What city were you let down by? And what city exceeded your expectations?

Probably the city that I was less impressed with was Paris. Glad I went but not on my to do list to return. Place that was better than expected was Rome and San Gimignano (I could almost list everywhere we went in Italy) I had high expectations of Rome as my son and I both love history, but my favourite thing wasn't any of the historic sites (although I loved the colosseum), it was wandering down to Campo dei Fiori each morning for fruit from the markets and fresh bread and biscuits from the bakery and trying my Italian no matter how much I was laughed at.

Not something I think about much, I have never been anywhere I didn't like.

But, Roma exceeds my expectations every time.

I was underwhelmed by Munich, too. I think my expectations for Paris were just too high, but I did like it.

The road to disappointment is paved with expectations.

I couldn't agree more with Rome. It didn't make my list because I had high expectations and it met them all. I can't wait to go back.

Jeremy, you'll laugh but we were underwhelmed by both Amsterdam (I've done twice) and Munich. We had a good time in both - after all, one has to make their own fun, right? - but there are other places which have made better, long-lasting impressions.

We haven't traveled to the extent of many others on the RS forum either so we've tons of corners yet to explore! When it comes down to favorites so far, it's easy to name them as they are the ones we tend to reminisce about the most. Top of the list is darn near anywhere at all we've been in Italy so far, and I am ridiculously, passionately in love with Rome and Florence.

Belgium was an unexpected surprise; we both 'took' to Bruges, Gent and Antwerp in a big way and are looking forward to more of that country. Interesting architecture, really good beer and food (and I'm not a foodie) and lovely people.

In the middle are Paris and London. Great cities we'll cheerfully do again but they're missing something that the favorites in Italy have.

At the bottom are Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna and Athens...although I should probably give Athens another shot as it was a long time ago, and July so the heat was just-kill-me-now brutal.

Editing to add: I see that you live in Utah? Our favorite U.S. vacation spot, no question. We've done oodles of hiking in the Mighty 5 and some of the state parks between them. Beautiful state.

Lyon exceeded my expectations, which were already pretty high (or I wouldn't have gone there). What a great city!

Interesting topic - everyone is so different. Munich and Venice were my disappointmentson from our last trips. I'm not really sure why with Munich, it seems fine. But it never really caught my attention like other places, and maybe being tired and having rainy weather impacted my view. As for Venice, I did like it, but I didn't love it like I expected. I think expectations had been built too high. It felt far too crowded for the space, and it was larger than I expected. There were way too many pushy gadget and flower sellers that really ruined the ambiance of the places that were supposed to feel romantic, and the Venetians seemed so tired of tourists (not that I blame them). I would definitely go back, but I didn't love it the way I expected.
Paris and Rome exceeded our expectations. I think this is partially because our expectations had been set lower. A lot of people say Paris is dirty and there are a lot of rude people. About Rome they say it is chaotic and overwhelming and there are pickpockets everywhere you look. I was intimidated by both, but was pleasantly surprised. Outside of the area just under the Eiffle tower, I didn't find a lot of pushy sales people in Paris. I loved the architecture, so just walking down the street there was a pleasure. We loved the parks, the food, the cafes. I adored St. Chappelle. I thought the people were very kind and helpful. In Rome, I was surprised how spread out things were, making the crowds seem less oppressive. I never witnessed a pick pocketing. I thought I wasn't that interested in ancient Roman history compared to some other periods, but walking by 2000 year old ruins mixed with Renaissance buildings mixed with modern structures was so surreal it took my breath away. I loved the Bernini art available everywhere, and you can just pop into any church and just be awed by the beauty. I think I could happily spend weeks there!

Underwhelmed by Milan. Granted, we didn't have much time there, but after wandering a few spots, doing the duomo and Castello Sforzesco, we were kinda like - what else? We took a day trip to Lake Como. If I never go back, it won't matter.

We did visit Munich, but had so little time there (not even a full day) that it left no impression....will have to return.

Avignon - blah.

Absolutely fell in LOVE with Venice the moment I walked out the train station doors. Enchanted could describe my feelings. Been there 4 times since 2008 and hoping for a return visit in 2018 to experience Carnivale. I don't know if I was overwhelmed by Paris, but it has made enough of an impression on me that we'll be returning for a few more days in April - our 4th visit. Bath charmed me as well.

Oh - and two very different expectations for one place. Visited Cinque Terre in 2008 and loved everything about it, laid back, quiet, no crowds...so much so, we went back in 2012 and it was way overrun - crowded streets, bursting at the seams trains...if it had been like that in 2008, we never would have returned. For the record - it was the 3rd week of Sept both times (almost to the exact days) - except one was weekdays and the 2nd was on a weekend - which may have been part of the issue.

Interesting topic. You go first time to the certain city and have expectation. They are either reached or not or exceeded. I agree with others that Munich was in the second category - expectations not reached (but they were high). Munich was rebuilt after WWII and I had feeling that it was somewhat artificial, not authentic. Nevertheless it's still worth to see. On the other hand Warsaw far exceeded my expectations (which were not that high). Warsaw was also rebuilt but they did much better job than in Munich. Old Town is gorgeous and so authentic. You would not believe that the buildings were built in 20th century. The city which exceeded my expectations the most is Gdansk. The pearl of Baltics. In Italy it is Venice, no doubt. In the USA it is New York and Seattle. I haven't seen more exciting city than NYC. It is so American and at the same time with European feel and spiced with 3rd world fragrance. There is no other city like that. When I lived in Pennsylvania (small town Hanover - my first place in USA) I did not like that hot and humid weather and wanted to move. I did my homework (that was before internet) - libraries, books, newspapers; there were many candidates like Boulder, Colorado Springs, Burlington, VT, Santa Barbara - to name just few. In the finals Seattle won. I flew there to look for job. My expectations of the city were so high that I was afraid they could not be met. Well, they were exceeded. I found the job, came back to Hanover, gave my notice and in fourteen days I packed my car and drove to Seattle (5 and half days). Never regretted my decision.

We have made many trips to Europe and loved every minute. The only place that left me cold was Barcelona. That was my reaction in 1972, and again 3 years ago. I made it my business to forget what few memories I had of the city and see it anew, spent 3 days there, but no soap. Can't say why to this day, and I get a lot of flack, but it just didn't ring any bells for me. Switzerland was the place where were blown away in terms of exceeding expectations. We have always thought that was one place that looked even better than the postcards. Always interesting to read different perspectives, looking forward to more responses.

Until now I thought to be a tiny minority who found Munich a disappointment for its total lack of atmosphere.
In recent years medium-sized Kromeriz, halfway between Olomouc and Brno in eastern Czechia, was a most pleasant surprise. And for some reason I have fallen in love with post-industrial Lodz in central Poland. And Trieste exceeded expectations, its nineteenth-century centre being perfectly preserved.

I shall comment on countries. Croatia and Slovenia are incredible & exceeding my expectations! Disappointment city was Milan.

Only city I wasn't wowed by was Brussels. Perhaps it was because many buildings had graffiti or that the Grand Plaza was under renovation but I found it bleak. I've had friends who live and work there and love it so perhaps it was just me.

"...as we toured the city and learned how much was rebuilt after WWII, suddenly a lot of it was less impressive."

I don't think you are alone. Not that being disappointed by Munich is the natural response. It's a pretty nice city on the whole, IMO. But I think there are a whole lot of us who travel without making the connection between our history lessons in school and the destinations we choose. Today, Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Cologne, and other big German cities tend to sparkle and charm, and not just in the travel guides. Yet all were decimated by bombs just 70 years ago. The way they all look today is nothing less than remarkable, IMO. I couldn't have been more impressed.

Anyone who hopes to see pre-WW II Germany will need to visit some smaller towns and the handful of cities that the Allies spared. Not just any small town will do... Rothenburg was nearly 50% flattened in 1945. Bamberg OTOH (a UNESCO World Heritage city) is a good choice. For smaller towns, the "Fachwerkstraße" or "Half-timbered House Road" is a good choice and connects towns in the north and the south that strongly maintain their past appearance.

Fascinating question and so intensely personal. Cities that exceeded expectations: Berlin and Venice. Cities that did not meet expectations: Rome and Vienna.

