Cities you'd never return to

Sunny Dayz

Pisa.

We ended up there by accident as our flights to Rome got cancelled and a flight to Pisa that evening was the only one available. Apart from the Leaning Tower and the grounds immediately around it - there is absolutely nothing to do or see. Luckily we were only there the one night and following morning for sight-seeing and got a train transfer down to Rome.

delboy85

I've done a fair bit of travelling in my time and I think the only city that I've ever been to that has NO redeeming qualities is Helsinki. Utterly dull place.

Am genuinely surprised at some of the hate for Paris and Barcelona. Both beautiful cities in my opinion.

C14N

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

5 times. It's easily the most spectacular city on earth. I just randomly dropped the little man from google street view on it and my suspicions are confirmed: it hasn't turned into Hull. Or Talbot street.

Nor is it "dirty". The streets are clean for the most part.

I think it's an inability to properly travel, the weekenders looking for pubs won't see much of a city.

It was a good few years since I've been in the city but I remember there being a lot of visible homelessness in the city centre and the metro was by far the worst one I've ever used. Much dirtier and more scummy looking than London, Hamburg, Toronto or Montreal. Maybe it just stuck out more for me because I was a kid at the time.

Olive8585

delboy85 wrote: »

I've done a fair bit of travelling in my time and I think the only city that I've ever been to that has NO redeeming qualities is Helsinki. Utterly dull place.

Am genuinely surprised at some of the hate for Paris and Barcelona. Both beautiful cities in my opinion.

Kind of glad to hear that Helsinki is crap. I had a connection at the airport and didn't bother leaving it as was only a few hours...always wondered if I should have had a day or two in Helsinki before flying on to Asia.

Cienciano

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Lagos was even worse: a dirty, corrupt hellhole full of the type of scammers we get emails from every day only you have to meet them and be hassled by them all the time from train station, on the train, in the hotel bar, on the streets, etc. Only in your hotel bedroom are you free from them! It was a miracle my money was not stolen too!

Lagos? Ah, come on, the Paris of West Africa. Beautiful city full of interesting people :pac:

fricatus wrote: »

They may have been going on business, or else they may have decided to see for themselves what life is like in the largest city in west Africa.

Personally, I wouldn't be spending my holiday money to go there, but if I got the chance, I still wouldn't pass it up. It would be an experience if nothing else.

I recommend Accra in Ghana instead. Very friendly people (genuinely friendly, not after your money friendly I find you get in a lot of SE Asia), surprisingly safe to walk around, even at night on your own, handy to get around and english is spoken fairly widely. I wouldn't go to nigeria unless I had to, but I'd happily go to Ghana again.

Cienciano

Olive8585 wrote: »

Kind of glad to hear that Helsinki is crap. I had a connection at the airport and didn't bother leaving it as was only a few hours...always wondered if I should have had a day or two in Helsinki before flying on to Asia.

No, you missed out. I was there for a few days and thought it was a great place.

Olive8585

Cienciano wrote: »

No, you missed out. I was there for a few days and thought it was a great place.

Well, I can still go, but it seems crazily expensive so it's never been a top priority! What was great about it?

Daveysil15

I was contemplating a trip to Dubai at some stage but kind of put off now if peoples opinions on this thread are anything to go by. The consensus seems to be that its a soulless sesspit of ostentatious wealth.

Daveysil15

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I was contemplating a trip to Dubai at some stage but kind of put off now if peoples opinions on this thread are anything to go by. The consensus seems to be that its a soulless sesspit of ostentatious wealth.

Colleague is just back from there for the millionth time and loves it to bits!
Give it a go if you're interested sure

Olive8585

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I was contemplating a trip to Dubai at some stage but kind of put off now if peoples opinions on this thread are anything to go by. The consensus seems to be that its a soulless sesspit of ostentatious wealth.

Honestly, the only people I know who like Dubai are a certain 'type'. Materialistic, a bit vacuous, obsessed with designer clothes, jewellery and status symbols. Happy to spend their entire holiday shopping and don't even think for a moment about the exploitation of workers and whatnot that goes on there.

John_Rambo

Olive8585 wrote: »

Honestly, the only people I know who like Dubai are a certain 'type'. Materialistic, a bit vacuous, obsessed with designer clothes, jewellery and status symbols. Happy to spend their entire holiday shopping and don't even think for a moment about the exploitation of workers and whatnot that goes on there.

What's the best thing about going to Dubai?

Telling people you're going to Dubai!

