Would you dismiss a city/country after a one day visit?

I have found that the French are quite willing to communicate with you whether it is in English or any other language they may speak. Sometimes they attempt to communicate even if they speak only French and I, English. Germany is the country that never made my heart sing like other countries in Europe, and I visited twice, and spent over six weeks total. So to answer you Pat, I don't understand a one day visit to anywhere and you totally write a city or country off. I did visit New Orleans years ago and we did not care for the city. About 12 years later, we visited (after they had cleaned it up, and this is before the Hurricane), and quite enjoyed the time there.

Well Sarah it does sound like you got off to a bad start with Paris,, but to be fair, starting off with your luggage lost, and having to replace many items likely did impact your visit. You had to spend time and money doing the mundane,, looking for socks and toothbrushes etc. I gave London another chance because I knew certain things had colored my perception of it.. the weather was one. It was a gray and rainy March. Secondly I do love musuems and galleries, and I knew I had only visited a few,, there was alot more to see,, and I wasn't going to "throw the baby out with the bath water" . I also just had bad luck with food in London,, over priced and just not good. It was a 7 day visit and the best meal I had was a curry I finally picked up at M@S. I do read the forums,, and I beleive people when they say you can't brush off a whole type of cusine just because you didn't do enough research and choose good things to eat or good places to eat. I knew I hadn't done enough research and some of my dislikes were because I was uninformed .

I don't know. I guess it would depend on my experiece that one day. I'd be asking myself why I didn't like it and whether or not I expected not to like it and for what reason. Did the people who posted that they didn't like Paris give any reasons why they didn't like it? Perhaps they didn't fully research the city to find things they'd like or research the culture and found the culture shock to be too great. I would try to make sure that I know as much as I can about a new culture before hand.

Pat, your first sentence mentions Paris. Someone disliking Paris after one day...well, everyone's entitled to an opinion. However, with Paris, it might be because some travelers feel disoriented or uncomfortable if the locals won't speak English. Paris and France is general may be one of the few places left in western Europe where not attempting to communicate in the local language can be a problem.

Kent,, but to dismiss and judge a place on a ONE day visit,,, I am sorry,, I don't get that.. they do not all speak english in Rome, Athens, Munich either..but you do have a good point. I do not want to address just Paris though,, I found Athens truly overwhelming,, a huge ,, not too clean city,, where in my experience very few people spoke any english and worse the alpahbet is not the same so using a dictionary to translate is still impossible ,, but I am glad I didn't dismiss it either.. a city rich in history . I guess I am saying ,, are you an open minded traveller willing to step out of the comfort box to experience some wonderful things. I have my own limits,, I admit,, I wouldn't feel comfortable going to Africa and living in a village,, the food , language and customs would be so different.. but, would I try,, yes.

I don't think people who make snap decisions like that are going to enjoy travel very much, no matter where they go. In my experience the people who really enjoy travel are the ones who've learned to relax and just roll with the flow no matter what.

Pat, I think I didn't make clear, in my 1st post, that I was agreeing with the tenor of your original post. Making snap judgments about Paris or London, after one day, suggests the person may have brought with them prior unrealistic expectations, possibly that things in Europe will be pretty much like home.

I think the way you are treated by the "natives" could strongly influence a very negative one-day visit. I still have people tell me how rude the French are, when our experiences have been exactly the opposite.....but we have made the effort to be able to speak a few phrases in French, especially please and thank you, and to respect French etiquette as far as we are aware of it. Good manners make travel so much nicer [INVALID] especially on very short visits. IMHO, rude people are the ones who are most dissatisfied.

Sorry Kent,, I must have misunderstood. I agree,, but I do also hope that people could or would change their minds and give places second chances.. as noted ,, I did with a few places that didn't grab me either. I find it especially hard when someone says their visit was only a day or two. or was years ago. I know we have all arrived places,, tired, maybe stressed, and if we stuck to our first impressions we could really lose out.. Like a person who lands in Rome and gets pickpocketed on first day.. now, if they LEAVE the next day their impressions are going to be skewed. So,, do they consider returning another time,, and trying again?

