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It’s no secret that many people love traveling. It opens the door to new experiences, places, and people, and making life a little less boring. It is also no secret that humans are naturally inclined to have expectations, as it is wired to our instincts. That lead to hopes when traveling that are either met or let down.
That’s what this list is all about—people sharing which travel destinations were everything (or more than) they wanted and which were very far from it. Let this list serve as a guide to help you decide which places are worth visiting and which might not be—at least according to people online.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Calcutta, India. Now I know there will be a few pissed off people from India down voting me but let me explain. The temples, food and culture there is great. The reason I say it was the worst place I have been to is that is was overcrowded, everyone begged me for money, traffic is hellish, (think goats and sheep in the middle of rush hour traffic), I got robbed, pickpocketed and the smog is horrible. Plus there is trash everywhere except inside expensive hotels and temples.
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#2
Cairo, Egypt
Wanna feel like you are going to die? Get in a taxi.
#3
Overrated: Amsterdam
Underrated: almost any other town in the Netherlands.
Amsterdam is fabulous, especially if you are into architecture and art. But so expensive and SO crowded that I had no regrets basing my last trip to NL out of Utrecht. Haarlem, Alkmaar, Amersfoort, Leiden are also deliriously beautiful without having to fight for views alongside s****d college students and Chinese tour groups with no sense of personal space.
The country is so small, it’s incredibly easy to train into Amsterdam from any of the above places. Definitely don’t SKIP Amsterdam altogether though.
Robert T 2 days ago
Amsterdam is lovely and well worth a visit. Nothing particularly seedy unless you visit the red light district at night. I was staying in Den Haag and visited for the day. I've visited a number of other places in the Netherlands and one thing that stands out is how nice the people are.
Some say that traveling is one of the ways to a happy life. After all, going to places you have never been (or visiting some of those places again) improves a person's well-being, as they get a chance to meet someone new, explore new places, and get a break from their routine.
It even is better for our brain’s health, as traveling lets it be more open to new experiences, helping with cognitive tasks and bettering our memory with mental health. So, basically, people travel for pleasure, whether related to food, sightseeing, adventures, or anything else.
#4
New Delhi, just because of the sheer filth and stench and Johannesburg just because of the sheer crime factor. Can never really relax in that place.
#5
Most overrated in the world has to be Los Angeles. People get to Hollywood and realize it's basically a festering sore or go to Venice Beach and are surrounded by d**g addicts and homeless people. Beverly Hills has flooded and pot holed roads and most of the nice houses are hidden. Half the time you're in traffic.
Underrated? Cairo, Ljubljana, Tallin, Cesky Crumlov, and Medellin.
#6
Hate to kick them while they're down, but, Athens Greece. Dirty. Graffiti everywhere. Didn't feel safe. The hotel I booked smelled like p**s everywhere, and they ran a wet saw in the next room doing tile work at 7am who refused to stop while we slept. Insane drivers. No one we talked to were nice to us. That said, the Greek islands were (in stark contrast) some of the most beautiful and enjoyable places I've ever been, with very friendly people and restaurant owners.
Yet, it’s likely that all travelers have experienced quite disappointing trips. For some, it’s because they experience something bad during the trip, like a fight with a trip partner. There's a reason why travel is often called the ultimate relationship test—it reveals the best and worst about one another, shows how well they can work as a team, compromise, and whether they truly enjoy one another's company.
For others, their trip goes sour because of the high expectations that are then let down. Maybe the place was overcrowded and they couldn’t properly see its beauty. Perhaps the object wasn’t as fascinating as it looked in the pictures ,or maybe its surroundings ruined the whole vibe. The reasons for an expectation being let down could be countless and depend on what was anticipated.
#7
F*****g Milan. I was alone and I felt incredibly unsafe. A man started following me and I went to the police and stood near to them and the man continued to follow me, saying sexual things to me. Every person I talked to lied through their teeth. I paid extra to get an over night train to Austria rather than stay there over night.
Traveling alone as a 21 year old woman can have its tough spots.