:pac::pac:

Birroc

whatsthetime wrote: »

London

You are barely alive if you do not like London.
London is incredible and gets better and better every time I go there.
London exudes history and energy like no other city.
I imagine it is one of, if not the, most visited large city in the world.

John_Rambo

the blunder years wrote: »

I've seen LA mentioned quite a few times, and I know it has a rep for being notorious shallow and hollow town and gets a lot of hate, my sister went on her J1 to LA and hated the place. Does it have any redeeming qualities, I'd love to visit places like Laurel Canyon and Silver lake or is it just a miserable place.

I can see where people are coming from, but we can't deny the cultural influence the place has on the world, from the Beach Boys to the Red Hot Chillie's to hip hop and rap (music), surf, skate, basketball, IT, weight lifting, cars, movies, even wine! etc... for a what is considered not a great place she punches above her weight!

I spent some time there and I liked it! I found the people to be very pleasant.

Sh1tbag OToole

Birroc wrote: »

You are barely alive if you do not like London.
London is incredible and gets better and better every time I go there.
London exudes history and energy like no other city.
I imagine it is one of, if not the, most visited large city in the world.

Its like every other big city really. Bland chain shops, overpriced coffee and pints, well paid office jobs but the city is well able to take your pay back off you, and a population of materialistic snobs who you're annoying by simply existing and walking down the street. As an added bonus London has what is probably the most advanced big brother / mass surveillance system going.

I honestly don't know what people see in these big cities that makes them want to go. London is one of the better cities but still only good in small doses and when I'd be there I'd be wondering what the hell I'm doing there at all

Olive8585

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Its like every other big city really. Bland chain shops, overpriced coffee and pints, well paid office jobs but the city is well able to take your pay back off you, and a population of materialistic snobs who you're annoying by simply existing and walking down the street. As an added bonus London has what is probably the most advanced big brother / mass surveillance system going.

I honestly don't know what people see in these big cities that makes them want to go. London is one of the better cities but still only good in small doses and when I'd be there I'd be wondering what the hell I'm doing there at all

You're doing it wrong. It can be as you say it is, especially if you don't make any effort to get away from Oxford Street and the tourist sites, but it's amazing in many ways. There's an insane amount of cultural stuff to do, and a lot of it is free. All sorts of interesting museums and galleries, not just the main ones, but small quirky ones too. Dozens of gigs, big and small, every night of the week. World class restaurants. Beautiful parks. There's just endless amounts of stuff to do and see.

John_Rambo

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I honestly don't know what people see in these big cities that makes them want to go

Ah, comon ****bag! You can't beat a big fook off city for energy, food, culture, weirdos, oddball stuff, diversity, mad markets, display, charisma, evolution, ethnic blends... a coming together of people, a modern take on ancient gatherings. I love cities and what they have to offer. I know this is a typically negative Irish "never go back to" thread, but I spent some time in Hanoi and I couldn't get enough of it. Check it out.

Duck's hoop

Reiketsu wrote: »

There was sewage running onto the streets when I was there. Metro was stinking. My friend had her passport stolen and had to waste a day at the embassy. Another friend was spat in the face for absolutely no reason. I was refused service in a shop because they thought I was English. A friend I was with is allergic to nuts and I moved nuts sitting on a table in a bar onto the bar itself, explained why and the barman tutted and rolled eyes...great customer service. I was there and went around the city, so I experienced plenty of it. It was not a good experience for any of us.

That's a lot of unfortunate events. I lived and worked there for a number of years and never had a problem. Not once!

In my much earlier days there I was regularly stopped and searched by les poulets but that's a different thing (right wing conservative police state yada)

There were also lots of gangs. Of skins, blacks, North Africans, punks. Sometimes all together.

Serious right/left divisions. Communist councils. FN councils. Loads of strikes and riots.

A truly crazy melting pot of mad shìt. That's what you want in a city sometimes.

Duck's hoop

John_Rambo wrote: »

Ah, comon ****bag! You can't beat a big fook off city for energy, food, culture, weirdos, oddball stuff, diversity, mad markets, display, charisma, evolution, ethnic blends... a coming together of people, a modern take on ancient gatherings. I love cities and what they have to offer..

Excellent.

Seedy Arling

Las Vegas. Pure dump!

C14N

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I was contemplating a trip to Dubai at some stage but kind of put off now if peoples opinions on this thread are anything to go by. The consensus seems to be that its a soulless sesspit of ostentatious wealth.