Sometimes I think that someone just doesn't click with a place - maybe because of chemistry? I don't know, though, if you can make that judgment after a day. I'll be honest - I never really "clicked" with Paris but I did give it a valiant try. I was there for 7 days, and enjoyed my stay, but it was not one of my favorite places and I have no real desire to go back. The same thing happened with Athens - I was there for 5 days and would up leaving a couple of days early because I just didn't really care for it. It's not that I don't like cities - I absolutely love London, Istanbul, Rome, Madrid and other cities around the world. Who knows what makes a person and place click - I would imagine it's the same thing as the chemistry between two persons. I do think that some day I'll make it back to Paris to see if the chemistry has changed. By the way, for what it's worth, I did learn a decent amount of French before I left.

Especially with a big city, trying to see it in one day can be tough. It takes a whole day just to figure out the public transportation and menus. And that first day can be exhausting. The second day can be much better. But a lot may have to do with expectations, too. A friend of mine hated Paris because it was dirty.

Ah,, Mardee,, but you were in my opinion very fair.. you haven't formed an opinion on a one day visit. A week is fair . I agree there can be a chemistry thing too.

Pat, I remember a thread where two people explained why they did not like Paris. I don't remember the details, but I do remember thiking it was totally understandable. So much of your impression of a place, especially on a short visit, depends on factors like the weather, the people you run into, how crowded it is, etc. etc. If you have a bad experience, should you try it again? I think that's for each person to decide. As someone who loved Paris, I would encourage someone who had a bad experience to try it again. However, if that person had a long list of places that he/she would still like to see or a long list of places that he/she was dying to go back to, I would understand why they would not want to bother. Vacations cost a lot of money. Besides maybe they wouldn't like if it they gave it another try. Everyone is different.

I don't know if I was one of the people who Pat mentions in a previous post, but I was in Paris for 3 days and didn't like it at all. It was mostly for reasons that Janis cited - the way that the natives treated my friend and me. My friend didn't really have a problem with Paris but I didn't like it. Most of the natives were rude, even though we spoke to them in French. Our own hotel staff was completely unhelpful when we asked them where to find Internet cafes and clothing stores (this was the trip when we had lost our luggage) and we had to ask them for the phone book every morning to look up these places ourselves on a map. When we were out, men would leer at us or yell things at us from cars. I've had bad experiences on other trips in other cities and countries, like every traveler, but nothing to the degree that I had in Paris. A lot of my negative feeling toward that city has faded but I still have no desire to return, partly because there are so many other places in the world I want to go that I don't want to return to a place where I was pretty unhappy. Pat - why did you return to London if you weren't crazy about it? As someone who has been lucky enough to leave the country every couple of years so far, I feel that my time and money are too precious to return to places that I didn't care for. I don't feel like I'm missing out on Paris because there are too many other places I'd like to see, not just in Europe but also in South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and the Middle East.

I agree with the poster that said it all depends on the variables of that day (weather, crowds, end of trip vs beginning) We just spent 3 days in Bruges, I guess it did not meet our expections, althought the people are nice, great beer, great chocolate and restaurants. It rained for the 3 days and it was 16 degrees, I think I would have preferred Brussels a lot more even in that weather. Will I go back to Bruges probably not, to Brussels and other parts of Belgium definitely. Now I also went to Venice 5 years ago for a full daytrip, I did not like Venice very much, but I guess I only got to see the touristy stuff not the real Venice, so one day I will give it a second chance.

I am a thoroughly American woman from Los Angeles, and Paris is my favorite place on earth. I even lived there for six months. But it takes some getting used to and it also helps if you love things French (the language, art, architecture, literature, music) and as well as to have a few good experiences to get the feel of how the French can be. Personally, at times of great personal need I was treated very well and very humanely as a woman alone in Paris. I also found it helped to learn how to walk down the street like a French woman (and avoid leers and insults from passing motorists). You have to modify your "American stage presence" to fit in with that culture. I personally got a lot of enjoyment out of making these adaptations. If you give off any hint of American superiority, or sense of entitlement people are not going to like you. And it's true that the French generally do not hesitate to let you know when they are not charmed by you. None of these comments may apply to you, and there's probably a mysterious "chemistry" issue as to why people "get" Paris or don't. Also, it takes more than two or three days to deal with all these issues. I can understand why you wouldn't want to spend precious time and money to go back when there is so much else in the world to see. You either like Paris or you don't.