London has absolutely exceeded my expectations and Paris fell short. Going back to London for the 3rd time next year. I would go back to Paris but with more realistic expectations. Another fantastic place to visit, especially if you are into Neolithic history and that just blew me away, Orkneys in Scotland.

This is tough. I have traveled a lot, as well as living in Germany and Saudi Arabia for several years. I have enjoyed something about every place that I have visited. However, the question is what places exceeded expectations and what did not meet expectations.

I have found that when I first started traveling overseas, I was attracted to places of historical and cultural importance. As I have aged, I have added to that criteria places of natural beauty.

Also, the fondness of a particular place can be influenced by the friendliness of the people, the cuisine and cost of visiting that location.

I love all the cuisine of the Mediterranean. That includes Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Middle East.
I find that most people everywhere are friendly, but some cultures not as friendly to strangers.

China was wonderful for the sights and the cuisine, but the pollution in all the Chinese cities is a downer. Also, because of the massive population, cities are very crowded and people are not polite or overly friendly to strangers. Once you get to know Chinese people, they are very friendly. In fact, Germans are a bit like that. Germans are very aggressive in public, but great when you get to know them. We were told that it goes back to after WWII when you had a streetcar for 200 persons, with 500 persons trying to get on the streetcar, there would tend to create aggression. Still, China and Germany were still some of our favorite places.

However, we visited Japan last year and just loved the country and especially the people. Japan is also crowded, but not as much and the infrastructure is excellent. People are polite and very helpful to strangers. The sights are great, but compared to China, still not a match on that account. The country is very clean, tidy and well run, with little crime. The people even dress well, avoiding the grunge that is becoming more apparent in the USA.

Both China and Japan exceeded our expectations.

For Europe, while we love the Mediterranean, Britain has to but high on my list. My ancestors came from Britain and Ireland and I am familiar with the history. The people are wonderful, polite and helpful. Also, the speak my language. The food is better than you would think, since there is so much variety from other countries. Love the fish and chips.

Britain exceeded our expectations.

As a Roman history buff and lover of the Mediterranean, Italy is near the top of my list, especially with Rome. The history in and near Rome is amazing and St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel is wonderful The Sistine Chapel is to me the most impressive work of art in the World. Rome clearly exceeding my expectations. Of course, Florence and Venice did as well. Spain, Portugal, France and Greece all were great and to some degree exceeded expectations. However, Portugal is special and very much exceeded my expectations. Paris is great, with great sights. I have been there several times and the more that I go there, the less that I want to go back. It is hard to put my finger on why Paris has dropped down a bit, except that after spending time in Normandy and the South of France, those places very much exceeded my enjoyment of Paris. The French people outside of Paris are fantastic and the French countryside is wonderful.

Russia was amazing and the sights exceed our expectations.
The most amazing historical sites still, I found were in Egypt. There is so much that is ancient and well preserved there. Egypt was ancient even when conquered by the Romans. Love the food in Egypt, but it is a very poor country and that does affect traveling there.
Other places that exceed:
Jerusalem,
Istanbul,
Lima, Peru,
Bueno Aires, Argentina,
the country of Chile
The Panama Canal
Alaska
Vancouver, BC
Any place in Australia
The Grand Canyon

Places that didn't quite meet our expectations
India
Indonesia
Las Vegas

I have not traveled as extensively as most on this forum but I'll throw my two cents in.

Exceeded all expectations - Paris. I've been there 3 times and cannot wait to return. I would happily move there if I could. Also Rome. We went two years ago and I would love to return and explore some more.

Fell a little short, although we still enjoyed - Venice. The food was pretty awful and overpriced and I thought the city a little dirty. The food part was likely our choice of restaurants. Not that I wouldn't go back to Venice but it wouldn't be my first choice to return.

For American cities - love NYC - 10 nights and I still could go back for 10 more and still not see everything I missed the first 2 times.

Really loved San Fran (and want to go back someday) and the PCH, but San Diego really didn't do much for me and my impression of LA is...what else...traffic. So underwhelmed by those 2 cities for sure. I'd def go back and do the drive down the coast, but wouldn't go further than LA.

Will start out with the good. Edinburgh exceeded my expectations. Loved the scenery, the buildings, the history and the people were so darn charming! Next is Rome. I simply loved the atmosphere, the people and the ancient ruins oozing history in every corner. I just wanted to breathe it all in and take it home with me. Potsdam is about the most attractive small town I have visited and I so enjoy walking the streets there. Berlin I like because of the spirit of the Berliners. Interesting modern architecture too. You guys already know how much I adore my adopted home of Frankfurt, but the reason I love it here so much is the diversity of everything, the people, the history, the architecture. Turn a corner and you run into an interesting juxtaposition of buildings and eras.

Least impressed? Paris. Nice enough city, but it sure didn't live up to the hype. I'd go back and visit again if funds allowed, but it isn't anywhere on my list of places I really want to see again. Munich was kind of so-so. The people are snobbier than anyplace else in Germany and that kind of put me off. The fact that they don't allow Stumble Stones to be installed there doesn't endear the city to me. Bavaria itself has an attitude of thinking they are the best of everything to the point that we call it the Texas of Germany. No real desire to go there again.

Middle of the road would include Milan, Brussels, and Cologne. These cities have so much more than what people usually think. Once you get off the main streets, you have these lovely little neighborhoods, with cozy restaurants, & small ancient churches, and these cities have lots of interesting museums as well as friendly residents.

Mrs. Jo - I forgot to include Edinburgh, but I felt the same way! I didn't really have any expectations for it, but I just couldn't get over how charming everything was! It felt like we were walking around in a Sherlock Holmes novel or something. Even though the weather was dreary when we were there, it's one of my favorite places on earth :)

Let down by: Brussels.
Exceeded expectations: Salzburg.
Special categories:
Las Vegas: expected to hate it, and it didn't disappoint in that respect. But since my parents lived there, I went a lot.
Luxembourg City: 1st visit: exceeded expectations greatly. 2d visit (15 years later): a real disappointment.; it had changed tremendously, and not for the better.

I'll preface this with everyone is different so please don't take offense. Vatican City disappointed me like nothing else I've ever seen. We did the museum first and then the church. I finally had to leave the church and get fresh air; my brain was nauseated. I waited on the steps of St Peters for my friends. This was 1976 so perhaps some things have changed, but now the crowds are there from what I hear so...

I LOVED Umeå, Sweden. I can not provide a specific reason. It just seems like a wonderful small city plopped in the wilderness; a wonderful city in which to live. I need to go back and spend time there in the winter, and spend time taking photographs in the wonderful golden light, and eat Kanelbullors.

I was underwhelmed by Vienna, Brussels, and Copenhagen.

The cities that I fell in love with (that exceeded my expectations), are Budapest, Stockholm, and Berlin.

I always love visiting London and Paris, but they basically lived up to my expectations so there was no surprise there.

I found Carcassonne extremely underwhelming. Same for L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

It is intensely personal and depends a lot on the expectations of the individual before visiting. With that I will buck the trend here and admit that I was let down by Rome. It's not that I didn't like it and enjoy my time there, it just didn't meet my expectations and I wouldn't go back unless I had a specific reason to, like traveling with someone who wanted to go there. Runner ups in this category were Prague and London - I know, you're shocked. Again I enjoyed going there but wouldn't go out of my way to return.

Budapest is the main one that exceeded all my expectations (maybe they were low and that's why). Absolutely loved it and want to go back if at all possible because I felt so comfortable there for some reason and there's so much more I want to see. Runner ups are Gent, and Antwerp. I loved them but didn't have nearly enough time there, would like to go back and spend a week visiting just those two cities. Also fell in love with Annecy, Paris, Venice, and all of Sicily.

I was ambivalent about several cities, wasn't let down but they also didn't exceed expectations: Bruges, Rothenburg, Bratislava, Avignon, Colmar, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Athens, Istanbul.

Great thread by the way.

Reading some comments after mine jogged my memory as to some additions to my earlier comment. Disappointing: Avignon, Carcassone. Exceeded expectations: Budapest.

Reading some comments after mine jogged my memory as to some additions to my earlier comment. Disappointing: Avignon, Carcassone. Exceeded expectations: Budapest.

Places I don't want to return to are Annecy, Marseilles, Gruyeres, Lausanne, Vienna and Palermo.

