Favourite and least favourite cities

[Brighton Jambo]

Favourites: Rome, Boston, Sydney

 

least favourite:  New York - only because all the famous sites were so disappointing in real life and it felt like a dirty city.  People were also rude as anything.  

[Beast Boy]

Favourites:

 

Edinburgh

Kampala

Reykjavik

Marrakech

Berlin

Utrecht

Venice

York

 

Leaat favourite:

 

Newport

Stoke

Sheffield

 

I can generally find the charm and beauty in most places, but those last three are bloody hard work.

 

 

 

[Maroon Sailor]

23 minutes ago, Glib and Shameless Crier said:

 

Least favourite:

 

Newport

Stoke

Sheffield

 

I can generally find the charm and beauty in most places, but those last three are bloody hard work.

 

 

 

 

Went to Newport for a wedding 10 years ago - what a shithole that place is

 

Don't know about Stoke On Trent, the city, but their football fans are a bunch of nasty barstewards

 

Sheffield I don't mind - been there for the snooker and enjoyed a couple of nights out

 

 

[Maroon Sailor]

1 hour ago, Brighton Jambo said:

Favourites: Rome, Boston, Sydney

 

 

I like Sydney for the bridge and opera house but found the Sydneysiders not as friendly as people from Perth WA

[Beast Boy]

8 minutes ago, Maroon Sailor said:

 

Went to Newport for a wedding 10 years ago - what a shithole that place is

 

Don't know about Stoke On Trent, the city, but their football fans are a bunch of nasty barstewards

 

Sheffield I don't mind - been there for the snooker and enjoyed a couple of nights out

 

 

 

Hated Newport. Wall to wall drunken chavs with an underlying aggressive atmosphere. Not a lot to smile about, I suppose.

 

Stoke was just rammed with Liam Gallagher wannabes. Stupid walks and a shite accent to boot. Everyone seems to think they are really edgy and interesting. Just a pretty boring and unimaginative place I found.

 

Sheffield wasn’t as bad as the two cities above, but it was still a bit grim. A sort of English Glasgow, if that makes sense.

[Brighton Jambo]

9 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

 

I like Sydney for the bridge and opera house but found the Sydneysiders not as friendly as people from Perth WA

That’s the only Australian city I’ve yet to make it to.  Really keen to go and my wife is very complementary about it. 

[Maroon Sailor]

1 hour ago, Brighton Jambo said:

That’s the only Australian city I’ve yet to make it to.  Really keen to go and my wife is very complementary about it. 

 

It's probably the cleanest City I have ever been to

[Guest Paul Allen]

On 07/03/2019 at 12:29, N Lincs Jambo said:

 

Vienna's my favourite city on the planet apart from Auld Reekie. Whilst the 1st district is amazing for all the architecture and is great to walk around, if you want to eat/drink there you will empty your wallet twice as quickly as in the rest of the city. A couple of eating recommendations: try the Schnitzelwirt on the Neubaugasse in the 7th district. It's walkable from the centre or only 2 mins on the U-Bahn (line 3) and is famous among the locals for producing the best example of their national dish, the Wienerschnitzel. I unfortunately only went once but I wasn't disappointed.

 

Also if like me you need a weekly curry fix, the best one I found was the Bombay on the corner of Neubaugasse and Neustiftgasse. It's been there over 30 years now and was probably the 1st one in Vienna. Both the above are reasonably priced and great value for money. The local beers are excellent too. My favourite was Ottakringer Gold Fassl. If you drink wine with meals, in Austria it's probably not worth getting bottles as they serve the local wines in carafes and they are pretty decent.

 

If you do go in September take a tram to a place just outside the city called Grinzing. The locals treat it pretty much the same way as Edinburgh folk treat the Festival but it's famous for its "Heurigen" where you can drink the Heuriger (ie new) wine and eat a selection of cold meats. Loads of music and waitresses/waiters in national dress in probably the most picturesque part of the city. Always good for a piss-up!

 

On the cultural side there is also a small and not very well known museum called the Museum of Austrian Resistance which actually traces the history of Austrian resistance to Fascism back to the early 30s. Well worth a visit.

 

This means nothing to me.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

Best cities for me after Edinburgh have to be Cologne and Brussels. Cities I dislike are Glasgow, London, Paris and Amsterdam

[redjambo]

6 hours ago, jonesy said:

Valencia street art is good.

 

I like most of the Spanish cities I've been to. Seville especially; been a few times for work. Bilbao was hard to take to given it just pished down the whole time and I was heading to La Palma in the Canaries immediately after. Barcelona has good and bad pockets. Madrid has something for everyone. Personally, I love Almeria although can understand why others wouldn't. Malaga just feels like the end of the world. Quite liked Gijon, too. Jaen worth stopping over for a night, but nothing more. Merida's ruins are amazing. Granada is not up to much after you've seen the Alhambra. Never been to Cadiz, sadly. Loads of Spaniards describe it as their favourite city other than their own.

