Most tourists get a very superficial look at any town or city and often overlook the parts where the inhabitants live
_______
That is not to say that people who live somewhere, like where they live. Second, the people reading this will propbably have the same superficial experience when they visit. Three, people live in residential areas for a variety of reasons including price, quiet, and schools, which are usually not the objectives of touring. Fourth, this was intended to be a list, as silly or instructive as any list may be, not Kirkegaard or Wittgenstein. Fifth, what is interesting is repeat offenders. Sixth, capraciousness and prejudice are unfortunately standard humand conditions, I think.

I can envision times when I might return, but these places left me very underwhelmed:

Frankfurt
Athens


Places I liked but don't quite understand all the raving many others do about them:

Barcelona


Places that were very different than my initial perception:

Bellagio (it was so small - I had it pictured as much larger)

I have spent time in some very depressing places when on business, staying at dismal hotels, mostly in the Americas:
Flint, Michigan and Plano, Texas come to mind, but there were dozens more vile industrial suburbs.

In Canada: Chatham Ontario is pretty awful. Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Regina in January should be avoided, unless a stepping off point for somewhere else, but the people are very warm and lovely :) . Sao Paolo was simply terrifying, as my hosts insisted on my being accompanied at all times, in case of kidnapping - difficult to relax :(

Zurich left me completely cold, and the food was vile and expensive. I am now in Antwerp on business, and I just don't get it!

When it comes to holiday destinations, I do try very hard to read a lot to ensure its a destination I will love - getting feedback from some experienced travellers here on Fodors helps enormously.

I would never do 'beach holidays' again, anywhere in the world - boring, and I burn to a crisp. Top on that list would be Venezuela (lovely the first time I went, but horrible on the second visit).

Other than that, I can’t think of anywhere I would not go back to, although some would not hit my Top 10 list.

I am surprised that Barcelona and Madrid are making the list. I have been several times to both and adore them. In Madrid, I just spend my whole time in the fabulous museums and galleries and am due another visit very soon.

Laughing at references to Dublin (my birth town) and Galway. I visit Dublin at least six times a year to visit family, but can’t understand why travellers love it - I couldn’t wait to get out! Worth a weekend, no more. Galway I hated from the first visit, and it got worse on subsequent visits (total Knackerville) – we stayed several times in Connemara, which is simply glorious. Also avoid Limerick city, and most cities in Ireland. The beauty and uniqueness of Ireland is in the countryside, and there are few bad destinations (OK, Kildare is a bit boring).

Snorting at reference to Croyden and Slough, both of which I had to visit on business. Beyond awful.

Should add the entire Cote D'Azure, and I have been twice, as I thought I had missed something the first time. What's the point unless you are filthy rich?

Personally, I don't need to see Rome again. Been twice, once younger, once again not so young. Last time we stayed in Tresvestiere, a hop skip & jump to the train station.
A living neighborhood. We liked that part. But repeatedly I didn't see La Dolce Vita...I saw morose, sad and angry types. Well, if you're a citizen and the political structure was so horrible, inflation, dis=enfranchised youth..housing costs. I didn't see the sweet life. Don't know that I really expected to either. I did have to note the exuberant wait staff, maybe they were the regulat people making money.
Nope...not Rome. But I would like to learn and experience the rest of Italy.

BARCELONA-- why should I fuel the economy of a city that cares so little for the safety of their visitors. A pity because it does have some great sights, but one is too distracted to notice while guards are up (WAY UP!) for pickpocketers.

BRUSSELS-- major boringland.

LIECHTENSTEIN-- reminded me of Hartford, CT.

An added note: give me Budapest and throw the rest of Hungary out a window for all I care...

There are some beautiful cities we will not go back to not because we did not
like the stay, but for other reasons

Pargue, Stocholm, Edinbrugh...all wonderful, but five full days in each was sufficient
Sydney, Australia was fabulous, but too far for another visit
Dubrovnik, Bruges, Segovia, Siena...unique, charming.....absolutely worth a day ( or two)trip

In big cities ( Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid) we keep returnig to, there is always something
going on : an exhibit, a new museum, concerts, the Opera , and , to be honest. - I like
the shops!

