World's Most Overpriced Travel Destinations

[phkrause]

http://www.smartertravel.com/photo-galle...d=664&all=1

[Tom Wetmore]

Been to half of them... 4 of the 5, several times. Only a couple of those, I don't care if I ever go again.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I've been to Zürich, but none of the others. I loved it! (I don't remember Zürich being much more expensive than Venice, Berlin or Paris... but that was quite a few years ago...)

[Kevin H]

I live a few hours from NY City and only 2 hours away from the computer train to take there and have stayed with friends and relatives there. I love the Staten Island Ferry. Use to be a nickel, then a dime but the dime was round trip, then a quarter but now it is free. Enjoy a Scandinavian deli in Bay Ridge and central park (don't go there alone, except the zoo or at least don't go to places that does not have people around) and until a few years ago the central park zoo was free so I'd go there often. Now you have to pay a fair amount but it is still good. And the Bronx zoo is fantastic.

I never knew this the whole time I was growing up there but Philadelphia is not that far from NY City and you can take New Jersey Transit to Trenton and have 2 choices: transfer to a commuter train that goes into Philadelphia (Don't buy the ticket to Newark then Phili but the machine includes Philadelphia. Until I retired in December I was able to use NJ Transit for half price, but not on the train to Phili and it cost as much to go from Newark to Phili as it does to get to Newark, but only a few dollars more to just get a regular ticket all the way). A second pretty cool option is to transfer to the Riverline at Newark. It is light rail to Camden only $1.50 each direction ticket is good for 2 hours, stamp ticket just before going on. It goes to Camden. At the transit center you can take a subway over the bridge to Phili, get off at 8th street and you are just about 2 blocks from the interesting stuff. Go and take a Duck Tour or one of the others for your first trip then walk or use the trolley to go to places you like for your return trips. The Phili zoo is fantastic.

The Subway and computer trains are fantastic. There was a while in the late 1970s and early 80s where they were not that good and still has a reputation from that time. But on the subway you can be beside bums and millionaires. I am not positive but there was someone standing in front of a man and woman and we exchanged pleasantries. Over hearing their discussion they were clearly working in show business and very successful and my friend pointed out that he looks just like Gene Wilder.

There is affordable accommodations outside of the city. some of the Newark airport hotels are easy to get to and quite affordable (although the airport train station costs a bit more than other train stations). But just go to someplace along the commuter train lines don't worry about the expensive parking and take the train in and subway and walk and of course don't miss the Staten Island ferry.

Oslo is near and dear to my heart as my grandma grew up there and my grandparents met when they worked at the Grand Hotel. We mix hotels and staying with relatives. But I have read that camping is very popular and affordable. Olso is small enough to walk to most of the places. Take the train up, off hand I can't think about which train it is but the one that stops by the ski jump, and it is a really beautiful ride (a lot of people take bikes on it and ride up the mountain on the train and bike back down).

Tokyo, I confess that I hear the hotels are expensive, I've always stayed on the military bases. But again take the trains they have a wonderful train service. If you can't read Japanese no problem. Look at what the signs look like. (One station which is a major transfer station has 3 lines and sort of a triangle almost a cup looking character. I just call that station "Shake and fries") look at the markings on what should be the next stop and what would be the next stop in the wrong direction. Check what the markings at the next stop is and you know if you are going the right direction or not. They have commuter trains up to the city. there is one line where the trains go in opposite directions but encircle the city and other lines crisscrossing fairly easy to learn (OK so I grew up practically memorizing the New York City subway map) so there are ways to enjoy Tokyo at a good price. I love the Ueno zoo and the shrines Kamakura, a sailing ship at Yokohama, and while it takes all day the trip to Harkone is outstanding: You take a regular commuter train to a country train that zigzags up a mountain. Another train with cables at an angle that goes higher up the mountain where you get on a sky ride over the mountains and down into the valley where they have some boats that look like pirate ships and a beautiful lake they sail around and beautiful view of Mt. Fuji on clear days (and still a beautiful trip on not clear days) and of course Mt. Fuji is gorgeous!

My finances are tight, first from low paying jobs and unemployment, then paying back outrageous student loans but I am a travelaholic. I'd kind of like to do a travelogue for those who want to travel but think that they can't afford to.

I've been to Vegas a couple of times. Since I don't play the games it is a place to see the free stuff the hotels have and just look around see the pirate ship sink a couple of times and stay at more affordable hotels about a mile walk from the strip.