ॐBoyGanesh 1 day ago
It’s hard to gauge a city based on pickpockets (that’s literally every metropolitan area) & safety for women traveling alone (that’s everywhere). The latter issue is much bigger than just with tourism & travel. The former could happen anywhere and it does. I’m a 50yo skinny white guy who has been to hundreds of cities and travelled extensively. Yet the only time I’ve been pickpocketed/mugged was in my own city.
#8
Underrated: Taiwan, especially the eastern coast. I didn't have much in the way of expectations but it was really good.
Not sure I have a place that's overrated, maybe Nha Trang, in Vietnam. I wish I would've gone to Dalat instead.
#9
Estonia. It's a cool, affordable mix between modern and medieval. Found the people to be nice too.
Kristiina Männiste 1 day ago
Awww thanks! We are not widely known about so Estonians generally like tourists and are actually happy that you came to visit us. I recommend visiting places outside of Tallinn too - we do not have nothing spectacular but we have gentle hills and bogs and forests that grow free to pick berries and mushrooms and sandy beaches with like a total of 3 people per kilometer, quaint little towns overgrown with flowers and apple trees and the occasional soviet weirdness mixed in.
For examples of this, you can take a look through today’s list. Here, people online share the kinds of destinations that disappointed them. From Geneva to Cairo, check out the list for yourself, we’re not going to spoil it here.
At the same time, we didn’t want to be complete downers, so we sprinkled in a little of a bright side—the same (or other) people sharing the kinds of destinations that exceeded their expectations. As you will see, people were captivated by certain places when they didn’t have high hopes for them.
#10
Overrated : Vienna
Underrated : Bratislava
These 2 because people kept telling me to go to Vienna and skip Bratislava and I am glad I didn't. I wished I stayed longer in Bratislava instead.
sturmwesen 2 days ago
Vienna is great..we took the Ringbahn for sight seeing, walked the Prater at Christmas in the snow, rode the ferris wheel, visited the anatomic exhibit, the (I kid you not) torture exhibit, the castle,... we walked 10km a day easily and found some great little restaurants/cafes and I miss the vintage stores greatly
#11
Definitely Kyrgyzstan. Incredible landscapes and experiences like hikes, yurt stays, horse treks, etc. I visited once for a week and loved it so much I moved there a year later.
#12
Georgia. Amazing cities and nature there, as well as the food! I went before corona and there were lots of Russian tourists but I didn’t encounter any other English speakers.
So, naturally, this leads us to the question—are expectations the ultimate spoiler of travel joy? Well, in some cases, for sure. Ultimately, travelers do not always end up disappointed after reaching their destination. But what can you do to avoid these possible disappointments, since not having any expectations at all is impossible—they’re part of our instincts?
As Heidi Theis wrote in her LinkedIn article, you should prepare to be flexible during a trip and get on with the fact that unexpected things might happen. She also wrote that being realistic and knowing that at some point the journey might not go smoothly is also important.
#13
Geneva. Albeit a pretty city, the soul-crushing cost of everything entirely weighed down my experiences there. Never expected to pay 24f for a hamburger in my life.
Ace 2 days ago
A normal price for a burger and fries at most fast food places would be around chf15, perhaps as much as chf20 at a more ;gourmet; burger place. Plus drink. You need to accept it if you're going to enjoy your trip. I recommend thinking in old exchange rates for your mental health, when I first came to live in CH it was around 2.4 chf/£, now it's around half of that. Yeah, inflation elsewhere has made up the difference a bit, but the franc is still one of the most over-valued world currencies, which is of course fine for those of us that have been earning in the currency all these years, but still catches out the occasional tourist, like this one.
#14
As someone with a habit of backpacking in eastern europe and former east bloc nations, I submit Dayton Ohio.
#15
I went to Ethiopia a while back. I wouldn't recommend it at the moment due to the political situation but, it was great at the time. I saw endemic mammals (Ethiopian wolf, gelada baboon, and mountain nyala), and the churches at Lalibela were great.
