Too expensive. <BR>Too "here-to-be-seen" <BR>Too over rated.

Greetings - <BR> <BR>I'm the Lynn who originally started this thread and I must say I was surprised to see it surface again. <BR> <BR>I'm glad because I have an update to my own post. Last Spring we went back to Paris with my husband's kids (almost 18 & 19 at the time) and I enjoyed it more the 2nd time around. I enjoyed it the first time but, as I said before, was just unprepared for a few things. This time, we knew where we were going, how much we needed to bring, and were prepared for what we would find. <BR> <BR>And, in response to "the turnip" above. Isn't it amazing the different experiences people have? For me, I only ran into 1 rude person the entire week. Sure, some of them have "extra" attitude at times but it wasn't a big deal. I just think that's how they are! I was actually pleasantly surprised at how nice several of them were without us even asking. <BR> <BR>It's really funny actually the different responses you'll get about various places and people. We went to Thailand, (mostly Bangkok), last November and many people had asked us why. They heard it was dirty, polluted, crowded, etc. Well, it is! However, it's also home to the nicest people I've ever met anywhere. The Thais are very kind and helpful. Sure, they want your money, but they are very nice about how they get it. You can get the best deals on lots of things, stay in style for 1/2 the price, and eat like a king for $10. And that's the expensive place! <BR> <BR>In short, as S.C. said, it just depends on who you are, where you're at, and what you want to do. Thank God we're not all alike! <BR> <BR>:-)

Hi! Just finished reading this site and was amazed that all this time I thought I was alone in my feelings about Venice. Full of tourists, mobbed, bad food generally, pigeons beyond belief etc etc. The other disapointment is Switzerland especially Zurich and Interlacken. Took a walking tour of Interlacken and it ended up in a "Swiss restaurant and show" The city is full of watch shops many with sushi outside for the Japanese tourist and Japanese staff inside to sell them swiss watches. It was also the most expensive vacation in Europe I have ever experienced after traveling there for 14yrs. The mountains are gorgeous but the prices are as high as the mountains. It felt good to be back in eastern Europe last year after trying someplace else. alan

We've also been traveling for over 25 years and one thing we were disappointed in was our return to Athens this year. 25 years ago we loved it and couldn't wait to get back. Now my question is were we less seasoned or has the city changed that much? Don't miss it if you're planning a trip to Greece but only give it minimal time. <BR>London -- however much it has changed is still wonderful for me. You can keep New York! <BR>My person travel disappointment was the Black Forest. It was a lovely area but I don't know what I expected . . . Hansel and Gretel and Gingerbread houses????

A reply to what Turnip said. Some of the problems he had can be helped by using a few French words. For example he would say 'I'm sorry I don't speak French, but can you help me'. You need to open in French, for example say 'Excusz-moi monsieur, parlez-vous anglais' which is 'Excuse me sir, do you speak English?'. In addition alway open a conversation in French. For example even if you know the desk clerk speaks good English, open the conversation with 'bonsour monsieur' then speak English. Also exit with 'au-revoir'. The same holds true when going into small shops, greet the store clerk in French and exit with 'au-revoir'. One more item, the French distrust people who smile for what they see as no reason. <BR> <BR>

I have to agree with Bob - there are ugly Americans abroad who shout in English - as if that will help the French understand better! Bob's tips are important to keep in mind in any country visited. I was told the same on my first visit to Europe years ago, and it has helped me through various situations. I was once complimented in Paris that I couldn't possibly be an American - that I must be British because I was polite. <BR> <BR>As for the original post, there are touristy areas in Paris - just as there are in any other city in the world. You must be adventurous and seek out the locals and 'unknown' spots. That's half of the fun. I'm not sure what your expectations were Lynn, but have a couple of conversations with Parisians on your next trip and they won't steer you wrong - you may find the Paris you are looking for. Good luck!