 

The mezquita in Córdoba is worth a visit too. I also found Salamanca and Huelva to be nice (the latter, in Andalucía, felt like it had a new festival each day!). Stay away from the tourist towns and Spain is a delight.

[adambraejambo]

Best

Calgary. Salzburg. Berlin. Edinburgh. New York. San Francisco. San Diego.  Barcelona from places I been to. 

 

Some of the worse..

Edmonton. Coventry. LA. 

The very very worst I ever been to though is Jacksonville Florida.  I heard gunshots(sounded right outside hotel)  3 times over 4 days and I was in a nice part. 

[parisjambo]

Favourites: Paris (live there now), San Francisco and Kampala

 

Least Fav: Naples, Los Angeles and Brussels

[hmfc_liam06]

Favourites - New York, Rome and Barcelona.

 

Least - Dublin and Belfast.

[Beast Boy]

2 hours ago, parisjambo said:

Favourites: Paris (live there now), San Francisco and Kampala

 

Least Fav: Naples, Los Angeles and Brussels

 

Kampala is amazing eh? Absolutely crazy place. When we first arrived it was about 01:00 in the morning, and our bus went through the security gates at our hotel, I asked the boy at the reception if there was a shop nearby to get a bottle of water, so he sent the security guard, he took his automatic assault rifle with him. Was there over Christmas and new year, virtually every car that went past had The Bony M Christmas song blaring from their windows. ?

 

Did you go to Murchison falls?

[Samuel Camazzola]

59 minutes ago, Glib and Shameless Crier said:

 

Kampala is amazing eh? Absolutely crazy place. When we first arrived it was about 01:00 in the morning, and our bus went through the security gates at our hotel, I asked the boy at the reception if there was a shop nearby to get a bottle of water, so he sent the security guard, he took his automatic assault rifle with him. Was there over Christmas and new year, virtually every car that went past had The Bony M Christmas song blaring from their windows. ?

 

Did you go to Murchison falls?

I've now got a vision of Big Dave Obua cruising around his town in his white Range Rover with the blacked-out windows rolled down and Mary's Boy Child blasting out! 

[Beast Boy]

1 minute ago, Samuel Camazzola said:

I've now got a vision of Big Dave Obua cruising around his town in his white Range Rover with the blacked-out windows rolled down and Mary's Boy Child blasting out! 

 

With tinsel and baubles. Seriously, that’s the way it’s done. ?

[The White Cockade]

Used to go down South quite a lot in the 70’s and 80’s to watch the Edinburgh Monarchs 

Scunthorpe and Leicester were pretty horrible places

[Samuel Camazzola]

1 hour ago, Glib and Shameless Crier said:

 

With tinsel and baubles. Seriously, that’s the way it’s done. ?

Fair play. They're having a good time and in the spirit. 

 

If that was to happen down Lothian Road, folk would be lobbing traffic cones at the vehicle. 

[Beast Boy]

10 minutes ago, Samuel Camazzola said:

Fair play. They're having a good time and in the spirit. 

 

If that was to happen down Lothian Road, folk would be lobbing traffic cones at the vehicle. 

 

Especially if Davy O was driving. ?

[felix]

Outside the UK:

Best - Paris

Worst - Marrakesh

[Beast Boy]

9 minutes ago, felix said:

Outside the UK:

Best - Paris

Worst - Marrakesh

 

I really liked Marrakech. The 40° temperatures were the only thing that bothered me. The slightly aggressive begging got a bit tedious, I suppose.

[felix]

Just hated the old town / Medina.

I like a city with landmarks and green space - not an inward orientated  maze .. 

[Sharpie]

Its sort of strange seeing Vancouver mentioined as a favorite spot. When I first saw it I loved it, never thinking that it would later become my hometown and I would take it for granted. Don't go there much now but still love it, it is a beautiful city.

 

 

[Australis]

Edinburgh, worst Glasgow

I am so very very lucky I live in Edinburgh, it's only a few miles but chalk and cheese 

Sydney is wonderful too.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Australis......

[parisjambo]

On 10/03/2019 at 14:10, Glib and Shameless Crier said:

 

 

Did you go to Murchison falls?

 

Yes, I was actually working out near there. Our camp was on the edge of the national park. Amazing place.

[Darren]

On 10/03/2019 at 18:30, felix said:

Just hated the old town / Medina.

I like a city with landmarks and green space - not an inward orientated  maze .. 