It sounds like most people who enjoy it are people who are quite well off. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone going there for anything besides business though. Sounds like if you want to see that part of the world you're better off in it's more prosperous neighbour city of Abu Dabi.

LA is getting a lot of flack in this thread but I thought it was grand when I was there. Nice beaches, fantastic weather, safe at night when you're in the right part. Hollywood was surprisingly kippy but around Santa Monica and Venice Beach were lively and a bit of craic. Main problems were that there was no real central area because the whole place is just a sprawl and it's relatively hard to get any tours (at least apart from the pathetic and voyeuristic "looking at celebrity's houses") but they still existed and there were plenty of nice restaurants around too.

Bertser

Lisbon has to be one the dullest cities I've ever been to. There's almost nothing to do and people are walking around constantly trying to sell you things, highly irritating.

wuffly

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I was contemplating a trip to Dubai at some stage but kind of put off now if peoples opinions on this thread are anything to go by. The consensus seems to be that its a soulless sesspit of ostentatious wealth.

Yeah... I live there and i have to admit my ford focus is soooo ostentatious!! Lots more to the city and the UAE in general and despite the consensus on here culture isn't hard to find.

wuffly

I've been following this thread since it started and been trying to think of somewhere that i wholeheartedly disliked enough to never return to and I cant think of anywhere and yes i have traveled (30+ countries). For me there are very few places that i loved so much that i would go back to rather than taking the opportunity to go somewhere new.
I think if I expected everywhere to be clean & nice, with good transport and friendly locals as well as expecting them to be cultural or scenic wonderlands that i would have been extremely disappointed and just stayed at home.

Balmed Out

Birroc wrote: »

London exudes history and energy like no other city.

I love London but this isnt really true. It has a fantastic history and fantastic historical sights but It doesnt have the same sense of having stood all time like some other cities that have different remnants of different eras eg. Cairo.

C14N wrote: »

LA is getting a lot of flack in this thread but I thought it was grand when I was there. Nice beaches, fantastic weather, safe at night when you're in the right part. Hollywood was surprisingly kippy but around Santa Monica and Venice Beach were lively and a bit of craic. Main problems were that there was no real central area because the whole place is just a sprawl and it's relatively hard to get any tours (at least apart from the pathetic and voyeuristic "looking at celebrity's houses") but they still existed and there were plenty of nice restaurants around too.

Its true. It struck me as being like rural Ireland. Fun villages every now and again with a few bars, restaurants and shops except with houses rather then countryside in between. That said it has some great bars and I think the best live music scene of any city ive been to. If youre into modern art theres plenty of that too.

Bertser wrote: »

Lisbon has to be one the dullest cities I've ever been to. There's almost nothing to do and people are walking around constantly trying to sell you things, highly irritating.

WOW I spent 2 weeks there and had a great time. I cant see how you managed to get this impression.

whatsthetime

Birroc wrote: »

You are barely alive if you do not like London.
London is incredible and gets better and better every time I go there.
London exudes history and energy like no other city.
I imagine it is one of, if not the, most visited large city in the world.

Depends what you want I guess

For me it is:-

overcrowded
unfriendly
expensive
old (which I suppose you construe as history)

I would agree about it being visited by a lot of people, that is part of the problem. Too many people in too small a place looking at just a handful of things.

sigmundv

Birroc wrote: »

You are barely alive if you do not like London.
London is incredible and gets better and better every time I go there.
London exudes history and energy like no other city.
I imagine it is one of, if not the, most visited large city in the world.

You could arguably say all the same things about Berlin and Rome, possibly also Paris, but I haven't been there.

Cienciano

This thread is handy, anyone that said Paris or London is going on the ignore list because their opinion on anything is not worth hearing :pac:

MadamX

Verona. Absolutely love Italy but could not get out of Verona quick enough - and that was on a 'second chance' trip. Over priced, over touristy, overcrowded - and that wasn't even when there was an opera on in the arena. The blood on the floor in the ladies toilets in the arena (hardly left over from the original usage of the arena!) was the final straw.

Birroc

sigmundv wrote: »

You could arguably say all the same things about Berlin and Rome, possibly also Paris, but I haven't been there.

Berlin? Berlin doesn't hold a candle to London.
Rome is class too but just not that easy to enjoy fully.
Paris is nice but it's full of French people.

Daveysil15

Cienciano wrote: »

This thread is handy, anyone that said Paris or London is going on the ignore list because their opinion on anything is not worth hearing :pac:

Is London savage? Do they go mad for the Irish accent over there?