I can see how this would happen. It happened to me in the US It was Tucson AZ. I visited for two days in May and was miserable. I've been back since for meetings, but not voluntarily. For me, the phrase, couldn't shake the dust from one's feet fast enough, was completely accurate for me in regards to Tucson. I've come to realize since that I really am a northerner. I like green places with cool temperatures. Hot, dusty places with little greenery just don't appeal to me. I guess it's a good thing I didn't pursue a graduate degree in geology as it seems like the rocks are easiest to see in those hot place with no greenery blocking the rocks. ; ) I So, I would say that you can dismiss a place, but be honest with yourself about why you are dismissing it. Is it something temporal or something that is truly inherent to the location. As Sarah said, there are so many places to visit, you don't need to go back to a place where you were unhappy. Pam

OK Pat, I'll bite. I know I am one of the people you refer to- you've even sent me a private message about it in the past. I'll explain again.... Hubby wanted to see Paris- to get a small taste so we could decide about a possible (longer) visit int he future. He was especially interested in the Eurostar tunnel and visiting the Louve. I was basically neutral about France in general and Paris in particular. I already knew I didn't like French food and the French language makes no sense to me. But I did go with an open mind. The people were RUDE!!! The city was dirty- espciallly since the garbage collectors had been on strike for a week. And the workers at the Louve went on strike at noon the day we were there- and we were scheudled to visit at noon. Like another poster- there's alot of the world left for me to see. I really don't care to spend my limited time (now more limited than before due to family issues) going back to Paris. I've had similar experiences with some small towns/villages in England and Austria. I don't plan on returning to them either.

I would be interested in knowing the towns/villages in England that Toni didn't like and won't return to.

I do think it is possible to make up your mind in one day. I've made numerous trips to Europe and recently I was in a large city on the continent. We all have our opinions but this city was dirty. The underground rail smelled like urine. Homeless sleeping on the streets, in the stations. I saw one man relieving himself at 9:00 am on a Saturday in the underground station. Mentally - it was a bad take away.

"I already knew I didn't like French food, and the French language made no sense to me" Not entirely neutral statements. Also Toni,, even you could admit a garbage strike and the musuem strike on one day,, the only day you were there, has got to be a huge influence on your feelings,, and those were one shot deals, not normal . Ps You don't like steak, roast chicken, and pastries.. or do you mean frogs legs, horse and snails.. what you may think are typical fare??

Toni,, its ok that you love the UK,, I think the language and culture are more familar to you , so you are more comfortable there to start with,, and thats fine ( for you) we all have our favorites. I just find that on most posts about Paris you always chime in with you didn't like it,, but to be honest,, I assumed you had invested more then a DAYTRIP in it since I think you do travel alot overseas( just by reading your posts) . I assume you really like England, you always say so,, and thats good. I am sure you have been a huge help to those travelling there.

When I was in Rome 3 years ago, i had a very rough first day and I do think it affected the remaining days of my stay there. A cabbie tried to overcharge me, the metro shut down unexpectedly early, and other little things like that all day. So I came away not really loving Rome but I am giving it another chance next year. Other cities like Amsterdam and Vienna, as someone else said, I just didn't vibe with, which is fine and all, but I don't feel any need to go back to either city. I think it depends on why you find you didn't like a place. that said, I don't think I'd ever be able to form an opinion of a city based on one day, but I'd also never just take a one day trip into a huge city. On the other hand, there are several places that I did fall completely in love with at first sight ;)

What Jim experienced and says reminds me of what I have seen in San Francisco's downtown and underground subway system. The portrayal is accurate. Suppose a tourist from Europe ran into the same experience on his/her first day in SF and came away with a negative assessment...a little premature but justified...of SF? I wouldn't blame that European tourist at all. And, lots and lots of them are here. My very first day in Paris, having landed on Sunday morning at Orly from Calif, was not super smooth. It wasn't the jet lag...I didn't know what that was at the time in 1973. But I knew I would be staying, nevertheless, for the next 5 days in Paris as planned on this trip.