My favorites are Rome, Varenna, Lugano, Lucca, Taormina, Siracusa, (I guess I should just say Italy except for Assisi.). D-Day beaches, Chamonix, Murren and London.

Places where I was pleasantly surprised were Koln, Berlin and Bern.

I just realized most of my "likes" involve history, water or mountains.

This is a great thread! Thanks for posting.

I honestly can't say I've been disappointed by any city I've chosen to visit so far. The ones I had exceedingly high expectations of were even more fabulous than I hoped--London and Paris.

I visited Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk on a whim and all 3 left me delighted with Poland and the lovely people there.

I visited Tallinn because I have Estonian grandparents and it was quite a charming little jewel of a medieval walled city mixed with remnants of former Soviet occupation and beautiful national parks and views along the Baltic.

Prague absolutely wore me out with navigating the mobs of people (I was prepared for that--still, wow) but it was spectacularly beautiful and quite interesting so it was worth it, and may merit a return trip.

Vienna's visit was all about The Third Man and art, and that remains one of my most favorite trips. I'll return in April for a few days.

I saved my favorite city for last--Budapest. My other grandparents are Hungarian so I felt I should go there for a few days. Arrived at Keleti and it just felt a little scroungy, sort of wondered if I'd made a bad choice. By the time I'd conquered the metro, explored a museum and the great market hall and strolled along the Danube at twilight I was madly in love. The people, the food, the stunning views along the river, the buildings and just the feeling I get from being there make it a very special place to me. I returned this May and will return again next April.

My 10 year old and my wife agree. For exceed expectations, Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland, Underwhelmed: Milan.

For me. Overwhelmed:

Europe- Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland, Brugge(loved the canals plus I am a chocoholic), Paris.

Latin America- El Calafate in Argentina nice small town which was unexpected.

Asia- Koh Tao in Thailand, amazing scenery on little island with very friendly people.

- Xian China beautiful city.

- Hong Kong sensory overload.

Africa - Cape Town South Africa, friendly people, great sights.

Underwhelmed - Milan, Lima Peru, Beijing- Pollution, Johannesburg South Africa.

I was totally smitten by Lisbon. I went to Portugal expecting to enjoy the smaller places much more (saw Evora, Coimbra, Sintra), and did enjoy them, but Lisbon absolutely delighted me.

I know I'm in tiny minority, but I loathe Venice. It has architectural beauty and unique history, but the place is a freaking zoo. There is nothing real about the place any longer; it exists solely for tourism. Rome is a zoo as well, but at least it's a living breathing city. And maybe I hit Venice on a bad week, but boy that place literally stinks because of the routine flooding. I wouldn't go back there for anything.

On a happier note, Siena and Colmar delightfully exceeded my expectations.

Munich: I was surprised how much of prewar Munich is still extent, i.e. I think the extent of the war damage is overstated. Using the website Third Reich on Ruins one can find nearly all the sites since they survived the war. Yes, the Brown house, the Hofbräu House, and the old town hall were destroyed, but most prewar stuff is still standing and a lot of it not because it was reconstructed-- things like all the Hitler former homes would not have been reconstructed if damaged-- even the window glass appears original.

Good topic and a very subjective one. In the US I agree with Seattle, always like going there. Most impressive are New Orleans, can't wait to get back to that city, same with San Antonio. But Wash, DC is the city that overwhelmed me since I just spent a full week there at the beginning of this month, a great walking town coupled with that Metro system, which reminds me of London. DC has flair, atmosphere, the various museums you can spend a whole day.

In Europe Budapest was a most enjoyable and pleasant surprise with its singular sights since I didn't exactly know what to expect, have been back for three day trips, more planned. The other cities in the utterly fantastic, overwhelming category Berlin, Paris (after all, "c'est ça Paris" as the song goes), London and Vienna. I like Munich, not in the fantastic grouping but still good enough for repeat visits.

The one disappointing city , a distinct let-down, is Lyon, felt that way after the first visit, went for a second visit two years later, same feeling, Some of the other most memorable and interesting places visited in France are Strasbourg, Colmar, Amiens, Metz, Lille, Arras, Toulouse, Collieure,

Going to Poland and visiting Gdansk, Warsaw, Krakow, Torun plus the two day trips were all positive, fascinating, enjoyable experiences, all worthy of repeat visits, especially that lower Vistula region.

Fred inspired me with American cities. Which cities I would recommend to foreigner to see and which cities is OK to skip:
To see: Boston, NYC, Washington D.C., Charleston, Savannah, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco
OK to skip: Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, Phoenix. I was ambivalent about San Antonio. Downtown dead, just cars, no people. Riverwalk gorgeous, unique. For history fans - Alamo. Cannot comment on New Orleans - haven't been there.

Much maligned major metropolises:
Munich (mostly)
Milan
Manchester
(Maybe) Madrid

Nice to see these positive comments about Seattle, my adopted home for 27 years now. (And Iija, I totally agree with your "positive" list, although I have not yet been to all.) We do get to San Francisco often to visit family and we love it there---it is a great walking city. But oh, so expensive, so we are grateful for a free place to stay.

Seattle has changed a bit in recent years due to the cruise ship tourism, but mostly in good ways.

I won't list my European city surprises and disappointments as they have all been covered above. But I will say there have actually been no real disappointments; rather there are a couple of places we need not visit again.

The comments about Munich are interesting, as I have made short visits there over the years and always find it worthwhile ( and not snooty as some have mentioned. Perhaps I have simply overlooked some subtleties).

We will fly into Munich on our next trip, for easy access to Slovenia. We will have only two nights there, so one full day, which we will use for the Deutsches Museum, Englischergarten surfing watch, and lots of walking. I think we'll be OK.

So where do Seattlites go for a short city break? Vancouver, BC.

London first underwhelmed then overwhelmed me. The first time I visited it was at the tail end of a month long youth hostel tour of England I took in my early 20s. By far the largest place we'd visited was Edinburgh and the largest crowds we saw were in York. We spent just one day in London before deciding to spend the remainder of our stay there day tripping to Canterbury and Bath. I don't know what we expected but busy crowded post WWII London wasn't it. My guess we simply expected it to be more like the rest on England than it is. Fours years later we returned due to an offer to help house sit in Greenwich. We spent ten days and only took three day trips. We've been back several times since. I love London.

Paris both over and underwhelms me every trip there. I love many of the smaller museums but The Louvre, not so much. Contrary to reputation, the people are kindoing but the food is not nearly as good to me as that in Italy. The Eiffel Tower is grand from a distance but not the most lovely place from which to look down. The architecture does not speak to me.

Florence overwhelmed me on first visit and still does. It was the one place my husband really wanted to return to over any other place. And it is our daughters' favorite despite their having seen it in late June with temperatures over 100.

Vienna's museums overwhelmed me. Vienna itself underwhelmed me.

Prague despite the crowds, overwhelmed me. We spent a week, much of it walking above the touristyear old town and castle areas. We walked those before ten, and pretty much had them to ourselves. We very much enjoyed the people there.

Have to add my favorite little U.S. city - Santa Fe - to Iija's to-see list. I also like NOLA for the history, architecture, food and music.

Adding to the skip list: Las Vegas and Orlando. I know, duck the flying tomatoes but neither of them do anything for us.

We've been reading all of your responses and thinking about our experiences. It is all so subjective! For Dave, the city which let him down after only one (5 night) visit was Madrid. It's true that we hadn't anticipated going there and we were busy with work but aside from the fantastic art museums the city seemed sprawling, dirty and dead. I think it would be worth a second look when we explore southern Spain someday. For me, the city that grows more perplexing (in a negative way) over time is Berlin. I had said in other posts that we have visited Berlin 8 times over the years including 1982 and the pivotal 1990, then 6-7 more times between then and our most recent visit in 2015. Watching it change and wondering how they would put it back together from the cranes along the Wall scar has left me disappointed and wondering who is in charge, has a vision? It soon started to look like government officials awarding contracts to famous architects from all over the world with each building trying to out do the other. We will continue to visit, we have close friends there, but I can't help wanting to see the big, overall plan or glimpse its historic past more.