BeesEelsAndPups 2 days ago
Yes I worked in Addis Ababa 20 years ago. It was a great place and the food is spectacular
Additionally, if you end up being let down, you should strive to find some positives in it, too, so everything won’t be ruined just because of one thing. After all, the trip is not only the destination but also the puzzle of mini experiences that led to it.
Which travel destinations disappointed you? And which exceeded your expectations? Share your experiences with us in the comments!
#16
Xi'an, China. Got robbed, it was smoggy as hell, and other than cycling atop the city walls there's f**k all to do there. Absolutely hated it, it was the only place in China I disliked.
Mark Savoie 1 day ago
I loved Xi'an. Went to see the Terra,Cotta Warriors, shopped at the Muslim Market, and rode through the City Wall from and to the train station, among other ecperiences.
#17
Hanoi, Vietnam. I couldn't walk a block without someone trying to rip me off. Apparently, blond hair and blue eyes means you s**t gold. Its weird, because everywhere else I went to in Vietnam was awesome. Had great experiences and interactions with locals in HMC and Hue. Also, Charles DeGaulle airport. F**k that place.
Weasel Wise 1 day ago (edited)
Hanoi is cool but I recommend Ho Chi Min, Ninh Binh, or Hoian. Definitely Hoian!
#18
I loved Mongolia, but if it ever became popular it would suck.
#19
Naples, Italy. Filthy f*****g place. Companion got pickpocketed. Trash everywhere. Graffiti and grime everywhere. Human feces on streets. Homeless g***y cardboard box communities in the trash filled parks. No real enjoyable Harbor or waterfront. All in all, just a dirty city. Market wasn't impressive compared to the other Italian cities. All the food places I tried sucked compared to the other Italian cities. Will never go back. If I ever decide to do Pompeii when it's not too f*****g hot to wander around ruins all day, I'm just going to make it a day trip.
Last time I posted in a thread like this someone said when they arrived and asked the information desk in the train station where they should go, they proceeded to cross out over 3/4 of the city. That says everything. F**k Naples. Should've done sienna instead.
Immortal Jellyfish 2 days ago
The museum is well worth a trip, absolutely fantastic. However everything else above is completely accurate. We were there last year.
#20
Luton.
It's the Gary, IN of England.
Serena Myers 2 days ago
What does "It's the Gary, IN of England" mean? Can someone translate, please!
#21
Overrated:tulum
Underrated: Lima. I see so many people say skip it or only spend a day there. The historic downtown is gorgeous and it’s on the coast with plenty of beaches. Plus the food and people are awesome. I don’t get it. I spent 4 days there and wish I had more time.
#22
Antalya, Turkey. A formerly beautiful ancient city ruined by the massive amounts of tourist traps. During my stay in the city I had the constant feeling I was going to be ripped off. In shops, in cafés or restaurants, you name it. Not to mention the fact that the city is filled with eyesores of buildings designed to lure in tourists.
At least it's not as much of a Resort Central as the surrounding areas.
#23
Overrated: San Francisco. I just don't get it. It was okay, but not the spectacular "left my heart" place everyone said it was. And this was about 20 years ago, so well before the city's current problems.
Underrated: Beirut. My family still cringes every time I say the word, but I had a great time, the people were nice, the scenery was beautiful, and the food was fabulous.
#24
Kazakhstan - went there in 2017 and have been meaning to go back and see more of it.
#25
Java, Indonesia (not Bali)
The large island may be home to around 200 million people but still manages to feel off of the beaten path tourist-wise. I would recommend visiting:
Yogyakarta- Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, Bromo Volcano, and Mount Merapi
Pangandaran - Nice beach town but starting to blow up as a tourist spot.
Jakarta - The world’s largest city by population (depending on the resource) but definitely doesn’t feel like it.
#26
Namibia - it's one of the most wonderful places on this Earth.
#27
**Overrated:** Barcelona. Everyone always raved to me about how much they loved it, and how it was their favourite city in Europe. I'm sure it's a nice place to live, but I didn't think it was that amazing. Seemed like any other European city IMO, except for more petty crime and long distances between everything.
