Destinations that you just 'don't get'

[CosbehFox]

22 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Not that Birmingham is often a destination but I think it's disappointing for the second city. Manchester feels like the true second city to me.

As a Brum resident but a Manc lover, I agree. Brum is peculiar in many ways - there is a lot of good but you have to go out of your way to find it. Manc is more dense with its good 

[ScouseFox]

1 hour ago, bovril said:

Ibiza is amazing in my humble opinion, if you can avoid the hordes of puking teenage Brits. there is something quite magical about parts of the island.

well yeah i was more referring to the typical “ibiza” style holiday. full of complete helmets posing with bottles of ale they don’t even drink and 24 hours of horrific music. and paying about a billion quid for the privilege. 

 

not for me. 

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, TiffToff88 said:

Dublin - Whats the appeal, besides the Guinness factory? - i don't even like Guinness so i can't see any reason to go there at all.

 

I do like Dublin and it's a good place with friendly people (I like Guinness which helps too), but having been to both there and Belfast twice I'd definitely recommend the latter to people as a better place for a break.

[Countryfox]

13 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

I do like Dublin and it's a good place with friendly people (I like Guinness which helps too), but having been to both there and Belfast twice I'd definitely recommend the latter to people as a better place for a break.

Have been to Dublin many many times and tbh it's changed now and I'm a bit bored with it.   Belfast was very interesting and there are a lot of interesting places to visit ...    but now I've seen them I wouldn't go back ...    there was an atmosphere to the place I didn't like and it wouldn't surprise me if trouble kicked off there again ...    

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, Countryfox said:

Have been to Dublin many many times and tbh it's changed now and I'm a bit bored with it.   Belfast was very interesting and there are a lot of interesting places to visit ...    but now I've seen them I wouldn't go back ...    there was an atmosphere to the place I didn't like and it wouldn't surprise me if trouble kicked off there again ...    

I was there in the week of the 12th bonfires and saw them all being built, with the scally kids hanging around them and stuff, but still felt very welcome in the city centre and there was no edge to it. Did a taxi tour of the murals on both sides of the peace wall and again felt perfectly safe. Wouldn't want to wander out of the centre at night mind, but if you know where you are and aren't some clueless Yank tourist wandering off in the direction of Sandy Row while wearing a green leprechaun 'Kiss me I'm Irish' baseball cap then you're in no more danger than in any other city of its size.

 

Hope it stays peaceful over there as, again, fantastic people and the countryside within an hour's drive is especially stunning (on the rare occasion it's not pissing it down over there of course).

[Countryfox]

6 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

I was there in the week of the 12th bonfires and saw them all being built, with the scally kids hanging around them and stuff, but still felt very welcome in the city centre and there was no edge to it. Did a taxi tour of the murals on both sides of the peace wall and again felt perfectly safe. Wouldn't want to wander out of the centre at night mind, but if you know where you are and aren't some clueless Yank tourist wandering off in the direction of Sandy Row while wearing a green leprechaun 'Kiss me I'm Irish' baseball cap then you're in no more danger than in any other city of its size.

 

Hope it stays peaceful over there as, again, fantastic people and the countryside within an hour's drive is especially stunning (on the rare occasion it's not pissing it down over there of course).

Didn't feel worried as such just didn't really like it ....  had two taxi drivers try to take us on a tour but got slightly aggressive when we said no ...   just didn't want it.   Perhaps it wasn't helped by the fact that we had just spent several days going up the west coast which was beautiful and the people were fantastic ...   you could have a laugh and a joke with everyone you met and I'd love to go back and do it again.   Preferably on a motorbike !   

 

 

Edited 14 August 2019 by Countryfox

[RonnieTodger]

Out of places I've been to I'd say Ibiza and Milan. 

 

I get that the island of Ibiza is a beautiful island, but the holiday culture is pretentious bollocks. People pilled off their heads pretending to enjoy watching Pete Tong and Carl Cox for the 50th time. If you want to go to a big club it's usually at least €50 to get in and €15 a drink. I had a really good time there, but I definitely had a much better time in the tacky shitholes like Magaluf. 

 

Milan was expensive, disappointing and full of weirdos trying to sell you shit. Sure the main area looks great with the Duomo and Galleria Vittolo but beyond those, it was a bit of a dump. Again I had a good time there, but it was a massive let down and I wouldn't go back. San Siro was the best bit for me and I only did a tour. 

 

Absolutely no desire to go to Dubai and Marbella sounds like everything that's wrong with Ibiza x10. 

 

 

 

[Stadt]

I've never done a lads holiday and I don't have a desperate desire to go on one but wouldn't rule it out completely, where's best these days? Would like to go to the German part of Maga though  

[Costock_Fox]

13 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

Out of places I've been to I'd say Ibiza and Milan. 