A couple of cities have more than met our expectations. I wasn't prepared to be in love with London the first time we visited but I was and try to go back as often as I can--"I'll give you 3 weeks in (fill in the blank) if I can have 5-7 days in London". The town, Quedlinberg, I saw emerging from the darkness in 1990 as we drove through haunted me so much that we arranged a one month house exchange there a few years ago. It greatly overwhelmed me and exceeded my expectations on what it is still becoming. For my husband, Budapest, filled this spot of exceeding expectations and we'd both like to return.

Munich didn't blow me away the first time I visited, but I probably came with the wrong set of expectations. I was expecting something... well, Bavarian and folksy, not bustling and relatively modern. Plus, I had just seen St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Krakow, Warsaw and Prague, and was frankly a little citied-out by that time. However, now that I know exactly what Munich is, I've been back many times and always enjoyed it. Much of it is rebuilt, but that isn't necessarily a negative, in my view. Rather than meeting the unrealistic expectations of a visitor, it very much meets the needs of the residents, given how high it ranks in global surveys as a place to live.

Salzburg vastly under-impressed. I was most surprised how small the Altstadt is, really not much bigger than a shopping mall. Also, so many towns in Austria and southern Bavaria are chocked full of very colorful buildings. I found the Altstadt surprisingly monochromatic in comparison.

I've only visited Prague once and probably won't return. Quite simply, too many souvnir shops. The old sections look more like a place that people visit, rather than a place people live.

Ghent really surprised me the first time I visited (this was years before Mr. Steves included it in his book). I guess most people now know why it was such a pleasant discovery. Tournai also exceded my expectations for similar reasons.

In Germany, probably my biggest surprise was Landshut. I visited it immediately before seeing Salzburg for the first time, and the comparison was very stark. Basically, except for not having an Alpine backdrop, Landshut was everything I thought Salzburg would be.

Another surprise in Germany- Leipzig. The first time I visited, I only planned an overnight stay to break up a driving drip to Northern Germany. I quickly saw that I needed to spend more time. It somehow avoided most of the destruction of WWII, and endured relatively little of the architectural ugliness of the DDR period.

Sometimes I travel to see a place, sometimes I travel to experience something, so I will divide up the question into locations and experiences.

LOCATION
The city that most let me down was Vienna. But, not that its not a wonderful place, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I wanted to say that Budapest exceeded my expectations; but I really didn’t know what to expect so I’m not sure it fits the category. Still it remains my favorite place outside of the US.

EXPERIENCE
The trip that most exceeded my expectations has to be Independence Day celebrations in Kiev this year. I could not possibly imagine a more profound, interesting and enjoyable experience.

The trip that didn’t live up to expectations was the trip that began with Christmas in London and ended with New Year in Rome. Blaaaaaa on all counts.

Exceeded my expectations: Vienna, Nuremberg, Hamburg.
Let down: Munich, Brussels, Dublin, and any Swiss city except Luzern.

Exceeded expectations- The autonomous community of Extremadura in Spain. So many colorful small medieval towns to visit, so much history, Roman ruins, pretty scenery, it's like stepping back in time. This is an area frecuently overlooked by many American tourists. I always recommend it.
Sicily, Dubrovnik, Salzburg. Western Ireland with its spectacular scenery and friendly people.

Did not quite live up to my expectations - Athens but I would like to give it a second chance. We were there during a heat wave and I think those temperatures over 100F impacted my appreciation of all that we were seeing. Innsbruck, Austria. I can't name any one thing. I just was not as impressed as I expected to be.
But I have never regretted any of my destinations and just because a place did not quite meet my expectations does not mean that I did not enjoy, learn from and appreciate my time there.

I was very underwhelmed by Paris. I didn't go in with outrageous expectations or anything, but I just didn't enjoy it. I want back for a second visit to see if that made a difference, and it did not. The weather was beautiful, the museums were lovely, had good experiences on the tours I did, but while I found it a beautiful city, I also found it boring.

Speaking of boring, the Baltic capitals, Riga, Tallin and Vilnius, take first prize in my opinion. Not one memorable thing did we see, at least nothing I found memorable. Oh, wait, I did like the art deco architecture in Riga.

Great thread! I love to see what people have liked and not liked.

Exceeded expectations:

-Paris! I went years ago in the 1970's and the last time was with the person that is now my ex-husb who it turned out was a poor traveler. It was July, hot as heck and smelled like dog poop and pissoirs and I just hated it. Fast forward to 2014, 21 day RS Best of Europe and at the intro meeting the Guide said "If anyone has been to Paris and not liked it, I will change your mind". I don't know if it was just that statement but I was wowed. I've now managed to visit 3 times in 3 years with visits ranging from 5 days to 2 weeks and can't stay away.

-London - Visited many times in the 1980s when an aunt lived there (free place to stay, lol) and can return ad infinitum. There is so much to do and I can return to the big sites time and time again.

-Salisbury and Bath - Love both of these smaller cities.

-Lauterbrunnen Valley - Oh my. Even though I have a horrible fear of heights and have to make myself get on the gondolas, this blew me away the first time and the second time.

-Yellowstone - Heart of my heart. Always exceeds my expectations and I can't stay away. My heart lifts when I drive in the gate.

Disappointing:

-Munich - Not sure if it was because it was hot as heck and I was uncomfortable but I really did not connect with this city. I had done my research so knew what I wanted to see but it just left me flat.

-Venice - Also did not connect here after 2 visits. I hate the concept of "getting lost" - not fun for me. I want a map and I want streets I can find. Venice hurt my brain to figure out, lol!

-Mont St Michel -Better as a view from the land side.

Exceeded my expectation:
Venice (the first time I went as a kid)
Salzburg
Sevilla
Quebec City

Hope don't have to go back to:
Bakersfield or Fresno, Calif. (And they will be the first two cities connected by the high speed train in America: WTF!)

US cities I'd return to or do return to over and over:

Chicago (really), N.Y., San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Fe, Williamsburg, New Orleans (though I haven't been back since Katrina). For a little less well known but we'll worth a visit add: Taos New Mexico; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Durango, Colorado; Portland, Oregon.

Skipping Philadelphia, Las Vegas, LA, Baltimore, or Denver would be just fine, ditto Orlando.

Fun topic and probably reassuring that we'll lessen the crowds for each other by not all enjoying the same cities.

You could pay me to go to Rome, but that's probably the only way I'm going back. Same goes for Avignon and Dallas, TX. Maybe the weather had something to do with it - heat and Rome were not a good combination and Dallas in February was not attractive. The streets in downtown Dallas were deserted during the middle of the day and I thought I could disappear and there would be no witnesses.

I would return to Athens in a heartbeat-loved the people, loved the food and the history touched my soul. I've enjoyed every other European city we've visited and would happily return as many times as my bank account allows. There are cities like Lille and Portsmouth that hold a special place, but I know not everyone shares that.

New Orleans was a city that took a second visit to love. I love that it isn't a chain-store Mecca and has its own unique style. The food is hard to beat, too.

@ Ilja...If you are looking for history and, in particular, the influence and role played by les français in US history, see New Orleans, the French Quarter and more. They founded the city, had it until 1762, a total of 80 years, when les français lost their possessions forever in the present US, then got it back from Spain, after which Napoleon suddenly reversed his position on its sale to the US in 1803. I was there first time in Nov 2015 to attend a conference plus a few days for visiting the city, quite impressed with all its historical "stuff."

Totally agree with the sentiments on Fresno and Bakersfield.

I generally go in with favorable expectations. There is no city that I have visited out of dozens in Europe that I regret visiting.

Exceed expectations:
Athens. I had read a lot that it was disappointing but it was actually quite good. It's not one of my top ten cities in Europe or anything but it was much better than expected. This despite the anxiety associated with the constant threat of strikes. The Parthenon lives up to its fame well, though it's a short visit. The archeological museum was off the charts wonderful.

Strasbourg: I was expecting it to good, but it ended up being a great stop It was very charming city and the cathedral is right up there with Chartres and Salisbury as my three favorites.

Falls short:
Munich. There is a lot that's great there (Nymphenburg Palace, wonderful art museums), but it really lacks ambience. The interest in Munich as a tourist stop is way out of proportion to how nice it is to visit. I prefer Nuremburg which has great sights too without the crowds. Dachau outside of Munich is well worth a visit.
Colmar: Rick really hypes it, but I thought it was just good not great. The canals were dried up when we were there in May, which was weird. I would go back and give it another chance though. The Unterlinden Museum lives up to expectations though, spectacular.