No Pat- I don't like most pasteries- too rich. I don't like most sauces either- and the French seem to use them on everything. The only thing in France that even pricks a bit of interest in me is the wine (and I actually prefer Austrian, German and Austrailain - even Californian wines to French). Their history doesn't interst me, sorry. Neither does their language. I gave it a try- don't want to taste more. As someone once said.... "They told me I'd develop a taste for it if I'd keep eating it. I just don't care to develop a taste for it!" I think the world is big enough for me to have plenty to do. I'll continue to share my opinions - good and bad- of places I've visited. Some often and for long periods, and some once and for short periods (and I really liked some of them, too- like Hong Kong). I don't plan to return to Glasgow (4 days), or Paris (1 day), or Baden Baden (1 day) or Dublin (3 days), Morton on Marsh (1 day)..... but I'll gladly go back to London(too many to list), Hong Kong (1 day), Aviemore(lots), Inverness(lots), York (several)Winchester (1 day)Dover (1), Canterbury (1)..........

The first two times I visited Rome, I stayed for three days each time and just really didn't like the city. I felt odd because I'd always loved each place I had visited, up to that point. But I gave it a third try a couple years ago, and this time I found myself really enjoying Rome. So I would never say to give up after one visit!

Hmmm, I think that it might not click with you. I cried the day I arrived in Memphis to live, and I never really liked the city that much more after living there for 10 months- true, there was stuff to do, and I did make a go of it, but it wasn't me, overall. I was supposed to stay a night in El Paso, Texas, once, but driving up into it, I pulled over to a pay-phone to cancel my reservation (the old days!), and I never need to go back. (I did find Las Cruces, New Mexico that night, though!) I have also fallen in love with cities, areas, countries, immediately, too, such as...San Francisco or Zion National Park. You can find the good in any place if you spend time there, but some places might not fit with you, for whatever reason. I guess if someone doesn't love something, it leaves more of it for the rest of us. ; )

thanks Toni,, I now think I understand you alot better.

If someone is turned off a city due to a strike, I wonder is it the inconvenience caused or is it the principles of the labour movement that are in play leading to the strike? Is it an opposing political aversion that ends up colouring their opinion of the destination? Personally, as an active trade unionist in the municipal sector I feel a kinship with places that demonstrate my core values. If I came across a picket line, I'd be inclined to stop and try to communicate (of course it helps that as a Canadian French is a bit easier to navigate). If a strike offends someone's core values perhaps that puts them off the people in general.

Pam didn't like Tucson. This summer we spent a night in Madison, WI, and my husband couldn't leave town fast enough. I think it all came down to a blister on his foot. He couldn't walk far, so we drove around... and around... and around the Capitol looking for a place to eat. Oh, there's one, now how do we get back there? He probably would have liked it if we'd been able to walk around. Guess he should have posted a footwear question here. (Pam, I liked Madison!)

Andrea- I think you may be partly right. Strikes & unions(esp. for the "non reasons" the 2 I experienced) are not part of my core values. Also, at that time the French seemed to have one or more groups constantly on strike for some (to me frivilous) reason. Some of the strikes lasted for days or weeks (the garbage), some for a few hours (the Louve).I just can't seem to relate to their society. I understand it- it just doesn't connect with me at a gut level like Scotland, Denmark, etc. I also didn't find it exciting in any way. The streets of Hong Kong, Sydney, Oslo seem to radiate energy. Paris was just blah to me. Hubby was really psyched to got there, but he had the same reaction I did. So I don't think those who said that preconceptions may have colored our percetions were on the mark. What I don't understand is why some people can't accept that MY experiences are valid for ME. And that sharing them with others is ok. I appreaciate that MANY< MANY< MANY people love France and Paris (and other places I find so-so or even dislike). I enjoy reading their posts. It is always possible that one of them may convince me (and hubby) to give some place another try. I participate on this board because I love international travel. I like to share my experiences and to live vicariously through others' travles, too. That last is espcially important for me now. This board usually values polite, open sharing of ideas and experiences. I hope that doesn't change.

Oh for goodness sake Toni, of course your preconceptions coloured your attitude towards Paris,, every word you post says so.. how on god earth can you say " I understand their society" on a daytrip, how do you understand it,, Toni,, , my goodness, give you a shovel and you just keep digging. I suggest you end your discussion about Paris as it frankly colors you in a way you are not aware of.. and this whole thread was not actually all about Toni and Paris,, believe it or not.