*Second place:* Prague. Maybe it was great 10-20 years ago, but the old town has gotten so fake and touristy these days that I find it genuinely repulsive. I've been back to Prague three times now and still don't understand the hype. Sure, it's pretty, but it's full of living statues and scam artists and it just gives me a headache.
**Underrated:** All of Poland. Fantastic country, tons to see. It doesn't get anywhere near the attention it deserves as a top European destination. Also underrated: Kaliningrad, Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans. Much of eastern Europe honestly, especially beyond the capitals.
Petra Peitsch 2 days ago (edited)
Barcelona. I was just there in September for 10 days. I liked it very much. My trick is in new cities, that on my first 2 days I'm buying a ticket for those Hop on/Hop off sightseeing buses, so I can have an idea about the city, and choosing, what I want to explore later by myself. But what OP meant by petty crime? As for lomg distances .... it seems he/she never heard of public transport.
#28
Overrated: Malta, its nice but just a bit boring ans not nearly as beautiful as the pictures on social media make it out to be.
Underrated: Armenia (although Georgia is getting a lot of attention nowadays), is such an adventerous country with amazing people.
Robert T 2 days ago
I spent 7 weeks working in Malta and loved it. We had restaurants galore within walking distance of the hotel and as I have a few weekends out there, took a water taxi to Valetta, and visits Mdina and Gozo. It is a bit too hot in summer, but autumn and spring are lovely temperature.
#29
Romania.
TotallyNOTAFox 2 days ago
Bonus point for us europeans: Romania is part of the Schengen area now, which means it's easier to travel
#30
Nicaragua. The nicest, friendliest people I have ever met. And the most beautiful cities and natural beauty I’ve ever seen. Feel free to dm me for a recap of my experiences there!
Weasel Wise 1 day ago
I miss Nicaraguan breakfasts of pinto gallo and scrambled eggs so much! I've traveled each Central American country and Nicaraguan breakfast is by far the best. Followed up by Guatemala.
#31
Newton Abbot, Devon, England. It has all the horrible things Devon has on offer (economic depravity, xenophobia) with none of the scenic beauty.
#32
Obviously can't speak for everyone but personally I think Bali is pretty overrated. At least compared to the sky-high expectations everyone here seems to have and compared to all the pictures on instagram.
Mary Kelly 2 days ago
could not disagree more...but, if you go to the beach w/ aussies, maybe...but, the island is so gorg
#33
Faroe Islands and Outer Hebrides seem less traveled(though that also seems to be changing).
Iran is another one.
Alex Martin 2 days ago
Iran, visit for the people and ancient ruins. Stay until your country needs to make a trade deal or has a hostage to exchange.
#34
Podgorica, Montenegro. F*****g s****y communist-era hellhole. No redeeming qualities. None.
What do you think ?
Nikole 1 day ago
This has nothing to do with the article, but am I the only one who now doesn’t get notifications for upvotes or someone responding to me?? Is that going to be a premium thing? Ohhh WTF…
Becky Samuel 1 day ago
I don't have that notification thingy either. If they're so determined to drive us away then they shouldn't be shocked if we oblige.
Load More Replies...
Warren Peece 1 day ago
I went to the Grand Canyon and was disappointed to discover it is just a big hole in the ground.
Campy 1 day ago
I walked around for 6 days, never even saw any. It's a big city, it's not going to be sterile.
Load More Replies... Nikole 1 day ago
This has nothing to do with the article, but am I the only one who now doesn’t get notifications for upvotes or someone responding to me?? Is that going to be a premium thing? Ohhh WTF…
Becky Samuel 1 day ago
I don't have that notification thingy either. If they're so determined to drive us away then they shouldn't be shocked if we oblige.
Load More Replies... Warren Peece 1 day ago
I went to the Grand Canyon and was disappointed to discover it is just a big hole in the ground.
Campy 1 day ago
I walked around for 6 days, never even saw any. It's a big city, it's not going to be sterile.
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