It’s 2021, and we’re ready to plan our next vacation. We like to make an informed decision about where to travel and make sure that we experience the local culture and not just the touristy aspects of the destination.
Sometimes descriptions of destinations can be misleading. If you have traveled very much, you have probably had at least one experience where you arrived at your destination and wished you had gone somewhere else instead. The place might feel over rated and like a tourist trap.
Reddit user EggsAndBeerKegs asked, “What’s the most overrated tourist destination?” This question got a lot of great responses. Scroll down to find out which destinations were the most disappointing for travelers. We are definitely taking notes about where not to go for our next vacation.
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Hollywood
Reddit user ladies-pmme-nudespls wrote:
Hollywood boulevard. It’s crowded, full of homeless people, and kind of smells like pee.
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Plymouth Rock
Kevlar5427 added:
Plymouth Rock.It’s just a rock. In a hole. with 1620 carved on it At least you don’t have to pay to see it.
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The Fountain of Youth
jullieschmulie12 shared:
The Fountain of Youth in St Augustine, FL. Had a drink out of it when I was 12. I’m 28 now. Stupid fountain doesn’t work. 0/5 stars
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The alien museum in Roswell NM
bekahboo1989 explained:
The alien museum in Roswell NM.I am pretty sure I have said it here before but I will say it all again. My great grandparents had bought a small cabin in Ruidoso NM when my mother was 18. So once a year growing up me and my family would spend a week up there. On our way to Ruidoso we would drive through Roswell. Every year I would beg my mom to stop and take us. She never did. Well finally when she had grandkids they convinced her to stop so they could see the aliens. I was 23 at the time and was absolutely stoked. Ya’ll that was the lamest bunch of shit I had ever seen. I could have looked up X-File posters online.
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Clearwater, FL
Another Reddit user shared:
Clearwater, FL. You can just drive an extra 10 minutes south of it and get the same quality beach but with no people.
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Dubai
NamerNotLiteral wrote:
Dubai.It’s held up as one of the premier tourist destinations in the world, but when I was there it felt like an amusement park under construction. The view from my hotel window looked half like a modern city and half a poor typical Middle-Eastern town you might see in any movie. The entire time I was there it felt like I was being shuttled from one tourist spot to another. I usually like to walk around a city and take it in, but Dubai was terrible for that, given how spread-out everything is.
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Disney world in the Summer
thegregoryjackson added:
Disney world in the summer. It’s over crowded, too hot, and expensive. Way better in January.
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Myrtle Beach, SC
brokendowndryer answered:
Myrtle Beach, SCIf you’re on the SC coast, go somewhere else, like Charleston. It’s so much nicer.
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Waikiki
Jubilies shared:
The Waikiki strip in Honolulu. There are so many cooler places on the island to spend your time.
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Bali
Feed_my_Mogal added:
Bali. Full of drunk Australian bogans. You can just go to Penrith Panthers for the same experience.
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The Sears Tower in Chicago
-eDgAR- explained:
The Sears Tower in Chicago.If you’re a tourist in the city take an architecture boat tour instead or have a drink at the Signature Room in the Hancock and enjoy the view from there.
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Phuket, Thailand
irishamerican wrote:
Phuket, Thailand. Planning a vacation there during high season (November to March) means you’ll be sharing the beach with tons of other tourists, and while this may improve if you go during low season, you’ll most likely be dealing with more rain at that time of year. Plus, trash and water quality is a problem.
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Cancun
Lockshala added:
Cancun. Yes it’s beautiful, but doesn’t represent the beauty of Mexico. Go to Merida, the food is better and the nature is great
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Paris
vaelroth shared:
Paris is the only destination I know of with a medical disorder named for people who visit it and are subsequently disappointed because it didn’t live up to their expectations.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome
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Oktoberfest in Munich/Germany
SteamedHams4Chalmers explained:
Oktoberfest in Munich/Germany Its overcrowded, super expensive, and does not represent German or Bavarian culture as well. I would rather suggest going to a true dult or “Kirchweih” in smaller parts of Germany. Its waay more chill :)