Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm fortunate enough (or crazy, take your pick) to have been to Europe multiple times. I'm beginning to skip some of the "must-sees". Expensive, long lines, jammed with other tourists.
Went to Paris last month. Did not visit the Louvre or the d'Orsay. DH and I were there 5 years ago and they were pure chaos. It was my third trip to Paris and I've never been up in the Eiffel Tower. I experienced a really weird and spectacular music and light show based on 1920s Vienna in a converted factory space (Atelier des Lumieres) and took a tour in French at the Museum of Perfume. I understood most of it and asked a few questions! I wandered a lot and people-watched and got some spectacular cookies at a Tunisian bakery.
Was also in Edinburgh. Did not visit the Castle or Holyrood (been to both). Climbed Arthur's Seat (0.4 mile elevation) 3 out of the 4 days I was there. LOVED the Surgeon's Museum- I wandered for a couple of hours through their collection of pathology specimens. Went to Dundee (1.5 hour train ride) because I found that the ship Discovery (explored Antarctica in 1901-1903) was there with a fantastic museum.
And this is why I don't take "fully escorted deluxe motorcoach tours" in Europe! When I tell people I travel solo, some react as if I'd kayaked down the Amazon alone. I love the flexibility and the fact that I can find weird things that interest me (and have fewer tourists) and spend as long as I like there.
If a place isn't worth a second visit, it's not worth visiting at all.
I don't really get the logic behind this? I can visit a small town, walk around the main street or town square, have a nice lunch, shop at a mom and pop place, and call it a nice day. Returning the next day or even again in the next year or two would be unappealing though since I've already seen and done whatever it has to offer.
Why does a place have to have repeat visit-ability in order to be worth visiting?
Agreed, even places that are breathtaking might be not worth visiting again because of the hassle/expense or wanting to see other things. I bet if you asked 100 people who just finished visiting Machu Picchu if it was worth the trip the overwhelming majority would say yes well worth it, but no plans to do it again.
I heard great things about Ching Mai and it turned out to be a disaster.
Italy was also disappointing.
Wow!
My experiences in both were completely opposite, two of my favorite places I've been. I would consider retiring in either place if circumstances here deteriorated enough.
That saddens me. You may have had a bad experience, but I'd give Italy another shot. It is to me what France was to my grandparents - friendly people, amazing food and drink, varied landscape and culture. I pop into the big cities to see the sights and pop back out into the back country to live, and I've had some of my best traveling experiences in Italy.
There are people who think it’s far better to go to an unknown little hamlet than a big city with lots to do. Not buying that one.
Both can be awesome. I used to ride my motorcycle all over Northern Italy and France, and I've had amazing experiences - on different scales, admittedly - in both. Paris is great, it's famous for a reason and it is not to be passed over. But walking down through the falling mist among the castle ruins in Alsace and sitting down in the village square - they have these - with a jug of local white wine that has for sure never been taxed, some cured meats and a bowl of olives, listening to the young men talking sports and the old men just arguing for the heck of it, as far as I could tell - I have no idea where that was, I will never be back, but that was France for me.
"Take the Subway in NY, it will be fun". Just no....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
