Pamela

underrated: driving in France - it seems every tour book I found warned about all the dangers of renting a car and going off on your own. We loved every minute of it! The countryside was beautiful and we could stop whenever and for however long we wanted. We had an itinerary, but veered off of it occasionally - when it struck our fancy I had such a wonderful experience I'm moving to Montpellier in January!

Fran

Most overrated IMHP is Paul Bocuse's 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Lyon. The place is crawling with the epitome of haughty French waiters. When I dared to pour more of the overpriced red wine by myself, the Wine steward appeared from nowhere, gave me a disapproving glance and moved the bottle out my reach. While the food was good,I've had meals I've enjoyed a lot more.

Geoff

OK, my .02 - <BR> <BR>Venice - every bit true about the worst hotels, yet despite being touristy it has a wonderful uniqueness, highly rated yes, but also somewhat deserved and on neither end of the spectrum (if you like art and didn't like Florence, the Doges Palace has a Tintaretto on every second wall, that's underrated) <BR> <BR>London - I too am in NJ and can't stand the dirtyness of NYC and the general hassle to get anywhere. London doesn't have that and it does make it better. Still I didn't think London was an overwhelming place for me, again neither over or underrated. (I think London theater has got the reputation now, so it's no longer underrated) <BR> <BR>Amsterdam - brown cafes are just another hangout place, if you liked it it's because you found some nice people, not the cafe itself. Amsterdam itself is probably neither under or overrated, the Art musuems deserve what people say. Underrated in Amsterdam - just riding the trams, can be quick a roller coaster. Overrated in Amsterdam - the red light district and being a tourist and getting within 100 feet of the Dam where drug hawkers bother anyonw that moves. <BR> <BR>Scotland - sorry to come from a Scot, but to my mind Scotland does have the reputation, and if you've been to Ireland I think you see why Scotland is nice, but Ireland is nicer. <BR> <BR>To my mind the overrated: <BR> <BR>Vienna - some nice things like the riding school is great to see, but just so little else is impressive, to me their cofee houses are just places to rest awhile (a good tea room in England way out does them), and the city itself seems just like a place to live, without an awful lot of interest to it. <BR> <BR>Cambridge - sorry to the person who said it was underrated, but that was one of my disappointments in England. Kind of nicely groomed grounds of the schools, but other than a quick stroll/punt up the Cam I found precious little else to do. <BR> <BR>Zermatt - maybe if you can't go to any other Swiss mountain town, it'd be OK, otherwise it's just *so* crowded, everyone of the crowd is a tourist, the hotel prices are way too high, and there are 20 places like it in the area. <BR> <BR>The vastly underrated: <BR> <BR>Rhaedo-Romansch area in Switzerland, what Zermatt should have been, quiet peacful yet as pretty as their Interlaken/Luzern cousins with bigger reputations. Davos/Flims/Arosa <BR> <BR>Iceland - biggest secret in all of Europe, riding pony sized horses (good when you're 5'2"), swimming in a natural made jacuzzi, snowmobile riding on a glacier, geysir's, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Active volcanic activity. And the cleanest, freshest air. Something for everyone. <BR> <BR>

wes fowler

Lola, <BR>In Munich, the most over-rated beer hall is the Hofbrauhaus; the most under-rated, the Augustiner-Keller. <BR> <BR>Most over-rated festival: Oktoberfest. Must under-rated (and unknown) those in Ghent, Louvain and other Belgian cities and towns in mid to late summer. <BR> <BR>In the Netherlands, most over-rated tourist sites: Volendam and Maarken; most under-rated: Spakenburg. Most under-rated Dutch museum, the Kroller-Muller in De Hoge Veluwe National Park. <BR> <BR>The most over-rated European beer: Germany's (except for that of the brewery in the monastery in Bavaria's Andechs). Most under-rated: Belgium's, particularly its lambics. <BR> <BR>Most over-rated Swiss village: Zermatt; most under-rated Saas-fee. Most over-rated Bavarian villages: Garmisch, Rothenburg o. d. Tauber; most under-rated: Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, Rottenbuch. <BR> <BR>In Austria, most over-rated: Salzburg and Hallstatt; most under-rated: Innsbruck, St. Gilgen and St. Wolgang and the Wolfgangsee. <BR> <BR>The one place I find most under-rated and unknown above all is the country of Belgium with a landscape ranging from seacoasts in the west through rolling countryside to the Ardennes forest in the east; with diverse cultures and languages, superb cuisine and beers; marvelous architectural wonders in Brugges, Brussels and Louvain; charming and little known castles throughout the land and emotionally moving reminders of Belgium's unfortunate history as Europe's battlefield from the times of the Hapsburgs through the Napoleonic era to the two World Wars of the 20th century.