I think this is a fair and what's more, useful question. Disappointment implies expectations, and we all travel with some expectations. If the mis-fit between someone else's expectations and experience helps make our own expectations more realistic, that's helpful. <BR> <BR>A comment about "over-priced." It's really more complicated than Marcee would admit. Some cities are more expensive in lodging, others in food. Learning what to expect in an "average" restaurant can get you burned -- e.g., it took a while to figure out we'd eat better in a Parisian "salon de the" than a restaurant for the same price. The number stars or dollar signs next to the name in a guidebook doesn't explain whether you'll be charged $5. if you ask for extra bread. <BR> <BR>I've had the luck to visit Paris twice, once 30 years ago and once last year, so I have some basis for comparison. I found it now a cleaner but meaner city. I wasn't prepared for the utter misery of trying to get down the Eiffel Tower after sunset and before closing on a crowded Ascension Sunday -- astonishing no one has been forced over a railing yet. And yes, the cynical commercialism is sad, as is the antagonistic air about museum-closing, airport-crippling strikes. <BR> <BR>It seemed to me that it was like seeing an old lover after so many years -- fatter, richer, more venal, better groomed but less attractively dressed, and not nearly as happy. And THAT thought made me think that one could say much the same thing about a lot of places in the developed world of 2000. The hawked T-shirts depicting classical treasures are everywhere. The subway ads with mindlessly voluptuous models selling caffeinated sugary drinks are everywhere. The Florida Rodent's potemkin villages are everywhere, too. <BR> <BR>I could look past them better when the weather was nice and I wasn't spending half the afternoon scouting for restaurants where I could afford dinner. I could look past them when I had a quiet moment watching children stubbornly getting their shoes wet in Tuilleries puddles. And it certainly helped me to look past them if I knew ahead of time that they were there. So go ahead -- give me fair warning about Florence or Penzance or Athens. I'm tired of finding Disney every where and don't want to walk unwittingly into it yet another time. <BR> <BR>And that's my rant for today.

This is one of the best threads I've read around here. <BR>I'm baffled by the people that want to pretend that travelling is always wonderful and always exactly what you dreamed it would be and always something you can prepare for. Please---why would we do it if it was that way? <BR> <BR>I have fantasized about certain places my entire life (literally since I was a tot learning to read). Fact of the matter is every single place on earth has elements that aren't going to fall into place with that fantasy. While that can be a sort of disappointing reality, its part of the thrill of travelling too. <BR> <BR>What fun would travel be if it wasn't exploration. And by definition exploration involves risk of disappointment. And a traveller should be able to gain something from "disappointment" too.

Sorry but my earlier post wasn't very clear. I opened my french conversations in FRENCH saying albeit rather poorly in french "I'm sorry I don't speak your language very well." I made every effort to use all the French words I knew at every opportunity including more sorry's, please's and thank you's than you can shake a baggette (sp?) at! <BR>All to no avail. <BR> <BR>As for the French not liking it when you smile, give me a blinking break Bob! You're suggesting that people would have been more pleasant had I smiled LESS? Huh? <BR> <BR>My German was just as poor as my French but throughout all of Deutschland we met NONE of the rude arrogance of the Parisians. On the contrary, people had fun with our bumbbling skills and tried their very best to help us, regardless of how much German we knew or how much English they knew. <BR> <BR>I stand by original post. My biggest disappointment was the shabby treatment we received in a beautiful city. <BR>

London was the biggest disappointment for me. I will give it another chance though - we weren't there long and didn't have time for much - but I thought it was the most expensive place I've ever been. I adore Paris! No one has ever been rude to me there - and I butcher their language, but I think the point is that I try. In fact, no one has ever been rude to me ANYWHERE that I've traveled. Lynn is right about Bangkok - it may be dirty, but it is enchanting. I don't think a traveler should judge a destination on its cleanliness - life is dirty, people are dirty - a city can't help it if it's dirty - look beyond the dirt - there's always something interesting to see, hear, taste or smell.

No place I have visited for the first time has ever been a disappointment. HOWEVER, the Rhinefalls in Germany and the architecture in Helsinki certainly did not live up to my expectations (which were modest)......I know this is a European board but has anyone ever been to Pigeon Forge?.....Very mediocre.....

May I be so bold as to bring a bit of fresh air into this string of complaints? Paris, you will find, is filled with Parisians. Mostly just folks trying to get by in an over-crowded, over-touristed, and over-priced environment. Who bids up the price of things? Tourists. So get off the beaten track in France for a while. Prices drop dramatically. People actually smile. People have time to help you un-mangle their language. It's happened to us countless times. And we were heading back again this year. And our first trip there was almost 50 years ago. Now talk about change and deterioration--we must only look in our mirrors.

We arrived unexpectedly in Paris in March, 1995. While on a trip to Morrocco, my husband had a heart attack in Fez and after treatment there, we were flown to the Anerican Hospital in Paris. We were in Fez during Ramadan and very, very few people spoke any English. They tried to help me, but it was very difficult staying at a hotel and not speaking to or meeting any other English speaking tourists. Paris was wonderful. My daughter flew over to be with me, and help. The shop keepers, bus drivers, Doctors, nurses, and the concierge at the small hotel where we stayed were all wonderful. At one restaurant, the owner even opened the door early for us and offered bread and wine until opening time. We did not meet any rude people in Paris. A little old lady came up to us at a bus stop, and said--ooh, american--you sound like the movies, how are you? Thank God, my husband is now well and we are planning to return to Paris as all he saw was the American Hospital.