[Gregory Matthews]

I prefer to live in a place, which gives me time to actually get out and experience it.

I once lived in New York City for three months and a 2nd time for six months. It was great, but I would not want to live there forever.

Over two different occasions I have lived in South Korea for a total of 35 months. The subway and trains were great for travel and on one of those times I had my own automobile to drive. That was in interesting experience as the driving culture differs from that of the U.S.

When I lived in Panama, I had my own car to drive. Once I drove from Panama City, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica. That experience was more than interesting in a number of ways. One aspect was the paperwork involved in being able to drive my care across the boarder and into Costa Rica. For that, I had to hire an agency to process the paperwork which took about 10 days to accomplish.

The 33 days that I spent on the island of Grenada were interesting.

Europe: No, I never made it there.

Tokyo: Just a few days in that city.

Hawaii: That was a nice stop in transit to and from the lower 48 which helped on the adjustment to the time zone changes.

[Gregory Matthews]

For a laugh, I will share an experience on the island of Grenada.

I participated in the invasion of Grenada in 1983. Grenada was an English speaking country and English was spoken, generally, in England. With the exception of the Marxists, the people were generally friendly to us.

I was out, that day, in the central marketplace of the capital city. I got to talking to a young woman who was holding a baby and a group of people gathered around us.

As I spoke with her I said: Oh, a cute baby. Immediately she got hostile and the people around us became engaged in my conversation with her.

Well, I clearly did not want this situation to esculate into something out of control, with me as the focus of her anger. I began to process what I had said to anger her. Then it hit me.

I looked at her and said: I did not say the child was a Cuban baby. I said it was a cute baby.

Immediately she and the people around us began to laugh.

[phkrause]

I live a few hours from NY City and only 2 hours away from the computer train to take there and have stayed with friends and relatives there. I love the Staten Island Ferry. Use to be a nickel, then a dime but the dime was round trip, then a quarter but now it is free. Enjoy a Scandinavian deli in Bay Ridge and central park (don't go there alone, except the zoo or at least don't go to places that does not have people around) and until a few years ago the central park zoo was free so I'd go there often. Now you have to pay a fair amount but it is still good. And the Bronx zoo is fantastic.

I never knew this the whole time I was growing up there but Philadelphia is not that far from NY City and you can take New Jersey Transit to Trenton and have 2 choices: transfer to a commuter train that goes into Philadelphia (Don't buy the ticket to Newark then Phili but the machine includes Philadelphia. Until I retired in December I was able to use NJ Transit for half price, but not on the train to Phili and it cost as much to go from Newark to Phili as it does to get to Newark, but only a few dollars more to just get a regular ticket all the way). A second pretty cool option is to transfer to the Riverline at Newark. It is light rail to Camden only $1.50 each direction ticket is good for 2 hours, stamp ticket just before going on. It goes to Camden. At the transit center you can take a subway over the bridge to Phili, get off at 8th street and you are just about 2 blocks from the interesting stuff. Go and take a Duck Tour or one of the others for your first trip then walk or use the trolley to go to places you like for your return trips. The Phili zoo is fantastic.

The Subway and computer trains are fantastic. There was a while in the late 1970s and early 80s where they were not that good and still has a reputation from that time. But on the subway you can be beside bums and millionaires. I am not positive but there was someone standing in front of a man and woman and we exchanged pleasantries. Over hearing their discussion they were clearly working in show business and very successful and my friend pointed out that he looks just like Gene Wilder.

There is affordable accommodations outside of the city. some of the Newark airport hotels are easy to get to and quite affordable (although the airport train station costs a bit more than other train stations). But just go to someplace along the commuter train lines don't worry about the expensive parking and take the train in and subway and walk and of course don't miss the Staten Island ferry.

I grew up in NY, lived there for at 25 years before moving with FFT to CA. Only lived there a number of months before moving back to NY. Than moved to Lancaster, MA. Been here ever since, did live in FL for about 1 yr and 1/2 before having to move back here to MA for the grandkids. But I do know what your talking about as to reguards to NYC. If I had the choice I would live there again. The greatest city bar none. Have ridden the subways many times, the Staten Island ferry many times also. Used to live not to far from the Zoo. One of the best zoos in the country. Have been to the Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, church a number of times. Have driven the streets of NY many times. Have also walked the streets of NY. Ah is amazing, when talking about NY, it brings back many memories.