RosemaryM

The most overrated were the beaches of the French Riviera. Perhaps as an Australian I have been spoiled, but I'll take any beach in Sydney over Nice and Cannes. <BR>I found Sicily the most underrated place I have been in Europe. I knew nothing about Sicily except Mafia and bandits and the literature of Verga and Pirandello which I studied at University.Nobody said that there were more Greek ruins in Sicily than in Greece! Selinunte and the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento blew me away!

deepa

Most overrated - Paris and the Cinque Terre. <BR>Most underrated - Smaller Italian towns like Assisi and Orveito,in France -Strasbourg and the Alsatian wine route and French food.

dan woodlief

While I don't agree with Deepa on Paris (I know a lot do though), I do agree on Strasbourg. In general, I think other French cities are quite overshadowed by Paris, and therefore overlooked by most travellers. Strasbourg is truly beautiful. I also think Bern, Switzerland is overlooked somewhat as everyone concentrates on the mountains and Luzern.

Rob

I am one who thinks, along with a few other posters, that Florence is overrated. However, it is interesting how many people will tell you that it is a must-see; perhaps for those who like art, etc. Also, I give that Halstatt and Brugges are beautiful, but I found them a little dull otherwise. Especially Halstatt, where I went on the recommendation of a few on this board. Man, the place shuts down at 9 p.m.; but it is spectacular to look at for a few hours. Never have made it to (not high on priority) the French Riviera, Athens, Venice and London; but I live in New York City, and a few posters have said that it is "better" than New York. Wow, I find it hard to believe, so I guess I better check it out for myself. <BR> <BR>As far as underrated places, I loved every place in Hungary that I went to, and I really liked Krakow, Poland. I read somewhere that it has Krakow has a "dark, yet trendy" feel to it; well put. I don't think Cinque Terre was every underrated, just unknown. I went there 4 years ago and I think it was little more off the beaten path than it is now; I hear it is inundated with visitors now. Also, I was not prepared for how amazing the Alhambra (Granada, Sp.) would be. Again, I don't know if ever underrated, but I think that Prague is the most beautiful city (especially at night) in Europe. <BR> <BR> <BR>

elvira

Overrated? Changing of the Guard, Montmartre, everydamnplace in Milan, the food in any over-priced restaurant. <BR>Underrated? French friendliness (whodathunk *I* would be saying that?); English food (no kidding, you can actually find really good cuisine - recognizable vegetables, meat that has NOT been boiled); the French countryside; Northern Ireland.

BMG

OVERRATED: <BR>Florence disappointed me greatly <BR>The Louvre underwhelmed <BR>Vienna slightly overrated <BR>Portofino seems overhyped <BR>I found Innsbruck too touristy and dull <BR>Harrod's <BR>Venice <BR>While Switzerland is absolutely beautiful, the people seem uniformly emotionless/distant/chilly...not that they're advertised otherwise <BR>High-end hotels in Europe don't match those in the US <BR> <BR>UNDERRATED <BR>Lake Como, hyped...but not enough <BR>Tuscan food, though well hyped, is occasionally otherworldly <BR>Munich <BR>Underground rail systems in London and Paris <BR>

Bob Brown

I think along the same lines about Saas Fee. I stayed in Saas Grund because we could get a good apartment where we could drive up close and park for free. <BR>But we went "up" to Saas Fee several times to eat, take the cable lifts, and just poke around the stores. Food was excellent and the place was not overwhelmed with American tourists who assume the world speaks only English because that is all they speak. <BR> <BR>Now to touch off an argument. (I have duly donned my flak helmet and hockey goalie's protective gear because I ought to get some real zingers over this one.) <BR>I think the Louvre is over-rated. <BR>Granted, there are priceless treasures there. But throw out the junk and the Denon wing could hold it all. <BR> <BR>Hey! If there was a lot worth seeing there, why would the whole world be congregated at Winged Victory, Mona, and Venus?? Those 3 represent .0000000000000000000000000000000001 percent of the collection. <BR> <BR>Another under-rated place in Paris is Sainte Chapelle. Those gorgeous stained glass walls were unknown to me before this trip. But thanks to the astute contributors to this forum, I went to see them -- twice. <BR> <BR>And an under-rated violin player is Frederick Moreau, leader of the Violins of France, which is also under-rated. <BR>Wow! But those young musicians can play!!