 

I get that the island of Ibiza is a beautiful island, but the holiday culture is pretentious bollocks. People pilled off their heads pretending to enjoy watching Pete Tong and Carl Cox for the 50th time. If you want to go to a big club it's usually at least €50 to get in and €15 a drink. I had a really good time there, but I definitely had a much better time in the tacky shitholes like Magaluf. 

 

Milan was expensive, disappointing and full of weirdos trying to sell you shit. Sure the main area looks great with the Duomo and Galleria Vittolo but beyond those, it was a bit of a dump. Again I had a good time there, but it was a massive let down and I wouldn't go back. San Siro was the best bit for me and I only did a tour. 

 

Absolutely no desire to go to Dubai and Marbella sounds like everything that's wrong with Ibiza x10. 

 

 

 

Yeah Milan is a bit shit, glad I got to do it when I was in Bergamo rather than purposely going to visit.

[turtmcfly]

Vienna.

 

Granted we went on a wet bank holiday but... fecking miserable, aloof people, tourist trap restaurants, food quality measured by the pound (apart from the ridiculously expensive 'high-end but in reality middle ranking in London' place we went) and, at the end of three painfully average days' touristing, a proper little government-sponsored scam going on with the train back to the airport.

 

The plus point would be the architecture, but I'd already been to Budapest a few times. In fact 'a miserable, expensive Budapest without the frisson of bullet holes' would just about sum it up.

[CollinsLCFC]

Naples for me. Although, my trip got off to a bad start and I carried the mood over the next 4-5 days, a few days in we were also pickpocketed at the trainstation on a trip outeward to Pompeii (Pompeii is an incredible place). I found the city dirty (which it is reknown for),quite boring and the people rude. 

[murphy]

St. Tropez.  

 

The shore is a jungle of litter trapped in kelp but mainly it felt like there was a party going on to which I wasn't invited.  I found the marina with it's super yachts with helicopters on them a bit sickening and was irritated by the idle rich posing and chucking money around and displaying like peacocks.  Horrible and vulgar.  

[Tommo220]

Liverpool - nothing about the place ticks any boxes for me at all, although that might be driven by my loathing of all things football in that city.

 

[Nick]

5 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

I've also never got the hype of Dubai. Just doesn't sound like my idea of fun at all.

 

Gonna throw Paris into the ring. Been several times now and I just seem to dislike it more every time I've been.

Paris is amazing but not in the centre... Get out into the suburbs and the people and the food and the bars & markets are great.

[Simi]

3 hours ago, Izzy said:

Los Angeles - a big sprawling mass of traffic and smog.

 

No focal point, full of posers, tacky tourist areas and thoroughly dirty and smelly.

I'd half agree with this. The main tourist areas are absolute dumps and full of cretins.

 

However I loved Santa Monica and Little Venice. Some fantastic bars and restaurants around there.

[Simi]

2 hours ago, Costock_Fox said:

Madrid is a cracking city but I don’t think you can compare it to them three. 

 

i’ve been 4 times through work/football/pleasure and really enjoyed it.

 

I can’t say I have got a burning desire to go to Dubai if I’m honest, pretty sure they would want to chop my cock off which is a bit of a downside.

 

India is somewhere I will probably go to at some point but from what I see/ hear of places like Mumbai that really puts me off.

It was more along the lines when people suggest a "City break" it gets thrown into the same conversation.

 

Just didn't do it for me. But it was part of the Atletico Madrid game. I was there for 3 nights though and loved plenty of the other places on that European tour.

[Finnaldo]

2 hours ago, Stadt said:

Not that Birmingham is often a destination but I think it's disappointing for the second city. Manchester feels like the true second city to me.

 

It's funny because ultimately they're two cities that developed at roughly the same time with the Industrial Revolution, but Manchester has seemed to developed a true culture and feel of it's own. My mate started Uni there back in 2015 and I've loved every trip I make up there, I make it a mission to go at least once a year.

 

Birmingham meanwhile just feels ugly, devoid of any real culture or excitement, like it's only second city out of size. I avoid it like the plague (other than occasionally visiting mates). Nothing at the the Bullring I can't get in Nottingham or Leicester generally.

 

I agree with the consensus with Dubai; extremely plastic and fake, artificially created by the obscenely wealthy with history of exploitation and very dubious morals.

 

We've got a trip planned to Sziget Festival in Budapest next year followed by Belgrade, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik and Split, so I'll let you all know! 

[Nalis]

2 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

I do like Dublin and it's a good place with friendly people (I like Guinness which helps too), but having been to both there and Belfast twice I'd definitely recommend the latter to people as a better place for a break.

 

1 hour ago, Countryfox said:

Didn't feel worried as such just didn't really like it ....  had two taxi drivers try to take us on a tour but got slightly aggressive when we said no ...   just didn't want it.   Perhaps it wasn't helped by the fact that we had just spent several days going up the west coast which was beautiful and the people were fantastic ...   you could have a laugh and a joke with everyone you met and I'd love to go back and do it again.   Preferably on a motorbike !   