I have to be honest. I have had that feeling about one place just from changing trains there twice. And one place after an hour and a half visit. Is it fair? No. Does that mean I'll never go there again? No. But if my option is some place that calls me. Or those two places..... Speaking of Paris and language. I had heard stories about Parisians and unwillingness to speak english. I found most Parisians helpful. I had more problems in Quebec. And Italy. I didn't think the Italians were unwilling, many just couldn't. Same for most of Quebec. But, I speak a little french. And guess I tried. And believe being able to say. "Pardon. Mais je bien en acadian des la Louisiana, et mon Francais est mal. Parlez vous anglais?" Helped. Most fun was a Pizzaria on montmatre (sp) I speak a little french. My wife a little italian. The waitress only spoke french. The guy making the pizzas only spoke italian. His assistant I believe spoke croat and a little italian. We all had a ball. Laughed for hours and our glass never seemed to run dry. We left a real nice tip.

Dan your experience in Quebec with language is not surprising,, they really are quite adamant about keeping Quebec french.. I have heard of a child who has to be sent to school over the border because he couldn't keep up in French and they wouldn't for some reason allow him to enter the english school there.. I think there are a few other cultures that are trying to keep their languages, and not jumping on the "we should all speak english because its the international language" bandwagon. Its sad when you think of the native languages that have completely disappeared because it was once a fact that children here were taken from their families and forced to only speak english.

From my own experience traveling in France and in Paris, especially the first and second trips, is a good deal more daunting and difficult than traveling in Germany and England. It's not just the language and culture but the "system" in each country. Thirty-five years ago my French was non-existent...not any more. It's much easier now. The first two times I went to Vienna, Sept 1971 and six years later, Sept. 1977, I found the city very depressing, regardless of the weather, whether I was baking in that heat or it was gray, gloomy, and raining which enhanced its depressing character. Even though the city struck me as depressing and I felt that way, I still went back and again my feelings were the same. Not until 2009, near the end of July, did I go back...not because of my memories and impressions of it being depressing but other travel priorities in Europe (such as Paris). I don't write off a city simply because it depresses me when I go there. That's immaterial. You left out the coffee in Paris, especially their espresso...it beats all others in Europe, even that in Germany (sorry to say)... German coffee to me is great!

Jo, I'm with you on the Graffiti Wall posts - 'this guy selling unbrellas in Rome ripped me off - I'll NEVER go back to Italy!!!'.Wow. OK. And there's a BUNCH of those, too!..............And I agree with her thinking that the more history you know, the better; if I hear one more time 'there's nothing in Milan except the Last Supper and a huge train station; get outta there ASAP', I'll scream LOL!!! Read a book, People! Watch a film! (perhaps peruse your guidebook...hmmm? 'I was soooo mad at Paris - the stooopid Louvre was closed on Tuesday and we had planned to see Mona blahblahblah......')...[[cont'd]]

...[[cont'd]]........ I compare this to my trip ions ago to Israel - if I didn't know the names God, Jesus, Jordan River, Galilee, Beatitudes, loaves and fishes, Capernaum, Paul, Herod(s), Roman territories and gov't structure, Nazareth, Mary, Intifada (eek!), Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque/Dome of the Rock, etc., my trip report would have said 'it was a pretty desert, I saw some impalas, there were some nice mosaics in this ruined synagogue, I went to an ampitheater, we took a boat ride on this pretty little lake',.......This IS NOT a religious post, but merely an example of just how important it is to know something about your trip that you've committed THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to...THOUSANDS of dollars!!! I wouldn't expect everyone to be an expert on each place they visit, but maybe delve a little into the history...Don't expect the town or city to keep YOU entertained! (climbing down from soapbox LOL!) Now, my first visit to Venice was not my finest hour - I was eager to go there, I knew a bit of its history, what I wanted to see, etc., but I hit that wall called Italian Bureaucracy LOL! Between the train stn, the post office, etc., I was DONE with Stooopid Italy!!! But I knew better in my heart; I just needed some pizza and beer LOL! AKA time and perspective. It was fine after that, but I learned first hand about the realities of Italy - it's fabulous, but a smoothly-oiled machine it ain't LOL