A more interesting question to me is what cities are over/underrated:
Underrated: Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid
Overrated: Prague, Barcelona, Paris. Let's be clear, this is in relation to their respective reputations. I like all three fine, but no city could live up to the hype surrounding these. Paris is a place that I discover something new each visit (four so far). Along with London and Rome, clearly one of the big three cities in Europe for tourists. Prague was inundated with stag parties and soccer hooligans when my wife and I were there. Also the prevalence of gambling and strip joints in the tourist areas felt kind of sleazy. Barcelona, the sights do not live up to the city's reputation and the ambience does not make up the difference.

Jeremy, kudos on a really interesting thread!

I don't usually have great expectations, which may lead to fewer disappointments . . . or maybe I'm just easy to please.

Munich is pretty high on my quite short list of "meh" places. As many times as I've been to Paris, I am always surprised at the sheer beauty I see everywhere. On my last trip (15 days), I was impressed by how well Parisians spoke English (which many did as soon as I uttered one sentence in French . . . could it be my accent?).

I was let down by the Alps! Poor weather surely had something to do with it. But even when I could see the peaks, they didn't compare to the Rockies - where you see wild animals all the time, not cows and sheep. Bryce and Zion blew me away - and I had very high expectations. The first time I went, I wrote in my diary that you "run out of adjectives by 10 a.m." I literally gasped at my first view of Crater Lake.

Back to cities - Bangkok was a stopover on a trip to Down Under - and was another huge surprise, loved it all . . . and even more on a return visit. Florence was a let-down on my first visit. I went back on my next trip because I was "going through anyway." It was so much better, so on my third trip I stopped again and now I love it. Maybe that will happen to me in Rome this February - my 3rd visit.

I grew up in Chicago, but never appreciated it much. Years after I left, I spent a few days "playing tourist" while visiting friends and relatives and discovered a great tourist city. Now I plan every visit there the same way I plan for a trip to Europe.

CN Traveller recent readers poll produced this list of favourite cities in Europe.

http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-11-04/top-10-cities-in-europe-readers-choice-awards-2014

"A more interesting question to me is what cities are over/underrated"

VS - you might be interested in this thread if you missed it. I found it very enlightening: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/most-overrated

This is a really great topic, and it's so interesting to read about other people's impressions. So far, it seems a lot of these cities are "breaking even."

Add me to the list of those who were underwhelmed by Paris. I've been twice now (aged 11 and aged 35) and I have to admit, I just don't see the magic. I don't dispute its beautiful setting and architecture and the museums (especially the Orsay) are magnificent, but it just leaves me cold. I'd certainly give it another chance; I adored Normandy and have many other places in the countryside on my list, so I imagine I'll be back. But it's not a priority.

A city about which I had zero expectations one way or another and ended up loving was Oslo. When first examining the RS Best of Scandinavia itinerary, my response was something like, "Sweden--great. Denmark, awesome. Norway? Eh, okay." I thought the physical setting of the city was just gorgeous (and much greener than I expected). The people were wonderful and the history and museums fantastic The pace was just right. Not slow by any means, but perhaps the word is calm?

Caroline

A few additional comments--and this is so incredibly subjective.

Regarding places that exceeded expectations, I need to add Stockholm, which I find the most underestimated city in Europe. And on the list of those that disappointed, St. Petersburg, where for me the whole is much less than the sum of the parts. Great sights, but I just didn't the city. I found it depressing.

Great thread, and interesting to see various places listed as either wonderful or disappointing for different people, different strokes for different folks, I guess. For my unexpectedly positive experiences, I will list Beijing, China; Antigua, Guatemala; and Sofia, Bulgaria. I went to China in 2004, more with a sense of "I should experience China, a growing world leader" than being really excited about the trip. But then I loved China and especially Beijing. Air was clear during my visit, and I found incredible ancient sites, very friendly people, lots of parks in active use, excellent food, and diverse cultural events. Antigua is a beautiful, relatively small, colonial city, easy to wander throughout, with many colorful Mayan communities nearby. Been to Sofia just this fall, had no real expectations, and found it an active but mellow captital city, with beautiful churches and interesting museums, lots of green space, very friendly and helpful people, lots of good food, and excellent visits nearby. I also love almost every place in Italy and Spain that I have visited, also Prague.
For disappointing experiences I will list Milano (at least compared to other wonderful places in Italy) and Brasilia, where I spent some time long ago, when it was still a very spread out new city, no local culture yet, very hard to walk anywhere given distances and major avenues. I hope Brasilia has developed more culture and spirit since then.

Disappointing: Oslo

Exceeded: Prague

I was underwhelmed by Vienna when I first visited it. But then I visited a second time, and I liked it a lot more. This may be because I mostly visited different attractions the second time, in particular Schonnbrun which I found a real highlight. So I am glad I gave Vienna a second chance.

My let down was Geneva. I had heard about it so much and did not do the research before going there.
Berlin and Salzburg both exceeded my expectations. I'd recommend them to anyone.

This is a really good thread--a question that is highly subjective and personal, with a wide range of responses that provide guidance to those thinking about visiting certain cities for the first time.

And what makes a city a pleasure to visit or causes the visit to be a tad disappointing? There are obviously the factors like architecture, natural setting, food, nightlife, historical significance and offerings. But other factors color whether a city exceeded or failed to exceed expectations. For example, weather. I have visited Paris twice. I would never say that Paris failed to meet expectations, but had my second visit, during which we experienced some rain, been my only visit, my feelings towards the city would be different.

For example, hotel. In my first post on this thread, I noted that Venice exceeded my expectations. Several reasons for that opinion, but one was that in Venice I had the finest hotel experience of my life, in an extraordinarily charming hotel where we were treated as though we were distant family members.

For example, the people. Three months ago, I visited Boston and was pleasantly surprised by how friendly people were and the hospitality we received. There were several times, when people walking past or riding on the subway, saw me looking at a street map and asked whether they could point me in the right direction. I was expecting Manhattan more than, say, Savannah (which is a neat city).

For example, "authenticity" of place. And by authenticity, I mean how distinctive or "real" a city is. In the last three months, I have travelled for different reasons to two American cities. Boston is "real"--there is a strong sense of place. Las Vegas, of which I am not fond, is the polar opposite.

let down:
Munich (ugly communist block looking architecture and the recreations of historic buildings that were damaged in the war are not realistic),
Copenhagen, (Besides Nyhavn not really not much to see in this terribly expensive city)
London (over rated by Americans just because they speak English)
Colmar (it is the Strasbourg La petite france area duplicated) but no Cathedral on the scale as the one in Strasbourg
Madrid (but it has some of the worlds best collection of paintings)

Exceed expectations:
Paris,
Amsterdam,
Barcelona,
Cairo
Ghent

These come to mind for me.

Underwhelmed (and why):

1. Lucca - a flat average place in an area with beautiful hill towns.
2. Madrid - no older than Baltimore, so no real history or historic center.
3. Helsinki - although the people are the nicest on the northern side of the Baltic, the town is relatively new and doesn't have the hsitoric center I love in European cities.
4. Hamburg - nice city with lots to do but the port is industrial.
5. Cadiz - supposedly oldest city in Europe, but didn't age well at all. Not pretty nor much to see/do.
6. Amsterdam - liked the architecture and canals, underwhelmed by the pervasive trash (by northern Europe standards) and drug culture. Didn't visit the red light district.

Overwhelmed:

1. Salzburg - heard it was beautiful, surprised by just how beautiful.
2. Venice - again expected beautiful, found magic.
3. Copenhagen - far more to see and do in this area than elsewhere in Scandinavia.
4. Brittany - loved the wildness of the coast, seafood, granite architecture and prehistory.
5. Mont St. Michel - I missed the massive crowds, which is probably why I loved everything about the place.

@Keith, Yes, I've met many people in Europe who love Vegas. North Americans don't go to Europe to see suburban housing developments, big-box stores, and super highways. All of these are in ample abundance in prosperous western Europe. People on that side of the pond want to see lots of trashy glitz and glamour. It is what they think of when they think of America. Rent a Harley-Davidson and cruise down Rt 66.