 

You must have known that before you went?

[Francis Albert]

On ‎10‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 18:30, felix said:

Just hated the old town / Medina.

I like a city with landmarks and green space - not an inward orientated  maze .. 

Unless you get lost in the maze (which I found fascinating) you can discover landmarks and green space and, a short ride away, the wide open and spectacular (if admittedly not very green) Atlas Mountains.

However the main square and its snake charmers (demanding a small fortune if you photograph them) and food stalls does seem like a tourist trap these days. The persistent "guides" are also a pain.

Edited March 12, 2019 by Francis Albert

[Governor Tarkin]

On 08/03/2019 at 22:59, Paul Allen said:

 

This means nothing to me.

 

 

I found this more amusing than I really should have.

[felix]

2 hours ago, Darren said:

 

You must have known that before you went?

Unless you stumble upon a city by chance, or have to be there through no choice of your own (work) most people I reckon will do some research,

therefore no excuse for going somewhere you don't like !?

Yes - Arabic architecture's introverted - which conversely make the Riads fantastic places - just makes for a crap city sightseeing experience as far as I'm concerned .

Good money for the local "guides " tho ?

[Darren]

5 hours ago, felix said:

Unless you stumble upon a city by chance, or have to be there through no choice of your own (work) most people I reckon will do some research,

therefore no excuse for going somewhere you don't like !?

Yes - Arabic architecture's introverted - which conversely make the Riads fantastic places - just makes for a crap city sightseeing experience as far as I'm concerned .

Good money for the local "guides " tho ?

 

How you approach a holiday/city break is up to you.

 

For me, I knew what was there before I visited. I doubt I'd go back but I enjoyed the experience for what it was. 

 

Mind you, I'd probably say LA was one of my least favourite cities and a lot of people find that a bit mad.

 

Different strokes and all that.

[trotter]

Favourites that I've been to include Berlin, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Buenos Aires. 

 

Hate Dubai with a passion. Soulless metropolis full of pretentious arseholes determined to out-Dubai each other. Abu Dhabi is a much, much friendlier and all-round better place to be. Although I grant you there is a lot less nightlife tan Dubai, it's there if you want to find it. 

 

Dhaka also doesn't make it into the category of fun places. People were friendly, but it's a shit-hole and looks and smells like one. 

[jamtartan74]

Best was Oslo, great night life and woman ? worst was Milan, place was a shithole especially the san siro, looks great on television but inside it was filthy, was disappointed. 

[redjambo]

7 hours ago, jamtartan74 said:

Best was Oslo, great night life and woman ? worst was Milan, place was a shithole especially the san siro, looks great on television but inside it was filthy, was disappointed. 

 

Just one woman? Maybe Oslo ought to think about attracting more women to move there.

[jamtartan74]

9 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

Just one woman? Maybe Oslo ought to think about attracting more women to move there.

? well spotted

[Boab]

8 hours ago, jamtartan74 said:

Best was Oslo, great night life and woman ? worst was Milan, place was a shithole especially the san siro, looks great on television but inside it was filthy, was disappointed. 

 

Different strokes right enough !

Been to Milan, and the Giuseppe Meazza, many times. Great City and a stadium everyone should visit. Never ‘ filthy ‘ !

 

[Guest Paul Allen]

22 hours ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

 

I found this more amusing than I really should have.

 

Post didn't get the credit it deserved imo.

[OmiyaHearts]

On 10/03/2019 at 20:39, Australis...... said:

Edinburgh, worst Glasgow

I am so very very lucky I live in Edinburgh, it's only a few miles but chalk and cheese 

Sydney is wonderful too.

The one way rivalry / hatred Edinburghers have for Glasgow is truly bizarre - maybe it's some sort of inferiority complex? Although I appreciate many people on here just pretend they dislike Glasgow and prefer Edinburgh.

 

Two good cities with different things to offer.

[Geoff the Mince]

5 hours ago, OmiyaHearts said:

The one way rivalry / hatred Edinburghers have for Glasgow is truly bizarre - maybe it's some sort of inferiority complex? Although I appreciate many people on here just pretend they dislike Glasgow and prefer Edinburgh.

 

Two good cities with different things to offer.

I tend to slag Glasgow quite a lot , but I spend more time having a bevvy through there than j do in Edinburgh .

 

Outside of kback I don't really think thier is any rivalry at all . Or I've certainly not experienced any .

[robroy1874]

Favourite: Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Florence, Denver

 

Awful: Kinshasha, Baghdad, Caracas (now - used to love it)

[redjambo]

16 minutes ago, robroy1874 said:

Favourite: Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Florence, Denver

 

Awful: Kinshasha, Baghdad, Caracas (now - used to love it)

 

What changed your view on Caracas?