Joanna White

Bob - at the risk of being called an art snob, I would have to disagree with your comment on the Louvre. I absolutely adored the Mediaeval Treasury section and the foundations of the older building under the Louvre, an earlier palace. Maybe the people "doing" Paris in 1-2 days on tours congregate around the "Big 3". My friend and I spent 1.5 days there out of 8 days in Paris. Also disagree with an earlier comment about the Colosseum. It hasn't been rebuilt, but has constantly been denuded for its stone since the fourth century - Constantine used some of it for his nearby basilica. <BR>Most overrated - cakes in Vienna. I found better in Switzerland and Germany; the cleanliness of Scandinavian cities. <BR>Most underrated - Sicily - a definite "must do", not just for the Greek remains, but the Arab-Norman architecture and the friendliness of its people.

Sera

Have to agree with Bob about the Louvre. Could not get out of there fast enough. The last straw was seeing a man videotaping his daughter posing next to the Mona Lisa. Ugh! The Musee D'Orsay is a vastly superior museum.

dan woodlief

I wanted to add my own two francs on the Louvre, for what it's worth. I don't think the collection of the Louvre is overrated at all. Impossible. However, I would say that for all but the biggest art lovers, the experience is probably overrated. The museum just is not very user-friendly. I think most works there are probably quite important, but it is hard for many of the real masterpieces to stand out when there is just so much to see. This said, however, I think the size of the Louvre and its collection are what distinguish it from all the other art museums in the world. <BR> <BR>The Musee d'Orsay is about as user-friendly as it gets. I would say that the Musee d'Orsay is highly underrated, despite the attention it gets. My 1998 Fodors France guide does not even list it as one of the museums to see in France. Unless for some reason they did not want to include more than one museum per city, this is truly amazing to me (also, Notre-Dame was not listed for churches - huh?).

Bob Brown

I am quite willing to take a few zingers over my Louvre comment. I willingly admit that there are treasures there. <BR>And, I have made trips in the US to see special art exhibits, so I am not an art hater. <BR> <BR>On the issue of the Swiss national persona: I have visited there now 3 times for more than 3 weeks, total. I still am not sure what to make of it all. The warmth-chill factor of the people you meet seems to vary with the location, season, amount of rain, and what it is that you want. Generalizations are difficult because I have encountered personalties that run the gamut. <BR>In Zinal, at Hotel de Trift, the owner and his chief attendant (waitress, bar tender, greeter, luggage carrier, etc.) were friendly and chatty. The chief attendant, named Kirstin, spoke little English but she was fluent in German. I could converse with her easily. The owner, Nicolas Guillhaume, was easy to talk with in English. His wife, although preoccupied with a new baby, was equally friendly. And the very old black dog wagged his tail happily when we spoke to him. <BR>In Saas Grund, our landlady spoke no English, and she was not sure at first that I could speak German worth a flip. We made the initial contact through a bi-lingual German friend of mine and finalized the rental deal through her son Adrian, who played high school football in Texas. After we disspelled the idea that I knew only English, she explained how to use her washer and came by for a chat -- such as it was. But we got the job done. In Lauterbrunnen, I quit going in one bakery because of the attitude of the old gal behind the counter, and went to another one down the street where the very elderly lady in charge would chat with me in German. I found out later that she owned both stores and that Lady Iceberg at the other store was her daughter. In Interlaken, Lady Iceberg's sister, Lady Deep Freeze, worked in the Tourist Information Bureau. I was a little shocked that such a negative personality was in the business of greeting the visitors. <BR>By contrast in Bern and in Luzern, the tourist office crews were helpful. Also in Bern, we stopped at a bakery and the elderly ladies who ran the place were most cordial although they spoke no English. (We used German.) In Lausanne, the fellow at the Avis desk was a hoot. But he was a gregarious Italian - Swiss who seemed to love everybody. So I am not sure what to make of it. I found all types. Perhaps the Swiss don't try mask who they are; what you see is what you get.