While my travels have not been quite as extensive as some other posters here, my short list is:

London - hands down did not like it. While I thought that some of the sites were interesting (West Minster), it was too crowded and I found that people were rude. In addition, I did not feel safe.

Venice - I might be the only one that says this; however, it rained the entire time and was flooded. We walked around on table tops and everything smelled horrible.

Galway - Found it to be boring and overcrowded.

Athens: Nothing there of real beauty or interest for me. The Acropolis was a huge disappointment. Naples: Icky, dirty, ugly

Inverness. Don't know why this is on so many people's itineraries.

Pamukkale, Turkey. Yikes, dumpy town, mediocre ruins, past-their-prime thermal pools.

Sorrento. Overrun with budget tour groups and establishments catering to them.

catherinehaas: <i>Venice - I might be the only one that says this; however, it rained the entire time and was flooded. We walked around on table tops and everything smelled horrible.</i>

In your case, I'd think you'd want to return to Venice to see it in in better weather. Bad weather can ruin almost any travel experience. Two examples for me would be Salzburg and Ghent, Belgium (rained while I was there). Salzburg to me looked like a charming (though touristy) town and I really hope to get back again someday when I can see the sun. Same with Ghent.

O'R: Plano, Texas is not industrial. It's full of shopping centers and strip malls, but not industry. GARLAND is industrial. Flint is a complete pit. Michigan has the (dis)honor of having the top city for violent crime in three of the four categories measured by the FBI: 250K+ residents (Detroit), 100K-250K (Flint), 60K-100K (Camden, NJ is the winner and still champion of Dump of the Nation), and 40-60K (Saginaw).

Wouldn't visit Segovia again - small and quite the yawner after all the hype.

Agree that Inverness is nothing special, but the area is great.

Cannot fathom why Dublin is a tourist destination other than someone's Irish heritage.

Athens lived down to its reputation when we visited.

Krakow is nice, but bang/hype ratio is skewed the wrong way; would take Prague or Budapest over it.

Cannot fathom folks who don't like London. Perhaps expectations are off for someone surprised by crowds in Western Europe's largest city.

Places I will probably not return to because I found them to be overrated: Dublin, Toledo, Barcelona.

Places that I probably will return to even though I don't have much enthusiasm for: Munich, Rural Ireland

Places I am most enthusiastic about: Rome, Paris, London, Vienna, Bamberg, Alhambra, and
Egypt.

I can't decide where to place Venice, Europe's most beautiful city has been ruined by cruise ship
Hordes-what a shame.

This thread is really fun!

Pat

...."Kilmarnock, I had to work there and I believe the local population is the ugliest I have ever seen. Walking down the High Street is like a scene from Shaun of the Dead".

bilobugler has obviously never been in Asda in Burnley

Anywhere in the Perigord Noir-it just did not grab us like other parts of France; the Costa del Sol in Spain: too touristy and there are far nicer beaches elsewhere in the world; Canakkale and Kusadasi in Turkey and don't get me started about family visits in certain London suburbs!

Tallin - old area is OK but nothing special and the rest of the city...grey, ugly buildings with no architectural value that dwarf and shadow the streets

Prague - liked it but no desire to return.

Antwerp - went to see a great hat exhibit (Philip Tracy) & wandered all over the city. Have returned to Ghent twice, but no urge to see Antwerp again.

Gibralter - best sight was all the British from my cruise ship lined up to buy cigarettes & booze at cheap prices.

Generally like most places I've been, but if I had to choose one, Athens. It's a city you should see once. I've seen it twice.

The Dordogne - I love France but the Dordogne seemed more British than French - some shops had signs in English and took British pounds! Nice villages are now all given over to wealthy folk who use them as country houses - lots of Americans here too. The Dordogne physically looks nice but I'd rather be in a part of France with a French feel than a British or American!

Pisa

Livorno

Dublin

Galway

Milan-would return if I could go to the opera

Marseilles

I've visited Italy twenty-some times in the past fifteen years. And one of the visits was Sicily. I spent two miserable weeks. (Ready to duck the flamethrowers.)