[Konrad von Carstein]

9 hours ago, OmiyaHearts said:

The one way rivalry / hatred Edinburghers have for Glasgow is truly bizarre - maybe it's some sort of inferiority complex? Although I appreciate many people on here just pretend they dislike Glasgow and prefer Edinburgh.

 

Two good cities with different things to offer.

 

In my experience  it's not one way...(many) Glaswegians have just as big an inferiority complex re Edinburgh as (many) people from Edinburgh have around Glasgow.

 

Edinburgh is better but... 

 

[Sydney]

On 05/03/2019 at 02:13, Taffin said:

Love La Paz. And another for being surprised by Paris. Didn't hold much hope but absolutely feel in love with the place.

 

Don't like Sydney 

Well.....i don't like you either.

[Sydney]

On 06/03/2019 at 02:36, jonnothejambo said:

 

Yeah we plan on flying to Brisbane, spending a couple of days there before spending four or five days in Port Douglas then back down to the south east.

Love Port Douglas.  Its just a wee holiday place, but plenty to do.

[Guest Paul Allen]

22 hours ago, OmiyaHearts said:

The one way rivalry / hatred Edinburghers have for Glasgow is truly bizarre - maybe it's some sort of inferiority complex? Although I appreciate many people on here just pretend they dislike Glasgow and prefer Edinburgh.

 

Two good cities with different things to offer.

 

No offence mate but Edinburgh is generally regarded as one of the best cities in Europe if not the world; whereas Glasgow is a very average city to put it politely.

[Boab]

4 hours ago, Paul Allen said:

 

No offence mate but Edinburgh is generally regarded as one of the best cities in Europe if not the world; whereas Glasgow is a very average city to put it politely.

 Not according to Time Out !

?

[hmfc_liam06]

19 minutes ago, Boab said:

 Not according to Time Out !

?

 

But then it does have Birmingham on the list...

[robroy1874]

20 hours ago, redjambo said:

 

What changed your view on Caracas?

Traffic was always awful  but crime has just reached epidemic proportions. I used to be able to go out in the early hours of the morning without trouble and stroll up to an arepa stand (kind of local street food) and chat to the locals. .Sadly no-one including locals feels safe now. 

[J.T.F.Robertson]

On Monday, March 04, 2019 at 08:13, Taffin said:

Love La Paz. And another for being surprised by Paris. Didn't hold much hope but absolutely feel in love with the place.

 

Don't like Sydney m

 

We're actually not long back from La Paz (the Mexican one) and must say I was really taken by the place. So quaint with lots of neat bars and restaurants and the locals could hardly have been more accommodating, even if most don't appear to have the proverbial "pot".

The wife is now adamant about retiring there. We also know people from Calgary down there who have already done as much, but as for me, it seems an awfy big move for an auld fecker who has barely, after 40 odd years, "accepted" the idea he's unlikely to be moving back hame anytime soon. 

 

 

[Auld Reekin']

On 09/03/2019 at 03:56, jonesy said:

Valencia street art is good.

 

I like most of the Spanish cities I've been to. Seville especially; been a few times for work. Bilbao was hard to take to given it just pished down the whole time and I was heading to La Palma in the Canaries immediately after. Barcelona has good and bad pockets. Madrid has something for everyone. Personally, I love Almeria although can understand why others wouldn't. Malaga just feels like the end of the world. Quite liked Gijon, too. Jaen worth stopping over for a night, but nothing more. Merida's ruins are amazing. Granada is not up to much after you've seen the Alhambra. Never been to Cadiz, sadly. Loads of Spaniards describe it as their favourite city other than their own.

 

In what way? (Not in a good one, I suspect...)

 

I'm interested as we're just back from there and REALLY liked it. I've been to quite a few Spanish cities and places - including the islands of La Palma and La Gomera - and found Málaga to be very interesting, enjoyable, and characterful.

 

Cadiz is also very definitely on my "to do" list.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Auld Reekin'

[Auld Reekin']

13 minutes ago, jonesy said:

In a good way! Chilled but vibrant, folk generally friendly. Just feels like Europe has had s good shake and all the weird and wonderful stuff has shoogled down to the bottom!

 

Yep, that summarises pretty well what we thought about it too!

 

I've never been to Palermo or anywhere else in Sicily, but quite a lot of what we saw in Málaga reminded me of what I've seen of there in films and documentaries (a similar Moorish influence on both places might account for that, I suppose), but without any edginess or high crime-rate. I was surprised how safe a place it felt, even when walking back to our accommodation outside the centre, along quiet side streets. Food and drink were excellent and inexpensive, which was also a nice surprise. We'll definitely be back...