 

 

I know its potentially unpatriotic of me but you've both got a point. Our hospitality and craic is great though we go a bit OTT on self proclaiming it to be honest.

 

The pub scene in Dublin is the best in the world. However, apart from the pubs it isnt great for tourists. 

 

Belfast is interesting in terms of the troubles, etc and decent for a small city break however those black taxis tours are just cringe, in most cases you basic get a history tour from a moron.

 

Best places are the countryside and the coastline.

[Simi]

2 minutes ago, Finnaldo said:

 

It's funny because ultimately they're two cities that developed at roughly the same time with the Industrial Revolution, but Manchester has seemed to developed a true culture and feel of it's own. My mate started Uni there back in 2015 and I've loved every trip I make up there, I make it a mission to go at least once a year.

 

Birmingham meanwhile just feels ugly, devoid of any real culture or excitement, like it's only second city out of size. I avoid it like the plague (other than occasionally visiting mates). Nothing at the the Bullring I can't get in Nottingham or Leicester generally.

 

I agree with the consensus with Dubai; extremely plastic and fake, artificially created by the obscenely wealthy with history of exploitation and very dubious morals.

 

We've got a trip planned to Sziget Festival in Budapest next year followed by Belgrade, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik and Split, so I'll let you all know! 

Agreed on Manchester. Best part of the UK for me. So many unique areas. Colossal for getting hammered too.

 

Out of your cities listed at for your trip, I've been to Budapest and Split. You will not be disappointed in them. Fantastic cities.

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

 

I know its potentially unpatriotic of me but you've both got a point. Our hospitality and craic is great though we go a bit OTT on self proclaiming it to be honest.

 

The pub scene in Dublin is the best in the world. However, apart from the pubs it isnt great for tourists. 

 

Belfast is interesting in terms of the troubles, etc and decent for a small city break however those black taxis tours are just cringe, in most cases you basic get a history tour from a moron.

 

Best places are the countryside and the coastline.

I know loads of people are doing them and it's an easy buck to make for cabbies, but I genuinely enjoyed ours and felt the bloke doing it went well out of his way to give us a properly detailed experience. Though I do appreciate in England you don't get the full picture beforehand even if you try and educate yourself beyond what you know from the news, so maybe you wouldn't learn anything if you're a native of Ireland doing it.

[bovril]

4 hours ago, Nalis said:

One of my mates lived in Dubrovnik for 6 months and said it didnt feel 'real',  felt like a tv set or a town solely set up for tourists. That could just be his opinion tho, was going to go in 2015 but went to Split/Hvar instead and was happy enough with that.

 

Would still like to go to Dubrovnik someday though to see for myself, maybe coming in from Montenegro or something.

Agree that Split is much better. I prefer the Greek islands as there are more unspoiled sandy beaches.

 

3 hours ago, PegguyArphexad said:

South Tyrol in Northern Italy is fantastic. Although, it's very different from the rest of Italy - German is the most commonly spoken language. The Dolomites are tremendous and the wine is decent. 

Agreed - fantastic place. Going there in a couple of weeks to do some walking. 

 

19 minutes ago, Finnaldo said:

 

It's funny because ultimately they're two cities that developed at roughly the same time with the Industrial Revolution, but Manchester has seemed to developed a true culture and feel of it's own. My mate started Uni there back in 2015 and I've loved every trip I make up there, I make it a mission to go at least once a year.

 

Birmingham meanwhile just feels ugly, devoid of any real culture or excitement, like it's only second city out of size. I avoid it like the plague (other than occasionally visiting mates). Nothing at the the Bullring I can't get in Nottingham or Leicester generally.

 

I agree with the consensus with Dubai; extremely plastic and fake, artificially created by the obscenely wealthy with history of exploitation and very dubious morals.

 

We've got a trip planned to Sziget Festival in Budapest next year followed by Belgrade, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik and Split, so I'll let you all know! 

Belgrade and Sarajevo are great. Great food in both and Sarajevo is very beautiful in the centre. Bosnian people are incredibly friendly. Try and do the Sarajevo - Mostar route which is really spectacular. 

[EastAnglianFox]

Venice, unfortunately.

 

The smell was horrific, felt more crowded than New York in places, and the cost of some of the bang average Pizza, Coffee and beer that you fork out for is enough to make your nose bleed.

[Dan LCFC]

Dubai. Social media bandwagon. Convince me otherwise.

[oxford blue]

With regard to the first post, I agree about Las Vegas (not been to the other two), but it is a destination to leave for Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam which are not too far away.

 

I don't agree with those that don't like Australia; such a varied country from the tropical climate of Queensland to the cool wetter Tasmania (my favourite part). And Western Australia is different again as is Alice Springs in the middle.

 

Has anyone been to Egypt recently? Not a country I've been to, and no wish to. I know several people who have been recently and been disappointed I think too hot, travel internally uncomfortable and resorts too enclosed (because of security concerns).

[TheLittleBigMan]

Anywhere that's got Ebola.