Underwhelmed by Belfast, Munich, Bratislava, Zagreb, and the Scandinavian capitols .... Helsinki, Stockholm, and especially Copenhagen. Spent 3 days there and wouldn't go back.

Surprised by St. Petersburg. Loved the city and museums and people. Would love to return.

I have already talked about Vienna. A city which underwhelmed me was Geneva.

Two cities outside Europe which exceeded my expectations were Seoul and Taipei. Both are pretty modern cities especially Taipei, but they are still very interesting places.

A city in Europe which also exceeded expectations was Udine in Italy. This was because the day I went there, they had a food festival which I knew nothing about. I had a wonderful time, and in spite of the food festival I was still able to get a hotel room on the day with no advance booking.

MrsEB, it has probably been so many years since my last visit to New York that I had forgotten about how hospitable New Yorkers can be.

And my daughter, who met me in Boston, went to New York after Boston to visit former classmates and loved the city.

I lived in Las Vegas for three years and loved it. My favorite thing was Red Rock Canyon, 17 miles away.

You know, the last trip I was on in September we were gone for 3 weeks and all over, and had literally only one bad experience the entire time: Cafe' Sperl in Vienna... just awful in every sense of the word.

But, you know, to go on a trip and literally the only bad experience was bad service... que the world's smallest violin.

Zoe, mine too and also Death Valley 2 hours away.

I can't offer much in the way of knowledgeable European commentary here, as our first trip abroad was last year. We spent a few days in London and a week in Paris with a day trip to the D-Day beaches. We loved everything and would happily, desperately go back to all those places in a heartbeat. I hope we feel the same way after our trip to Italy in May.

But this is a wonderful, fascinating thread and exactly the kind of thing I check in every day hoping to find on this forum. Thanks to everyone for all the enlightening comments.

As far as here in the U.S., San Francisco, Monterey and Big Sur have always been my happy places, though L.A., San Diego and Santa Barbara all have their seductive charms. Been to New Orleans four times, but not for nearly 20 years, so don't know if it's the same these days. We had a great four-day visit in San Antonio, especially thanks to a terrific guide at the Alamo. Loved Washington, D.C., and must go back to see things we missed, including the cherry blossoms. Last September, my wife had a conference in Boston, and I tagged along. It's a fabulous, walkable city full of history and charm. If winter wasn't a factor, I'd lobby to move there, as long as we lived in the city and didn't need a car.

I have been to Las Vegas a number of times because I had friends there and also it was the best way for me to drive to Zion - my absolute favorite place on earth.

I think of LV as Disneyland for adults - fake New York, Italy, Egypt, Paris . . . it's all over-the-top glitz and schlock, but if you accept it as that, it's so much fun.

Stoutfella - you'll love Italy more! Then go to Spain. The entire country exceeded my expectations.

@Jeremy - kudos at kicking off one of this year's liveliest discussions!
Over the past twenty years, our trips with Rick inspired itineraries have typically focused 80% of our time the on smaller cities, towns and villages, and 20% on the big cities; I'll simplify my experiences with a multi-part list:
1. Have Returned to: Paris, London, Ireland, Provence, Tuscany/Umbria, Spain (4 times), France (4)
2. Would Like to Return: Barcelona, Sicily, Greece (Crete?)
3. A Great destination but not certain we'll be going back: Bulgaria, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Budapest, Krakow
4. Perhaps best used simply as an entry or departure point: Madrid, Lisbon, Athens
5. Next trip: Switzerland (Sept. '17) and still deciding on a destination for a June '17 trip
Finally, a not so shameless plug for US travel destinations - Philadelphia. While I'm not a native, Philly has been my home for 40 years, and is often overlooked when travelers come to the East Coast and just visit NYC and D.C. (which I adore). DO NOT SKIP PHILLY. The historical center (18th century) is still in tact and beautifully preserved - Independence National Park (Independence Hall, Bishop White House, Todd-Madison House) and many related historical sites not managed by the Park Service (i.e., Carpenter's Hall, Betsy Ross House). Adjacent to the Park is the National Constitution Center, Museum of the American Revolution (opens in April '17), and the National Jewish Museum). Interested in art? Then, the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum are must sees. Are you a foodie? Try the Reading Terminal Market - the nation's oldest "farmers market"; or, stroll a bit along Passyunk Ave., Northern Liberties, Old City for great cafes, restaurants, shopping and art. Need more info for planning? - PM me.

Weather is def a factor. We stayed in Philly and really didn't enjoy it. Why? Well, we were going to stay with some couchsurfers, but the neighbourhood was...a bit scary, so we ended up finding a hotel in the downtown. It poured rain, so we saw very little of it the next morning before heading for DC, but we did enjoy the Reading Terminal Market! But I unfortunately have no urge to return...maybe someday we'll give it another go!

Overwhelmed:

Bruges - Have been twice and would go again. I love how empty the city gets after the day trippers have left. You feel like the whole city is yours.

Florence - I am always shocked when I see people say you only need 2 days in Florence. It's truly a beautiful city that you can get lost in & never want to be found. Planning on returning next year!

Paris - Visited twice and could definitely go again. Last trip to Paris, we just wandered, didnt go in to any monument or museum but still had a wonderful time.

Underwhelmed

Strasbourg - other than the cathedral, I couldnt enjoy myself.

Vienna - could have been the weather but i just didnt enjoy Vienna. I do plan to return & give it another try.

Pisa - total let down.

It really is great to read what others think of the cities of Europe. I do think weather and what happens on the trip can be an influence on how you view a city. Also do people take into consideration when writing, just what the city looks like or what it has to offer in museums, restaurants, cafes, sites, streets, and things to do. And if the city has a river where you can take a boat ride like the canals in Amsterdam or Ghent or the Seine in Paris. There are a lot of factors that determine how you feel about a city. But one constant is a lot of people did not care that much for Munich. And I have read recently how many people don't care for Brussels. Another city I found interesting was many did not care for Venice. It was interesting how a lot of people also agree to what it is about a city they don't care for.

I found each city I visited: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Venice, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Dublin, Edinburgh, Prague, Istanbul all had something to offer and I would go back to each city. I never found a city that actually disappointed , just did not have a wow factor to me as some other cities. There was always something about each city that was I truly liked, enjoyed and was unique from the other cities. There are some cities I want to go back to more often and have. Paris and London were my favorites. So many amazing streets, cafes, pubs, museums and sites. I never tire of going to these two cities.

I liked Dublin, great city and saw a lot, but if I never go back, that is ok. Nice to see once, enjoyed it a lot. I would say I would only go back to Dublin if I was seeing the rest of Ireland again, but not just go to see Dublin. Now if you don't get to see the rest of Turkey, Istanbul is mind blowing. If you don't see the rest of France, Paris is amazing. But Dublin, nice as it is, really not worth going just to see Dublin.

I can understand why people felt underwhelmed by Munich. It is a nice city, but nothing special. But remember it was totally destroyed by the war and had to be rebuilt. It just nice. Not an amazing city. But I enjoyed it and hope to go back as I went to the art museum which I loved and hope to go to the other art museum. I also enjoyed the beer halls. I also loved the Palace in the city and would like to see the English Garden on my next visit. But is it on par with Rome, Paris, London and Florence. No. It is a nice city to visit but I would not spend a week just in this city. As I would Prague, Istanbul, Rome, Venice and Paris.

I loved Venice and Vienna. Venice, for the amazing streets, small churches, lovely canals. And I would love to go back to see some operas. But it is very crowded and that does deter enjoying the city. I loved Vienna. Went for the first time this year! Cannot say enough good things about this wonderful city. The people were great, had wonderful food, loved the cafes, loved the museums, saw great opera and enjoyed two concerts. Loved the Belvedere Palace, easy to get around by subway and tram. Went to the horse show and just enjoyed the streets and churches of this city.

Sometimes with a city, you have to peel back the layers and look for things that are not in front of you and go see things like an opera or a museum or a church that speak to you and you walk away appreciating the city more. Even Munich has some amazing churches and art museums. What is disappointing is that the main square has been under renovation for 3 years and has not been completed. I went in 2013 and again in 2016 and it still is not finished.

