I ran into an aquaintance and she mentioned she is going to France next month.
I was happy for her! How lovely!
"Are you going to Paris?" I inquired.

"No, been there, done that. We went once before and had a 3 day tour. I saw everything." was her response.

"Oh..." I replied.

Well - I just could not disagree more. I see her point but it seemed so dismissive as she waived her arm with her repsonse, like it is something else to check off the bucket list.

I for one am SOO excxited to explore Paris agian this Fall. There is always something new and fun to discover. I have been 4 times and hope I never say - been there, done that. Ok - thanks for letting me vent.

There has been a thread about this.

There are people who travel to say that they have been there. They stand in front of something, have their picture taken with a cell phone, and then they move on.


A bit like having sex while chloroformed - but it seems to work for them.

I'm with you, annesherrod.

Well, CLEARLY I disagree with that point of view! Except with regard to Rapid City.

Wasting time worrying about the fact that folks find satisfaction in different ways than you do is just that: a waste of time.

There are some places that I have been, had a great time, but aren't really on my list for a return visit. And there are other places that I could go again and again.

And of course, everybody travels differently and has different priorities. Some are the checkbox type.

Once I was at Yosemite, standing on the pedestrian bridge in front of Yosemite Falls, just marvelling at the shear power of that much water falling so far. I'd stood on that bridge many times before and am always amazed by the sight of those falls. A small group came up and stood near me. After maybe 30 seconds, one person in the group consulted a piece of paper (which I assume was a list) and said to the others "Ok, so this is Yosemite Falls. What's next?" I am glad I wasn't part of their group, and I am sure they were glad not to be travelling with me since I stood on that bridge for probably another half hour, then went and poked around the creek downstream for awhile before wandering off aimlessly

I heard a guy at Disneyworld last week say "Once is enough for me. I ain't never coming back here."

Disneyworld. Once only? How crazy is that?

Well, now see that's just it...I would never go to Disney anything but Paris...I will never tire of it and know I will never see it all.

Those who think that have seen it all will never understand that haven't really SEEN anything.

"I ate ice cream once. I suppose it was okay."

That's the way I see the 'been there, done that' people.

In fairness, there are some places I've been to that, after 3 days, I'm pretty comfortable with saying "been there, done that." Not because I wouldn't enjoy being back there, mind you, but because there are still so many other places I need to see.

Dublin, for example. I would enjoy being back there, no doubt... but I can't see myself scheduling it as a destination again at this point. If and when I return to Ireland, I'd be more likely to stay in Belfast.

That said, Paris is Paris. It is a unique place and a bottomless well of experience. Three years wouldn't be enough for me.

Paris gets into your soul and you must return again and again....well apparently that is not the case with that person....feel sorry for her.

It's not the case with me either, cornelius1. I've been twice, the second time for over a week, and though I enjoyed myself I don't feel the need to go back (at least not any time soon). There are too many other places I'd like to try. Different strokes and all.

But London... London I'd go back to any chance I got. I'd love to go back to Rome and New York and Banff too.

Now - Disney world, Six Flags , etc.. I agree with been there done that.

Dukey - I am curious why you wasted your time posting about my post? I am not worried - just curious/venting.

Well, Paris hasn't got into my soul, and I've been there several times. It wouldn't be on my list for another visit, except my husband has family there. But, given a trip there, I can always find something -- or several things -- more to do.

We find as we get older we prefer smaller places. I used to love London. Now it seems too crowded.

"If you are tired of Paris you are tired of life." Talleyrand

I don't really think it's anyone else's business to decide what someone else should enjoy or do with their vacation. I feel the same way about lots of places (been there, saw what I wanted, don't have any desire to go back) where I'm sure others would go back endlessly. It is patronizing to say you feel sorry for someone who doesn't feel the same way you do about some megalopolis. I know Parisians who don't want to go back.

Some people really do want to just the highlights and main things about a city but are not so fascinated with it they want to go back instead of new places. There is a lot to be said for that. And a lot of people on Fodors who rattle on and on about how much they love Paris never bother to learn French, which I find rather odd.

That might be good advice, Christina, if you did not constantly show yourself to be so opinionated about what other people are suggesting or doing.

Lots of women would only date me once. Some things are unexplainable.

I've been to Paris more than 10 times, with my longest visit being 2 weeks. I've just scratched the surface of this beautiful city.

There are many many other places I'd love to go back to. I don't have a bucket list, I just know what I like and will repeat a variation of the visit each time, throwing in 1-3 new things to see and do.