Most disappointing travel destination?
 

<BR>Recently my husband and I travelled to Ixtapa. <BR><BR>Boy were we deceived. All of the travel books, web sites, etc. boasted about this &quot;idyllic and sophisticated destination.&quot; But when we arrived, we were SORELY mistaken: tacky shops, silly party restaurants, subpar hotels, etc. <BR><BR>Never again.<BR><BR>Anyone else have any disapointing travel spots they'd care to share?<BR><BR>-darvy

Do you want our most disappointing US travel destinations or are you looking for worldwide? I'm asking because you are talking about international on the US board.

Gatlinburg. Seriously, my most disappointing travel experience ever.

We love to travel so much that we have always been able to make lemonaid out of any lemon, even if it's just making fun of it. But my most disappointing vacation was one that we treated our adult children and their children to and our adult kids argued much of the week! It was very stressful and made for a most disappointing vacation.

Cape May. Very, very disappointing. I was expecting something with as much charm and beauty as Nantucket or the Vineyard, or even Chatham on the Cape. Definitely not worth the 5 hour drive. It was so much less than I expected. Never again.

San Jose. Asphalt, cement, smog and you have to drive everywhere. Not near any water. Snobby people.

xxx - I agree with your assessment of San Jose except for the snobby people. I've never had a problem with snobby people in San Jose - what kinds of problems did you have?

Quebec City,Canada<BR><BR> Las Vegas and Orlando

Bali - very similar the the Ixtapa experience mentioned above.

Baltimore, Maryland <BR>Clearwater Beach, Florida<BR>Germany

Montego Bay...just curious xxxx, did you not like all of germany or just one area.

Traveled through all of Germany and can't say I liked any of it. Maybe it was the harsh Germans that took away from the experience. Ugly scenery in comparison to other European countries, not much in terms of architecture. Did enjoy the beer!

San Francisco. I was there a few years ago with my husband. While my time away with him was great, our time in San Fran just left us cold. The homeless situation, the filth, etc. There were some things we very much enjoyed, such as doing the Alcatraz tour, and we had some fine meals, I just wasn't jazzed about our surroundings a lot of the time. <BR><BR>Also, we had a spate of odd incidents. The weirdest one, and not a reflection on San Fran obviously, but we were out and about walking around and I had to pee in the worst way. I was racing trying to find an open business. Well I thought something was open across the street so I jogged over there hoping it was open. It wasn't. So we get in line for the trolley to take us back to our hotel area (I'm really crossing my legs at this point!) and this lady starts freaking out on me in front of the line, telling me what a racist I am and that she feels sorry for me. She says she saw what I did. HUH? She insisted I saw her and because I was intimidated by African Americans that I ran across the street, holding my purse close to my body, to avoid her. WHOA. Anyone who knows me would just laugh at this. So the crowd falls silent and I'm baffled as hell, and I explain I'm sorry her world is such that she would be that paranoid but I was looking for a loo. Well she just goes off on me. And my husband is telling me to forget it and telling the lady she knows nothing about me. Well, I'm such a jerk I start crying b/c this woman is so wrong about me, and I actually care. She sees me cry and then she just stops dead and starts apologizing. She feels so bad. She even gives me a hug. Turns out this woman is a judge from Detriot. Gave me her card and everything. WACKO MOMENT ALL AROUND. Again, it had nothing to do with San Francisco, but I just kept having one weird thing after another happen while I was there.

Ok, Snohflake, so tell us. Were you able to hold it through all that?

Welcome to SF. You had an original &quot;SF Experience&quot;.

Darcy<BR><BR>I was planning a trip to Montreal and Quebec City this spring. Geez everyone RAVES about Quebec City so I figure we are going to Montreal you have to tack it on. Please provide details!!

Darvy is a lunatic who posts some bad info, so don't rely on her opinion when planning a vacation. Quebec is wonderful!

Cape Cod has to be the worst travel destination EVER! It was awful. The people are nasty and rude. The B &amp;B we stayed at was awful.. The owners had the personalities of a wet rag!! Never again would I go there....if I even had a free trip there!! Nothing to do!! Saw the ocean. There isnt much on nantucket and MARTHAS VINEYARD sucked!@ it is SOOO overated.. it is a tourist trap! and nothing to do.. 1 street to walk down.. god never again!

Kath, I was pleasantly surprised by Quebec City. I went there just to meet up with some friends who were at a conference, and I expected it to be unbearably tacky and touristy. Actually, while it WAS touristy, it was very pretty and pleasant, with flowers everywhere, nice architecture, interesting walking, and lots of interesting little historical museums. Plus, I did like the chance to practice what's left of my French without flying all the way to Europe. Don't worry; you'll probably like it.

It would have to be Sandals @ Dunns River. To us the price we paid and what we got in return was very dissapointing. The night life was not, premium liquor was not, the rooms were musty and plain, food was average, in all just like your post said, the travel books and web sites made it out to be a lush, happening, exotic destination. It was not.

Tangiers, Moroco. but I guess no one said Tangiers was a magical place. My disapointement had too do with a $200 tea cup, virgin belly dancers, hustlers, and rain..

Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Blech.

Kath, I LOVE Quebec (the old part). It's as close to a true European city that you can get on this continent. Wonderful Architectue and charm. Darcy's a little different.

Rick, I find your views on the Cape so interesting. Tell me, what are your favorite places to vacation. It would help me understand.

Cozumel,Mexico! Awful!!! dont drink the water!!!

Pisa.<BR>Portugal.

Massachusetts

Mobile, Alabama. I had visions of it being like Savanah or Charleston. Everything was torn up, dirty, and unattractive. We started a walking &quot;historic&quot; tour and what we got were a whole lot of falling down buildings with printed descriptions on the brochure of what used to be there or why these unrepaired buildings were supposed to be important. After an hour or two of not seing one impressive sight, we abandoned the plan.

Ocracoke,North Carolina. The locals really dislike tourists - made for a boring and uncomfortable week's vacation.

Orlando...I thought it was going to be really nice but was very disappointed (not in Disneyworld...(except that it's too big), just Orlando)!

To the &quot;enquiring minds&quot; . . . I made it only so far as the hotel lobby bathroom. And then the bathroom attendant wacked me over the head with a dirty mop and started cursing at me. O.K., I made that last part up, but given the day I had had . . .

Telluride.<BR>There was a tremendous amount of homeless young people.

Took the kids to Hershey PA, the factory was a video tour on a train car, the historic tour went on and on and on about how much the Hershey's had done for the area and the music that played non-stop made us feel like we were in the Twilight Zone, and the park was closed. After a day the chocolate smell that permeates everything was nauseating. Only as a punishment would we return what a waste of time.

Snohflake, if you had just taken a whiz on the sidewalk you would have fit in just like a native. Don't feel inhibited. Just let yourself go and if it feels good, do it. That's the San Francisco way.

Missouri. Unless Jean Carnahan wins.

Just wanted to point out the rise in homelesness and unemployment all across the country. Telluride today, your home town tomorrow.

Mobile, Alabama and Quebec City in Canada

Manzanillo, Mexico. You couldn't pay me to go back there.

Puerto Rico. Never felt so unsafe and unwelcome in my life. And I speak spanish fluently.

If you REALLY want to be disappointed, try Tombstone, AZ. I've been fascinated with Wyatt Earp since I was a child, have since become acquainted with the TV actor who played him. We were in Tucson &amp; thought it would be a good opportunity to see Tombstone. It gave new meaning to the word &quot;tacky&quot;.