Salzburg did not totally wow me, but it rained, I did not have enough time to see this city and I did not get to the castle which I wanted to do. So it is on my list to see again.

I look forward to reading everyone's comments. Enjoy hearing what others think, and some of what many people said I can totally agree with. Great question.

Exceeded my expectations - London & Edinburgh, I have been many times, but every time I return, I find something new.
Stockholm - My first visit was this past summer. Wow, I can't wait to return.

Let down - Galway & Dingle - While I enjoyed being there, It's not on my must return list.

Letdown - Milan
Overdelivered - Varenna and London

There are two places, both in Spain, that failed to meet my expectations. Toledo and Ronda both are frequently mentioned on this site as places you do not want to do as a day trip, but should stay the night - at least one and two is better. I had been to Toledo twice as daytrips over the years, but last year I said why not, and I booked a hotel there for three nights. It was not a bit better than when I was there on daytrips from Madrid. I guess I didn't learn my lesson with Toledo last year, so this Fall I spent several weeks in Andalucia and I included a two night stay in Ronda between my stay in Malaga and my return to Madrid. I got in noon-ish, and by 6:00PM I had seen all I wanted to see of Ronda. I then had another day and night to be disappointed before I could get back on the train and leave. I love Spain, and three years ago I spent two days/nights in Zaragoza and loved every minute of it. <y only regret is that I didn't have another full day to sightsee and another evening to continue exploring Los Tubos - the bar/restaurant district.

Not to quibble with Brad, but Madrid, no matter what you may think of it, is a much older city than Baltimore. Madrid was founded in the mid-9th century and has been continually lived in since then. It is true that it only became Spain's capital city in the 1560's, but it has been around about 750 years longer than Baltimore has.

OK! Let's go to Australia.

Don't even bother: Canberra

Exceeded expectations---Melbourne. Beautiful and welcoming. It helps that we were there during the Australian Open tennis tournament. If you love tennis, I would definitely recommend this over Wimbledon ( snooty) or the Paris Open (grounds are way too crowded).

And Sydney? Always wonderful---but that is no surprise.

2 Most Favorite: Charleston(much better than Savannah) and Florence

Also love London, Rome, Istanbul, Santorini

There's a lot to see in NY but the noise and traffic and crowds stress me

Wouldn't have missed much if I hadn't gone: Venice(dirty and smelly) and Brussels(boring)

Not a fan of Bath

Worth a visit: Ypres, Belgium(because WWI is much more important in Europe than in US) and Fussen, Germany and Salisbury, England and San Antonio

I think it's important to be able to recognise the difference between when a city is just not for you, and when, for whatever reason, you have not been able to give it a fair go. Many things can cloud your impression of a place - season, weather, crowds, festivals, public holidays, strikes, bad hotel, illness, state of mind, energy levels, fighting with a partner. It's nice to return somewhere and get much more out of a second visit when you were disappointed on your first.

My favorite cites are Paris and Venice. I really haven't been disappointed in any city I have visited in Europe. To me, Las Vegas has always disappointed me due to all the trash and people trying to pass out cards and flyers to all the strip joints.

I know weather can play a factor on whether you like a city or not. I have been to cities in Europe, had bad weather, and didn't particularly care for the city only to return on another trip with nice weather and really liked it.

I love this topic! After 40+ trips over more than 20 years (and yes we did have to stop international travel about 8 years ago) here's my take on this:
Underwhelmed/disappointed: Paris- didn't get to see the Louvre (main reason we went) due to strike by museum workers. Strike by garbage workers didn't help either- garbage every where and the stink!!! Shop owners and restaurant works tended to ignore us once they found out we didn't speak French- I tried a few polite phrases, but my poor accent and inability to continue seemed to offend them. Vienna- Ok- especially the first time, but not what I truly expected- except during the Christmas markets.

Surpised/ Exceeded:
LONDON! I've been there more than 40 times and would go again asap if I could. Never boring and a great base to explore other places.

Cardiff Wales- the vibe of the city is unique and the people wonderful.

Salzburg- Beauty without pretension, great people and amazing market.

Oslo Norway- CLEAN!!! great people. Lovely Viegland Park. Great natural beauty.

Smaller towns in Germany not on the North American tourist radar which I've visited/revisited belonging in the "wow"/attractive/ interesting/charming, etc category are Marburg, Tübingen, Weimar (escaped war damage), Sigmaringen (escaped Allied bombing),

Meißen, Bonn, Minden an der Weser, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Potsdam, Neustrelitz, Lüneburg (escaped war damage), Schwerin, Frankfurt an der Oder (no one goes there, not even Germans, in itself interesting, also due to its location)

djp_syd ditto. Especially the spouse issue.....

Toni, yes, language is another thing that's should be on my (long) list.

Pleasant surprises:
Budapest, Ghent, Dresden, Utrecht, Belfast, Atlanta

Very overrated:
Prague, Bruges, Miami

Let Down -Venice, Toledo,
Exceeded: Granada, Paris

Venice- I need to give it another try, but I just found it crowded and lacking in energy. That is, a lot of tourists crowding neat looking things up but not much sense of current place.
Come to think of it, that's Toledo too...

Granada - I knew I'd enjoy the sights but had heard mixed things about the city itself. Rick's strange warnings about the Albayzin didn't help (there are much less safe places that he's fine with). Fell in love with everything about it, been back multiple times
Paris - this was more a case of everyone loving it and me assuming it would be like Venice. Wrong! It's beautiful and has a very, very distinct energy that I enjoy

The odd case of a place being a let down and exceeding my expectations all at once: Rome. The sense of the city takes a long time to find, it can be an exhausting slog, but once you get it there is nowhere else so magical.

The cities I loved more than I was expecting/stayed longer then I was planning: Salzburg, Verona, Riga, Warsaw (everyone loves Krakow but Warsaw often gets the shaft).

The city I keep trying to love but can't: Venice. Now being in any city in Italy is better than not being in Italy at all. But...I have been about 5 times for varying lengths of time and each time think, I am never coming back. Then I plan another trip and decide to try it again. I would love to go with someone who loves Venice and pick up on that energy.

City I know I need to give another chance: Prague. It was the last stop on a month long trip in the summer of 2012. It had been unseasonably warm that year and I was just done with sightseeing.

i think just the repetition of things-it's a small town with lots of chocolate shops. That's about it. I'm not really charmed by small towns, and in fact, I'm at unease in most of them. The Halve Maan brewery was nice, but I got out of Dodge right afterwards.

Wow. We didn't go into a single chocolate shop in Bruges and were there for 3.5 days (with a day trip to Ghent). Have to go back 'cause we didn't cover it all.

Kristen - you'll have to come with me to Venice - I absolutely adore it! The best part is def wandering the back alleys away from the crowds. I love taking photos, so I'm always looking for old doors and architectural details, which Venice is full of - most likely why I like it so much!

I don't particularly enjoy big cities, so, although I've been in London, Paris, Brussels, and some more, I feel very neutral about visiting them. It was interesting to see the Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace, but I only saw them because I had to be there on business. I wouldn't go there just to see them.

The only big city I can stand is Munich. I don't know why; I just feel comfortable there. I've spent 13 full days and a whole lot of partial ones there in 10 visits and I'm always ready to go back. And it's not just particular sights, I just enjoy hanging around Marienplatz.

For the most part I love the area around the German Alps (Oberstdorf, Mittenwald, Berchtesgaden) and the northern Black Forest. I was disappointed in Baden-Baden (too much like a big city) and Reutte (not pretty, at least in the center).

I was very let down by Granada. The Alhambra was amazing, and I had the best tapas of our trip there, but the city itself was cold, uninviting and neglected feeling. I couldn't wait to leave.

Also wasn't a huge fan of Vienna, but I'm chalking that up to being exhausted and cold and wet the entire time we were there.

I loved Bucharest so so so much.
And Edinburgh.
And Athens

For me, biggest let down was Barcelona. It was nice enough, but really didn't do so much for me. I have no interest in going back.

As for exceeding expectations, I think Venice. I knew it was going to be beautiful, but it really really impressed me. Just an astonishing place. People should go see it before it is gone.

Since we don't all have the same expectations, this is a fun but challenging post.

