vjp..LOL

After going back and reading ramalama's other postings, it seems she relied on two sources for her travel, Budget Traveler and only asking questions on Fodors instead of reading everything.

I would agree Leburta that cruising through Europe would probably be a better bet.

As for video propaganda and smoke and mirrors, what in the HELL are you talking about?

If travel to everywhere was that bad, no one would go anywhere.

"Video propaganda." I really thought that everyone knew that every location showed itself in the best possible light and that it IS propaganda. My girls like to watch reruns of "Full House." There's this episode where the whole bunch of them go to Disneyworld and there's about 15 people total in the Magic Kingdom and they walk onto every ride. Does anyone over the age of 6 really believe that Disneyworld is like that?

I keep rereading this post (like a car wreck it's tough to not look)... my mouth is hanging open in amazement.

WHERE the heck did you go? What media who hood-winked you? WHAT huge industry are you talking about? WHY did you go to dirty and depressing sights? WHO travels only to go home and brag? If you don't like big cities, then why did you choose them? You make this sound like a conspiracy, I just can't wrap my arms around all these complaints.

WOW !!!! what a statement. I hope you have tore up your passport so that you will never be tempted to traval abroad again. Someone needs to stay home and tend the homes --- you are my candidate !!!

Tahiti Tams -- I am still ROFLOL!
You hit the dunce on the head, err, I mean "nail" on the head.

vjpblovesitaly, that's just too funny!

Worth taking a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcT6N9VuT4

what does it mean if someone is a 'troll'?

yes, i'e wondered what a "troll" is too??

A troll is a person who posts a question "fishing or trolling" for answers that may start a controversy. It is usually posted in such a way to deliberately start an argument. (baiting the other posters) is another way of putting it.

Lately it seems like many posters use the word troll for any poster who says anything they don't like.

This poster is not a troll. They just had a real bad recent trip to Europe.

A troll means someone who posts to create controversy. This is not that.

This is a real person who simply had a BAD vacation and is blaming all of Europe for that.

I didn't read all my replies, but here is my last Europe experience.

We were in London the first week of July. It was the time of the Glasgow bombing and security was heightened and it was just a bit frightening on the tube knowing what happened last year. The dollar hit a 20 low in its conversion with the pound. It was the rainiest first week of July EVER. My youngest son started complaining about being bored on day 5 of 9. Our flight home was 2 hours delayed and by the time we boarded the plane we had an 8 hour flight ahead of us and my son's ipod had died.

Three hours into the flight here's the question I asked my husband.

CAN WE DO THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR?!

And I was sincere - I can't wait to go back. We're going to Switzerland and Munich next year, which will entail and even LONGER plane ride.

If you only focused on the above, it sounds like we didn't have such a great trip. To the contrary, I had a GREAT time and would do it again in a heartbeat. I loved London, and thought the above merely inconveniences (although I could really do without the heightened security and how bloody expensive everything was).

I do a ton of research and rarely visit "boring depressing sights". Research can help you avoid crowds, too. I know what I like and I skip things that most people would consider Must Sees. For example, I love art, and know the Uffizi is one of the most highly regarded art museums, but the religous paintings there don't do all that much for me. So I didn't go.

On the other hand, I don't know if I would have seen the Colisseum on my own, but I was part of a tour and was really glad I saw it. So it's good to keep an open mind, too.

I do agree that certain travel mags candy coat things way too much. And giving info like avoiding Yosemite Valley b/c it's crowded for other areas of the park is just plain bad advice. Yosemite valley is awesome and one is missing out on too much by avoiding it just because it can be crowded.

And, this may be unpopular, but places like Disney can give me the feelings the OP had aobut Europe. It is expensive, crowded, and too many "extra" charges seem to crop up that get maddening. Or being told that your hotel is "5 mins. from Disney", only to discover you are 10 mins. from the TRANSPORTATION CENTER, which means you still have to ride a monorail to get to the MK. But - research, research, research and you would know these things!

So, you don't like big cities? Don't visit them. There are many people who like them. I live in one of those, and visit others only because I like it, not because of some "propaganda".

Sure, 3 weeks in 3 countries will "do you in". Slow down. And do everybody a favor - avoid big cities. Leave them to those who love the rush, the museums, the crowds, the festivals.

I clicked on the OP's name and read her questions: Paris, Rome, Florence, Madrid, Monaco, Montreiux... all that in just 3 weeks! no wonder she feels bad about this trip.

Faina~ I'm guessing they must had skipped Montreux after all, since it is not a big city, there are rarely crowds, air pollution, or boring dirty and depressing sights there. It's beautiful and spotless. Plus they don't mention Switzerland in the OP.

HTTY--LOL about Yakima:D I am assuming you were lucky enough to never have to live there. It is still a running joke in our family.

Suze, I wondered... Montreux is not something one can categorize as "crowds, pollution, poopy shoes (ok, maybe while hiking the mountains!), boring, dirty, depressing"

I hope her next vacation will be better planned.

Suze--I think from earlier posts that they still have several weeks to go, including time in Paris. Montreux might be on their way from Italy to Paris. So we must await her assessment.

Will she find crowds, air pollution, and boring, dirty and depressing sights even in beautiful Switzerland??? Must stay tuned.

"take twice or three times the money and half the clothes is all I will send you away with. It will help, as will a good map and an itinerary that skips all the big cities."

There's your answer. OP was traveling with pinched funds (the 2007 US dollar has very poopy shoes), too much baggage, map-challenged companions who were dedicated to connecting the big-city dots in a superficial, break-neck-speedy way.

Any hype for any consumer good or service is smoke and mirrors. But people who rave about their travels aren't lying, they just had a better time because -- I'm guessing -- they had more control and maybe more funds and reasonable friends than you did. Next time, pick 2 places and stay put. Oh, and win the lottery and find a new romantic interest!

Good grief. I stopped reading after the first sentence: "After spending three weeks trying too hard to have a good time...." Shoot, I have a good time the minute I step off the plane. It sounds like travel is just not your thing. It's really simple, stay home, sit on your couch and avoid the pollution, crowds, poopy shoes and high prices. Why come to a travel board where people love to travel to complain? Go to the "I hate to Travel" boards. Oh wait, there are none.