...[[cont'd]]...My next visit to Venice went much better, but my husband got very ill with a cold, and we arrived on a night train (we knew better, but...), etc., etc., etc. So, the NEXT trip (HA! HA!) will be for several days, and we'll hide out during the day - avoiding the touristy parts. I know it's a wonderful place, but you MUST give it the time and attention she deserves. Otherwise, it IS a hot, sweaty cesspool of (in)humanity LOL! In conclusion (giggle), you can't force your preconceptions upon a city and make it 'dance' for you; you have to accept it on its own terms. You may not love it (at least not the first time), but you can't blame the city...just be open...........[I don't dig dijon vinaigrette, but when in France...;-) ]

to reply to the original post, it took me three days to like london. i hated it there when we arrived, and didn't love it by the time we left, either. but then we had to go back at the end of our trip for our flight home. we stayed for one extra day, and i liked it much more the second time (which likely had a lot to do with how much i'd hated where we'd been for the previous two weeks...paris!) so no, i would not discount a city after one day. but i do know how disappointing it is to travel very far and at great expense to a new place and expect to like it...and then find that it isn't what you were expecting (or, like me, discover that you really can't stand being there). i can see how this would make one decide to 'never return', even after just one day. is this a hasty decision? absolutely. can i see how it could be made? definitely. fortunately there's a big world out there, so even if you discount one or two destinations, you'll still have a happy, full life of travel, even if you miss out on a city you probably shouldn't have crossed off the list so hastily.

You know, thinking about it here, I can't think of anyplace I've been that I didn't like. Even Prague, where our luggage got lost and my husband was pickpocketed. It's still a beautiful city, and we had beer and ice cream (of course!) everyday, so it wasn't all bad. My first trip to Europe was to Paris. I had a friend working there as a nanny, and I spent a week with her. She spoke some French, and was able to explain some "cultural differences" to me, like how shop employees don't drop whatever they're doing to help you, they're going to finish what they're doing first (even if it's a conversation with a coworker) and then help you. I think if I didn't know what to expect, I would have thought it quite rude.

I probably would "write off" a place if it were a dump. That said, there are many dumps that I have returned to (although they still aren't my favorite places).

I think it's true that interpersonal relationships at a destination form much of your opinion of the place. People I met in York are one of the main reasons I like it so much. Salzburg, however, is still one of my favorite places even though I was treated rudely there. I was sitting at a large table by myself. A group asked to join me and I happily shared my table with them. An hour or so later they asked if I would leave to make room for more people they were expecting. Limerick isn't a favorite although I met great people there.

Pat. I grew up hearing french. It wasn't so much I wasn't taught french; as taught not to speak french. My parents generation worried we'd be left behind. I wish they never thought that. That being said. If I run into a visitor from France or Quebec down here. And they couldn't speak or spoke limited english. I wouldn't be a very nice host, if I didn't try to use my limited french to bridge the gap. 90+% of the people of Quebec were great. Trying to bridge my limited french and their limited english was part of the fun. And it helped me remember some of the french from my childhood. But the people who had a language chip on their shoulder. I ran into a few. Didn't give me a good impression.

Within my circle of close friends are those who absolutely love traveling to Paris and France and would be there much more often were it not about money. Other friends are not keen at all on dealing with les francais for cultural, political, historical, social reasons. When they go to Europe, they avoid Paris and France and my efforts to enlist any of them as a travel partner to France are in vain. Some have been there and were turned off, others not. Call them biased, prejudiced, discriminating, whatever. Other friends will go only to France and England. Therefore, forget going to Germany, Poland, Prague, and Hungary, etc. Although I don't share at all in these extreme views, it is still their choice. It's just not my choice, and I am planning the next trip for next summer...Paris too!

Interestingly enough, I would go back to Germany for a short visit, but only because I can also visit Austria and Switzerland which I loved, especially Austria! Yes, I do believe that it is similar to chemistry between people.

I think that every city or country has interesting elements in them, just that some of them don't leap out at people, so they write them off as being boring, or at the very worst, horrible places to visit.... Reading through the Graffiti Wall, sometimes makes me scratch my head in wonder. Someone will have 1 bad experience in 1 place of business and claims they will NEVER visit this country or city again. Wow, talk about being superficial. As though that one experience will be valid for an entire city or country or population..... Many people just do not travel well, too many new things at once simply overwhelms them and as things start going belly-up, one after another like dominos, opionions get formed that will take dynamite to dislodge..... For me personally, the more I know about a city that I am visiting history wise, the more I will probably like it since I am a history buff. Others will be attracted to the art in the city or the architecture or the food, or even just the shopping or scenery. If you don't know what you like before you go, you probably won't find it while traveling either..... Now, the ugliest place I ever saw was the boring crud brown of Neveda and I cannot imagine having to live there. Not that there isn't anything interesting there, but I would have to search it out until I found it so that it would be enjoyable to be there.