martha python

Bob, as someone who's reaction to Venice was "Yeah, so what?" I admire your willingness to take on the biggies, even if I don't agree in the particulars. <BR>I like Dan's distinction between the art of the Louvre and the experience of being there. The "Let's see the big three" crowd isn't the Louvre's fault.And frankly, I'm perfectly happy to have everyone cluster around Les Trois--it means I get a better look at Caravaggio and Vermeer. <BR>I doubt the Musee D'Orsay will stay underrated for long--it just takes a while for tourists to find out where to buy their Waterlily souvenirs.

Hyalker

Over- or Under-rated will always depend on the hype/expectations you have and whether they got met, which is why this is quite interesting. The food in Italy got hyped so much for me that it was a disappointment when I finally go to eat there. I enjoyed the Italian-owned Fiorentina's in Amsterdam far more than anything I had in Rome or Florence. My quick list: <BR> <BR>Overrated: Brussels restaurants around the Grand Place/Plaza (but not the square itself), the "shows" at the Glockenspiel in Munich and Old Town Clock Tower in Prague, Florence (over-hyped especially against Rome). <BR> <BR>Underrated: Santorini and Sounion in Greece (outstanding views), New Zealand (most beautiful country I've ever seen), the Kroller-Muller museum/sculpture garden in Arnhem, Netherlands, the city of Petra in Jordan, the Jewish areas in Paris and Prague, and how fortunate it is many of us can have opinions, even divergent ones, on all these wonderful places. <BR> <BR>Happy Travels - H <BR>

metoo

I know this is the "Europe" forum, so technically only 1/2 a city applies, but I still cannot believe how underrated Turkey is. Other underrateds: Stockholm, a revelation, and-for those of you spitting out your Italian bread in disgust-Greek bread. Next time you go to Italy, stop off at any one-donkey town in Greece and stock up! <BR> <BR>As for overrated, I'll side with those bashing London. It's time to ditch the US Anglomania and rewrite Samuel Johnson: "When a man is tired of London...he's ready to move on and see how much better travel can be!"

Zoe

I guess it's time to contribute to this one! <BR> <BR>Overrated: <BR> <BR>Cannes - a boring, unfriendly, overexpensive hive of superficiality <BR> <BR>The Eiffel Tower - like the Empire State, once you're up it, it's not in the view! <BR> <BR>Harrods - yuk! <BR> <BR>Stonehenge - Avebury is much better and you can actually touch the stones. <BR> <BR>Seville - when I was there, the whole city stank of donkey dung! <BR> <BR>Monaco - see Cannes! <BR> <BR>Underrated: <BR> <BR>The Costa del Sol - the part east of Malaga around Nerja is beautiful and high-rise free. <BR> <BR>Madrid - an exciting, cultural city <BR> <BR>Brussels - forget the bureaucrats, the Grand Place is beautiful! <BR> <BR>Cardiff - so up-and-coming it hurts! <BR> <BR>the Lot valley in France - as beautiful as the Dordogne, but not overrun with holidaymakers! <BR> <BR>British cuisine - no longer an oxymoron!

alan

Hi! Having just returned from the Czech Rep. I am probably still jet lagged but the Czech Rep. is a great underated country to visit. Did not go to Prague this time as we have been there before. Went to Kutna Hora for a couple of days, good castle and Cseske Krumlov. It was here that we found the most Americans. A beautiful city. <BR> Graz in Austria is also underated as is the Dolomites in northern Italy and the many small towns and passes there. <BR> The Tatras in Slovakia is up there also as well as Slovenia. we stayed for a couple of days in Piran, on the Adriatic in a very nice hotel on the water, VERY underated at that time by Americans. The Czech Rep. was very inexpensive. We stayed in a 4 star hotel in Kutna Hora for under $45 a night. Had breakfast for $1 for 2. <BR> On the other hand last year we went to Switzerland and while it is very beautiful it is very overated compared to other countries as far as hotels and food. It was the mountains that are nice but the cities were not nice except for Bern. Zurich was not too nice either and Interlacken dissapointed also. The prices were high for the value. I know that people will disagree with me but that is the purpose of the forum. alan