5 Most Disappointing Attractions in Europe

There are world-famous attractions that people dream of seeing their whole lives, but many of them don't (or can't) live up to that amount of hype. In fact, there's a whole phenomenon (Paris Syndrome) that occurs in extreme cases when the reality just doesn't match up with the fantasy.

Here are our top five most disappointing attractions in Europe:

Manneken Pis (Belgium) - Can you spot the world-famous attraction in the picture above? A little difficult, isn't it? Unfortunately the Manneken Pis, a cheeky fountain of a naked little boy peeing from atop a pedestal, is a quirky attraction that has been completely overwhelmed by the hordes that come to photograph it. To top it off, the city of Brussels often insists on dressing the poor lad in outlandish seasonal costumes that completely obscure it.

Photo by Henry Sivonen

Eiffel Tower (Paris) - Now before you get upset with me, I'm not saying you shouldn't see the Eiffel Tower... you most definitely should. What I'm suggesting is that the rather nice view from the top is not worth spending three hours of your Paris holiday in a queue. There are other lovely places to get panoramic views of Paris from, like La Tour Montparnasse or La Sacre Coeur in Montmarte.

Photo by Andrew Crump

Loch Ness (Scotland) - See that pretty, tranquil, and rather mundane lake pictured above? That's Loch Ness. Yup, that's it. Looks like most lakes you've seen right? Now you can stop kidding yourself that you'll be the person to finally spot the fabled Loch Ness Monster and admit that the only thing waiting for you there is overpriced plush seamonsters. Granted, there are some nice castles nearby, but whether that's worth taking the trip out is another matter.

Photo by Dave Conner

Mona Lisa (Paris) - Of all the thousands of priceless works of art in the Louvre Museum, the Mona Lisa is the one everyone makes a beeline for. One of the most well-known paintings in the world, the subtle beauty and timeless mystery of the masterpiece are best enjoyed at home with a detailed picture, as this is likely to be the best view you get (unless you're exceptionally pushy).

Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

Gondola Rides (Venice) - It's a romantic image: two people sitting cosily in a gondola while their gondolier serenades them with Verdi operettas as he glides them through the Grand Canals of Venice . Unfortunately the smooth ride resembles Friday afternoon gridlock, with boatloads of tourists snapping pictures of each other as they squeeze past each other. The rides are also prohibitively expensive, starting at €80 for 40 minutes and getting even pricier after dark.

Photo by NH53

Travel Movie: Roman Holiday

This classic 1953 travel film practically invented a genre. Since then Gidget, Lizzie McGuire, and even Sabrina the Teenage Witch have all had their own Roman Holidays. In fact, there are over 60 films set in Rome, not even counting ancient sword-and-sandals epics.

But this is the original Rome-antic comedy. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck fall in love while whizzing around the city on a Vespa and taking in sites like the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trastevere, and other iconic Roman attractions.

The movie introduced Audrey Hepburn to American audiences, and won her an Oscar to boot.

Verdict: Buy it

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Open to US residents.

Photo by urban capture.

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #10

Here are the hot topics people are talking about on the Word Travels Forum this week:

Travel in Egypt

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Remember you can ask your travel-related questions on the forum and our local experts will find the answer for you!

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #08

It's round-up time! Here are the questions people are asking in the world of travel this week:

Getting Around Dubai Airport

Solo Female Traveller in South Africa

Planning a Trip to Italy

Not the info you need? Ask our experts!

Travel Movie: Eurotrip

Okay, so this isn't the most mature travel movie ever. But it pretty much epitomises what every American teenager imagines when they dream of a trip to Europe: sex, drugs, crazy people with accents, beautiful sites, and the most memorable times of their lives.

Four teenagers take a whirlwind trip through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin, and Rome, in order for one to find the girl of his dreams.

Negative stereotypes notwithstanding, the movie has some pretty funny scenes, including a robot dance-off, an impromptu Sheena Easton singalong in a London pub, and one of Matt Damon's best cameos to date.

4 Islands You Wouldn't Want to Visit

We tend to concentrate on places that sound fantastic to visit, but there are a few islands that don't sound great for romantic getaways. Here are four islands you wouldn't want to visit:

Poveglia Island

Located between Venice and Lido in Italy, Poveglia island has a dark and gruesome history. It was traditionally the place where plague sufferers were exiled (and sometimes murdered), and in the 20th century was reportedly used as a mental asylum. Rumours and myth are hard to distinguish, but no one seems to want to live there and it is still uninhabited today.

Ilha de Queimada Grande

While tropical islands come at a premium and developers fight over building rights for luxury resorts, no one is fighting over the lovely Ilha de Queimada Grande in Brazil, or even trying to go. That's because there's an estimated 4-5 snakes per square metre there. And we're not talking harmless garden snakes, but huge poisonous golden lanceheads.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Not so much an island as a nightmare, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex) is a mass the size of Texas floating somewhere in the central Pacific Ocean. It is made up entirely of trash brought to a specific point by ocean currents. Heart-breaking images have surfaced of turtles, birds and fish who have died from ingesting the plastic debris.

Izu Islands

Residents of several islands in the Izu archipelago of Japan are required to carry gas masks with them wherever they go. Why? The ever-present volcanic emissions, which give the island the pervading stench of rotten eggs.

Travel Movie: The Tourist

Critics aren't being kind to The Tourist, a suspenseful vehicle for stars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. With a Rotten Tomato rating of only 20%, most are decrying the absurd plot and wooden performances. One thing they can agree on, however, is the beauty of the Italian setting.

The film is attempting to bring Hitchcock-ian glamour and intrigue to the landscape with the impeccably turned-out Jolie sauntering from one location to the next. The sumptuous backdrops of the Venice Canals are doing all the work, it seems.

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #04

Here are the most popular topics on the Word Travels Forum right now:

Planning a Trip to Italy

Dubai Airport Layout

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Not what you need to know? Remember, you can search the forum for posts related to your question, or post it yourself for our experts to answer!

Travel Movie: Eat Pray Love

Who doesn’t want an all-expenses-paid trip around the world to get over a divorce? Based on the best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love follows her journey to Italy, where she learns to eat; India, where she learns to pray; and Bali, where she finds love.

Played by queen of quirk Julia Roberts, the film has largely fallen flat with critics who adore the beautiful settings but can't quite reconcile the fast-food spiritualism. Nevertheless, it has grossed over $80 million dollars in the US.

Whether or not you're excited by the idea of a paint-by-numbers journey of spiritual discovery, the cinematography captures the charm of Rome and gorgeous Balinese vistas, with some mouth-watering shots of food (and Javier Bardem!) thrown in as a side dish.

Eat Pray Love is currently showing in South African theaters, and will be available on DVD in the US from November 23rd.