"I probably would "write off" a place if it were a dump. That said, there are many dumps that I have returned to (although they still aren't my favorite places)." I hear you, Brad. I spent a few hours in Skopje, and I wrote it off as a dump. I came back a few weeks later and spent 3 days there. It still struck me as a dump, but now a corrupt, dysfunctional dump. Although you shouldn't make it a habit, occasionally, you can judge a book by it's cover.

The first time I visited Stratford Upon Avon (a day trip years ago) I felt I didn't have to go back again. But I didn't hate it. I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Last year though we were heading back toward London and decided to spend a couple of nights there, in Stratford. It seemed to me that even the geography had changed. We had a marvelous time and I want to go again. It usually doesn't take me long to look at a horseshoe (old joke) but people and new places deserve more. Wow, Dublin, another of my favorite cities. I had to go to Paris 3 times before the Louvre was not involved in a strike! And I don't think I had any kind of sauce with any of my meals. Goodness me. We still rave about a meal we had at a place recommended by RS.

I have only rarely had an unpleasant experience in 60 years of travel to Europe but I certainly would not consider writting off a city because of one experience. Seems stupid to me.

It sounds like a lot of you are willing to overlook your first experience of a city and return to give it another try. I guess I'm not that motivated. In some cases it comes down to the vibe of a city, as a lot of people have mentioned here. I didn't care for the vibe of New Orleans or Portland, Ore. but I LOVE San Francisco and I like Chicago a lot too. I was cheated by cabbies in Rome and in a small town in England, but the beauty of Italian cities and the friendliness of its people more than made up for it. I have only been in England for 2 days, technically, but everyone except the cabbie was so kind and helped us find our way around. That kindness, along with all the sights, has made me want to go to (or return to) the UK. Pat - yes, we were dealing with a lot when we came to Paris and that wasn't Paris's fault. But I also knew people who went to Paris for a daytrip and they said that the natives literally pushed past them on sidewalks and one person I knew was knocked down. I'm sure that was an accident but it definitely colored her opinion of the city.

I'm sure all of us can recall, shall I say, incidents which left you baffled, stunned, or downright ticked because you were on the receiving end. One such incident comes to mind...when I was in Paris in Aug. 1987, after spending the first night at a hotel across from Gare du Nord, I decided to find another hotel early the next mornimg...really early around 0700, had to go to a pay phone, called up a hotel recommended in Let's Go and said, " Avez-vous une chambre, Madame?" The answer was: "No, we do not have any rooms." Loud and clear in English and then she hung up. Just like that. I certainly was stunned and thought automatically if my American accent in French was so blatant. The rudeness only occured to me later. That's why she responded so abruptly in English. Of course, at around 0700 she might have been besieged by American tourists also using Let's Go as a source. After a couple more phone calls...all to no avail...I gave up and stayed in the Gare du Nord area. When I told a French friend by phone of this incident and couple of other negative examples, she thought I might have turned anti-French and not want to come back. Of course not,...I went back to Paris two summers later and on that trip saw also Amiens on the Somme.

Fred,, you were treated exactly as you treated the lady on the phone. You did not acknowledge her as a person by greeting her,, "bonjour madame" , instead you launched into a demand " do you have any rooms" . So, she answered you and hung up. That was a cultural misunderstanding. YOu were not rude to you,, and she was not rude to her. Each thought the other was at the very least abrupt.

Sarah,, the "natives" are not known for knocking down people,, but I'll watch out for that.. LOL Frankly ,, your friend doesn't really know who knocked her down,, she likely assumed it was a local,, and it may have been , there are jerks everywhere I suppose, but just because someone is in Paris and speaks french,, doesn't mean they are locals.

Interesting post! I can't think of anywhere that I initially didn't like, then re-visited and changed my mind. There are places that didn't click with me, that I probably won't return to, but that's a different sort of analysis than saying I didn't like the place at all (and I visited all of them for at least several days). I agree that the world is a big enough place that if someone doesn't like a place, even based on a one-day visit, they don't need to return. Especially if their reasons make sense for them and their interests and personalities. Some people don't like the big-city noise and bustle, so I could see a number of cities turning those people off. That's ok; those cities have more than enough tourists already. My husband initially didn't much like Paris. That was based on a short trip made by him and two other buddies - last-minute decision to visit Paris, no guidebooks, no language guides, none spoke French. I wasn't surprised he didn't like it much. But then he visited with me! I had plans, I knew where we were and where we were going, and what we were likely to enjoy. I knew some French, so I did (still do, primarily) the communicating. We've now been back many times.

