I didn’t know until I was at the base but I’ve got 3 other people with me. They all went up.
A lot of the love/hate depends on the timing and circumstances of the trip. I had visited Paris in December and in March and it was in the running for my favorite city. Then last June I visited as part of a group trip …large hotel in a not-charming neighborhood, long lines and crowds everywhere. Had that been my first trip, I would not have wanted to return.
Now I’m really worried about my upcoming business trip to Vegas…although my expectations are low.
While there are a number of places I’d be happy never to return to (Madrid comes to mind thanks to an attempted pickpocketing and an illness), I can see how others like those locations (my cousin who studied abroad in Madrid thinks I’m absolutely insane). And in fairness, I dreaded returning to Paris as a chaperone for a student group because it had been on my “eh” list, but it turned out I fell in love with the city this time. Go figure.
I think we’re a snarky bunch - this thread is much longer than the “places to visit” one!
So true, @missypie! I’ve been to Venice twice, and both times it was absolute tourist hell. I’m sure it’s a glorious city, I just haven’t ever experienced it that way 
When going to touristy areas (Venice and Rome come to mind) I think the key to enjoying them is doing research and trying to live more local as well as being careful of length of visit and timing of visit as @missypie mentions. It’s easy to go to Venice, for example, and stay in a chain hotel with little character, eat at tourist trap restaurants, and come away underwhelmed. I also think in some places you can stay too long and the places lose their magic. For places like Venice and Prague, I think 3 nights does the trick.
There are, however, places I just don’t see myself ever going as I have too many places on my bucket list and they just don’t warrant my attention: Vegas and large cruise ships come to mind.
@stradmom — just scope out a really good hotel in Las Vegas and take advantage of the excellent restaurants and fantastic spa services. I don’t exactly like the city of Las Vegas, but some of my favorite hotels are there and so are some of my favorite restaurants. Basically— I park the car and never leave the hotel.
I have been to Vegas and don’t care if I ever go back. It wasn’t bad, just not my cup of tea. I feel the same way about Disney World.
My kids and I really, really disliked Gatlinburg.
@stradmom Eh, the new thread was just created a little over an hour ago…
So, true! A friend visited Florida some time last year and mentioned the weather was terrible. Considering I lived in Florida at the time, I couldn’t help but be curious, as far as I knew the weather was great! Turns out he came at the end of July and planned most of the activities in the afternoon and anyone who knows Florida knows that’s when the regular afternoon thunderstorms come out.
It definitely helps to research the holidays and festivals for a country before you go. It’s like those who visit the Caribbean during certain independence times or carnival periods and they gripe about how many locals were there and acting crazy. Not sorry for you.
DH didn’t like Prague. Mumbai was difficult, and his trip to the Taj Mahal on a train was also eye-popping. Was not crazy about Seoul or Hong Kong.
I’ve modified my list now;
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
And Gatlinburg. Tacky tourist hell.
In no particular order, some places I’ve been where I’ve literally thought, “I hope I never have to come here again”:
Las Vegas (boring)
Orlando (boring)
Disneyland (and for that matter pretty much all of Orange County) (boring)
Dallas (boring)
Phoenix (boring)
Albuquerque (boring)
Omaha (boring)
Atlanta (boring)
Tallahassee (too redneck)
Florida’s “Redneck Riviera,” aka “South Alabama” (too redneck)
Tijuana (menacing)
Gary (menacing and depressing)
Newark (menacing and depressing)
Trenton (menacing and depressing)
Camden (menacing and depressing)
north Philadelphia (menacing)
south Bronx (menacing)
Bridgeport (CT) (menacing and depressing)
pretty much the entire states of Alabama and Mississippi (too redneck)
Syracuse (boring and depressing)
Buffalo (boring and depressing)
Paraguay (boring and menacing)
Colombia (menacing, but this was at the height of the Medellin cartel)
West Texas (boring and too redneck)
the Jersey Shore in summer (too crowded)
Zabar’s on a weekend afternoon (too crowded)
the NYC subway at 5 pm on a weekday (I’d rather die)
Indiana (boring)
If I found that many places “boring” I think I would take a serious look at myself!
The history in the Caribbean is fascinating, actually. St. Croix has been under 7 flags. I’ve spent a lot of time on St. Croix and St. John and the culture is really interesting.
My list is random. I don’t like cities with too many people and too much concrete. Don’t feel the need for tourist traps full of overpriced tourist junk (Myrtle Beach, most of FL)
Hawaii was amazingly beautiful and so much history–but for me it’s a one time deal, mainly due to the plane rides.
Amused at so many posts with College Station. Grandparents owned apartments in Bryan/College Station for several decades. Always thought the town was so dirty and dumpy.
My sister’s-because getting there requires going through Chicago and it’s either snow season or road construction season there, always.
I am no traveler but really can’t think of a place I’ve truly hated. I even liked Dollywood, I wouldn’t go every year but I didn’t hate it. I like Disney World and all amusement parks with my kids. I like art museums and historical sites. I have to say that I won’t elect to go back to Williamsburg, it’s a fake historical site.
We’ve only been to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean and loved it. But it’s very middle class and clean. My husband loved the diving.
We don’t have a big hankering to go to Alaska, only because we hate to leave our home state in the summer.
Right?! The Caribbean not having an extensive history? Ha! And the culture that can be found due to the countries history. Just great. 
Samana is indeed a port in the Dominican Republic. Royal Carribean used to dock their cruise ships there for a day…what a dump! I don’t believe they use it anymore. It did give the ship comedian good fodder for the last night monologue?
Guatemala. An oppressive, corrupt government where indigenous people are mistreated and live in miserable poverty. The ruins of Tikal were amazing and the colonial city of Antigua was picturesque and charming, but the disparity of wealth and endless miles of filth and squalor along the road from Antigua to Lake Atitlan are still fresh in my mind’s eye eight years after our visit.
So very interesting.
While Seattle is casual, grunge left a long time ago. And the weather - well, let’s just say that if it will keep people away, we won’t talk about the sun we’ve had for the past 6 weeks or so.
I have a number of states and countries on my no-fly list. Most of them are just because & not that I’ve been there or not. I have no desire to go to Asia, South/Central America, or Australia. Two of the many places I’ve been on business - Dallas & St Louis - I don’t care if I ever go again.
I think what I don’t care for are resort areas where you are cordoned in for safety reasons and can’t walk outside the compound because the people right outside it are so poor and it’s unsafe. I would rather not spend my vacation dollars in places like that. Of course, to each his / her own!
I have not been to the Taj Mahal, but I have heard several people who are seasoned travelers and whose opinion I trust say that it was not worth visiting. It’s a major schlep to get there, nowhere near anything else, smells of urine (well, most of India does, frankly) and the smog is so bad that the classic picture of you in front of the Taj Mahal is a “why bother,” you could just as easily photoshop it.
I would go back to St. Petersburg, Russia if I could. It was a real gem.
I’d like to get to Australia some day, but no current plans. I keep getting sent to Sao Paolo instead, yuck.