We went to Bruges expecting to have a little light fun for 24 hours. Thats what we had

Interesting question..Though answers to this would be very subjective and personal..Well for me I absolutely loved Amsterdam..So much so that I am going there again after less than a year :) missed the tulips last time..this city has positive happy vibes..and it kind of suits teh kind of person I am..Independent and die hard believer of live and let live..Rome did exceed the expectations as well..It was like going back to the times in history..Cinque terre is again an absolute favorite..Though was not impressed by Paris or Venice at all..Paris seemed too posh and I didn't feel welcomed at all..Though the experiences would highly depend on the kind of person you are and what your preference s are..!!

I am with emily, Brugges is on my list of overated cities , lace, choclate and beer shops .

Barcelona was "meh"

Personal tastes are , personal . I love the Louvre and always visit it ( been many times ) but often skip the Orsay( only been 4 ti es) many people feel completely opppsite

Vienna let me down, and Prague exceeded my expectations.

Krakow is my favorite city. It wasn't destroyed during WWII because the Nazis appreciated its beauty. The Old Town has fabulous churches. Then, within walking distance is Kazimierz, the old Jewish area. Just a bit farther you will find the Schindler factory which is now a museum. Get a tour or driver and you will be in the mountain areas which are beautiful. Poland also has many wooden churches which are amazing to see.

The only thing memorable about Munich was the Englisher Gardens. It was a hot day and we told our young daughters to go sit under a grove of trees for shade while we attempted to read a map on the billboard. What we didn't see, but they did, was a nudist sunbathing area. Welcome to Germany!

Wow ... a lot of great comments. Even tho I have been to about 15 countries and have been to about half the US states. I feel I am not as a seasoned traveler as y'all. Only been to Europe twice on our own and the other trips have been tours.
I think my favorite cities were Brugge and Florence.. Wish I had more time to explore Budapest last Nov 2015. Coming down the river Danube at Night into Budapest was so spectacular. I think my let down was Belfast. I never could get into that city.

I will go one step further - my favorite countries so far have been Ireland and Scotland. I maybe prejudice because those countries are where my relatives (3rd great grandparents came from).

France (paris) never did anything for me either, but I will give it another chance this summer on my trip this coming June.

As for US - San Diego, San Francisco, DC I have enjoyed on my past trips.

Going to Seattle in two week for the reunion.

Happy travels

Kim

In Europe
Disappointing-Salzburg, Pisa. Felt like tourist traps
Exceeded expectations-Sarajevo, Budapest, Siracusa, Rome
Perseverance paid off when I revisited Naples. I didn't like Naples on my first visit, but have just booked an apartment for 7 nights in September ( visit #5). Fascinating city.
In USA
Disappointing-LA
Exceeded expectations-Nashville, NYC

Great topic, Jeremy.

I don't know that I was underwhelmed by Berlin (there is so much to see and so much going on) but it's like reading one of those books that you don't need to read again. I think I was actually overwhelmed by the sorrow of the memorials and underwhelmed by the lack of anything pre-war since it had been bombed to smithereens in WWII.

I was surprised by how much I loved Prague. The beautiful baroque buildings, the really good (and cheap) beer, the people....we just didn't stay out that late because it seemed to become a bit rougher late at night.

I could go to Paris over and over again and not be tired of it. I think it's my favorite European city.

Above expectations:
London: Just so much to see and do, with tons of great day trips.
Berlin: Going back for the third time this summer. Scheduled six days, but could easily be two weeks.
Budapest: What a hoot. The cafes, the museums, the music, food, people . . . hell, just a great place.
Gibraltor: Wasn't sure if this was a good use of time, making a day trip from Sevilla. We had a long but enjoyable time there. It was also refreshing to just speak English. My Spanish is intermediate at best, and still have to translate a lot before I say it. The day in Gibraltor gave my brain a rest.

Below expectations:
Only one place, and I didn't expect much from it to start with. Spent five days in Barcelona, wish it had been two. Won't go back. Have spent an additional 35 days in other parts of Spain, and really enjoyed the country.

Going to Europe is such a treat, and we are grateful that we have the opportunity to continue to visit. We also appreciate that Rick showed us the way and helped us to travel smartly. Of course, the contributors on this forum continue to enhance our travels.

Have enjoyed reading this thread, some very interesting perspectives about locales from an experienced travel community. Adding my subjective two cents, in North America my favorites are Portland, Maine and Vancouver, BC. While slightly different from each other in scale, there's something about the pace and quality of life offered in both cities which allows the visitor to soak everything in, without the experience being some artificially manufactured, touristy thing. Just great food and real people, and lots to do outside (providing it's not winter!). In Europe, some of the places that have exceeded my expectations have been Bath, Ghent and the Berner Oberland. Visited all three (separate trips) not knowing what to expect and was taken in by their unique charm. The larger cities would include Florence and Paris, both requiring many visits to peel back the layers and appreciate all they have to offer. As culturally important as Rome is, I didn't really enjoy the city as much as I thought I would, but admittedly we stayed near Termini (which I would heartily change next time for being more centrally located near the Pantheon or Navona). Hoping to get back there soon and give it a second chance. I like Venice but it seems like two different cities; one with a charming quality early in the morning and again in the evening, and the other a Disneyland-like stream of souvenir shops and impatient people during the day. Definitely a nap-friendly attribute, can enjoy the good and leave out the middle. Enjoyed much of Munich, such as the English Gardens and having dinner at Augustiner Beer Garden, but would choose other destinations before revisiting. London's a great city, but not necessarily my cup of tea (pun intended). Weather and food are contributing factors when we're deciding to go someplace, and London comes up short on both accounts. Like the museums though, especially the British Library. As others have referenced, Brussels was a bit of a let down. It's great as a 'hub', for getting to Antwerp, Bruges or Ghent, or south to Luxembourg. My only travels outside the US and Europe have been to Central America, Costa Rica to be specific. Aside from the rain forrest (time-of-year dependent), I didn't see a compelling reason to visit there again. Though many Americans are retiring there, maybe they know something I don't. :)

Like Krakow Prague fortunately survived the war intact. Unfortunately, I can't read Czech or Polish to make out what the plaques say, be they memorial and/or historical. I do read the plaques in Berlin, such as that on the Kempinski Hotel, a very poignant memorial plaque and those that pop up on the streets. There is defintely pre-war historical/cultural sites in Berlin, some serving as museums, etc. You have to know where to find them.

Let downs: Cinque Terre: went there in off season in 2008 so it was low tourist traffic. Still don't get it. I stayed in Rapallo for a week day tripping and spent many afternoons in Santa Margherita Ligure. I loved those two towns way more. Florence and San Gimigniano are another "meh".

Exceeded expectations: definitely by far is Bordeaux. Probably one of the most beautiful and majestic cities ever and totally dissed by RS. Second would be Chester UK. It's a total charmer full of great architecture and Inns full of great pies. Also the best docent I've ever encountered at the smaller church near the old roman theater.

Florence - meh?? 😳

Let Down: Rome and Venice. Did not like either. Then I figure that I am the only person in the US who does not like Italy.

Best; Paris and any town in the Alps.

Exceeded expectations: London, and Paris. We expected to like Paris, but we loved it on our 21 day BOE. In fact, we scrapped our other travel plans so we could return the Paris the following year.

I never thought I'd like London, but was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. Again, we changed travel plans the year after our RS tour there to visit it again.

Let down by: Cinque Terre. Maybe we were just too tired when we were there, but I didn't enjoy it very much. And the first time we went to Rome I didn't much care for it, but on a return visit (well, two or three return visits) I enjoyed and appreciated it more.

Biggest surprise: Poznań, Poland. I was sent there as a student back in the dark ages, never having heard of it before, and loved it. When I had an opportunity to take a temporary job there some years later, I jumped at it. It's not a big tourist town, but the Stary Rynek (Old Town Square) is magnificent, the cathedral is a stark Gothic beauty, and the natives are friendly.

This is such and interesting topic, as I've enjoyed reading everyone's experiences.

Exceeded: Rome, Budapest, Berner Oberland, Rhine Valley, Slovenia, Munich

Not what I hoped: Baden Baden (was glad to be there only for a night), Prague (was very hot and crowded so that affected my perceptions), Barcelona (I like parts of it, but it has never wowed me), and Vienna.