Pat - I may have said Bonjour, Madame...maybe not. I don't recall. On the other hand, I just might have because I would have said that greeting in German had this phone call been made in Germany and then proceeded with the questions in German. Even had the woman continued talking, my comprehension in this type of dialogue 25 years ago was too fragmentary to go on...not anymore.

Hello Pat, I agree with Lexma : some people do not like being in a big city. Then why did they go to Paris ? Perhaps it was because a friend said : "You MUST go to Paris". So, the person went to Paris, for one day. That person saw some famous things in Paris, and decided to not go to Paris again. I do not have a problem with that. I think Pat's question is worthy of discussion. I have pity on persons who travelled (from the U.S.A. or Canada) to Rome, and their first day there they decided they do not like Italy, and they do not want to do any travelling in Italy. Rome is a big and stressful city, and I guess that arriving at Rome at night would not be a pleasure. That is, travelling in a train from an airport to the city Rome, at night, looking at a window in the train, a person would see black. The main train station at Rome is an unpleasant place, at any time of the day. And then walking down into the METRO station, and boarding an extremely crowded and dirty and worn METRO car, which is a place where pickpockets (Gypsies) are known to be working is an experience that a person might not want to repeat. But if such a traveller says : "I hate Italy. Italy is an awful country", I think that person is narrow minded, and is not allowing herself to enjoy a travel experience that could be a wonderful and life - enriching experience.

I am far more forgiving of a foreign city where I have bad experiences than I am of a US city. I didn't love Venice as a college student when I visited there in 1984, but I'd be happy to go back someday with my family. On the other hand, I frequently have to drive thru Manchester, New Hampshire taking my kids to camp or on my way to some other destination and I never want to stop there because of some negative experiences a few years ago. I guess I'm more likely to attribute bad experiences in foreign countries to my own ignorance or attitude, but when Americans misbehave, I write them off more easily.

I guess I understand some posters reasons for not liking Paris, I just couldn't disagree more. I dream of Paris many nights every week! I would live there if I could. I love all the things Toni hates!!!! 3 weeks and counting until I return. I can't wait to eat all the pastries and cafe au lait and all the rich delicious food! I cannot wait to mingle with the Parisians and see sites I have seen on my previous visits. Differences are what make the world go around. Paris is the most visited city in the world and I know why.

While I agree that it is very difficult to give anyplace a fair assessment after 1 day, I also can relate to "vibes" and feelings and the need not to return. In a perfect world, we would all have enough time and money to travel extensively and "go back" to places we may not have liked in 1 day. I, for one, can't afford to do that, and like others would rather go to destinations I have yet to see or go back to a place that I loved but didn't get to see everything. That being said, what truly amazes me is why people feel the need to attack another poster for having a difference in opinion on a place or even feel the need to defend the location. Everyone brings different experiences to the table which greatly influences their trip as well as what they encounter once there. Although you may not agree or think its fair, it is part of our human nature to react this way and really emphasizes the saying, "You only get one time to make a first impression." :)

michelle, yes, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when you post something on a public board you may be held to account for it, that is fair. We do not all have to agree, and many of here don't, but there are limits. When you say you know what an entire group of people are like and you don't like them,, then hey, guess what, don't be surprised is someone says something about it

I think it's hard to get to know any place, city or country, based on a one day visit, and I've made the mistake of taking day trips to places and then feeling too tired or confused or too rushed to enjoy them. Travel isn't getting any cheaper these days, so to me it wouldn't make sense to go back to a place one hated. But it's just not fair to "hate" a place after one day. I can't think of any places that I totally hated, that had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Of course I've enjoyed some places more than others, but to me travel is about exploration, so I take that in stride. I wouldn't diss a place just because I didn't enjoy it. I don't particularly enjoy going to cities, any city, because I live in a big city, so more sidewalks, traffic, big buildings, etc., isn't the travel experience I look for, but to say I hated Paris, or London, or any city I've been to just because i didn't enjoy that urban environment would be stupid and narrow-minded.