Cities that are worth multiple visits. ANd which ones are non

In My Humble Opinion
21

Clarksdale is considered the center of where the blues was born. Morgan Freeman’s bar there is called “Ground Zero”.

Personally, I liked it better before it became a blues version of Nashville, with all the tourist traps and higher prices. I admit that I’m biased because I used to play in bars there, but now the only acts they want (other than big names) are “local” acts, half of whom seem to have moved there recently from places like Long Island and L.A. But Clarksdale’s still got good live music, and there are lots of blues history sites nearby. If you love the blues, it’s worth multiple visits.

I’ve never been to Holly Springs.

22

I enjoyed a brief trip to Miami, but it was for a business trip. Sampled some of the pretentious restaurants and bars. We did walk on the beach a bit and I am an annoying idiot, but I didn’t do any posing. Also went one other time for an overnight layover on the way to Brazil. Stayed in a Days Inn where the staff ranged from indifferent to outright hostile, and received a complimentary gift of itching bedbug bites all over my legs for the rest of my vacation.

I did notice that for many Miami drivers, the right-of-way (or well-being) of pedestrians in their path did not appear to be a top concern. The more thoughtful ones would lay on the horn before barreling down on you.

So, yeah. I guess I’m not super motivated to return there just to visit.

23

Multi-Visit: NY, SF, London, Paris, New Delhi, Montreal, Barcelona

One Visit OK: most of the other touristy US cities (including Boston, New Orleans, Vegas, Denver, DC, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle), Toronto, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Mexico City, Mumbai, Tokyo, Madrid

I am trying to leave out cities like Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, because while they are all very nice, I’ve gone there solely for business and they aren’t top of mind for leisure travel.

There are some places that I believe, objectively, are ok as one-shots for tourists, but I go there all the time due to having family, friends or professional obligations: Boston, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Chicago.

24

“No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

– Dr Samuel Johnson

25

Nashville - we’ve been there at least ten times. Country Music Hall of Fame, Lane Motor Museum, Music Valley Car Museum, Opryland and the Nashville Zoo etc.

Be sure to stay at the Opryland hotel. Get a room that has a balcony overlooking theindoor atrium. It’s a beautiful hotel that takes several hours to explore fully.

We always visit the country music bars every time. Great music along Honky Tonk Row on Broadway. Trip Adviser lists the best ones.

26

Cities to avoid - Dallas and St Louis. Crime ridden, heavy traffic, and there’s just not much to do.

Memphis is worth one trip. Get a room at The Peabody, see the famous marching ducks, visit Graceland, and go to the Beale Street Bars for some great blues music.

27

Asian Edition:

Multi-visit: Hong Kong, Beijing

Every now and then: Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Chengdu, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai (for the surrounding countryside)

Once or twice: Guangzhou, Nanjing, Xi’an, Hanoi, Georgetown

Once is enough: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Yogyakarta, Mandalay, Yangon

Skip if possible: Manila, Jakarta, Vientiane

28

I’d live in Hanoi. What’s not to like? Again, this seems meaningless with no criteria.

29

my cities worth a multiple visit:

Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Siem Riep (where Angkor Wat is), Bangkok, Varanasi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Delhi, Sydney, Katmandu

Single visit cities:
Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Mumbai, Saigon (Ho chi minh city)

Not even once:
Jakarta

30

Hanoi was fine, that’s why I recommend going once or twice. Not sure if I’d want to live there though. I didn’t feel a strong draw to the country and went through it faster than any other in the region. Maybe the culture is a bit more aggressive? Got scammed a couple of times and found Thais and Cambodians to be friendlier.

Edit: Siem Reap is alright but nothing too special. Angkor on the other hand is incredible and I would love to go back.

31

Cities I’ve visited multiple times and will again and again and again: Rome, New York, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Key West.

One and done: Paris, Stockholm, Los Angeles, Peoria.

32

Here’s my list:

Multiple visits:

US: New York*, Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans*, maybe San Antonio.

Abroad: Rome, London*, Paris, Edinburgh, Amsterdam

Single visits (not saying they’re not fun, just that a second trip wouldn’t be very satisfying):

US: Dallas/Fort Worth*, Houston*, Austin*, Kansas City*, Orange County(Costa Mesa/Irvine anyway)*

Abroad: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Delft, Vienna, Oxford*, Milan

On the bubble (ones that I’m not quite sure- I’d like to visit again, but have my doubts):

Abroad: Prague, Budapest, Florence, Bath.
(* = places that I have actually been to multiple times)

33

Obviously, it depends on your own personal interests. St. Louis (to me) is worth a visit on any day in baseball season, but not Atlanta or Phoenix. As a birdwatcher, I’d never pass up a chance to take my binoculars to Miami. If you’re interested in dining, you’d go back to New Orleans, but not Pittsburgh. But without those particular special interests, the opinions of anyone else about those cities is not germane to your own travel plans.

34

Globally. if I were offered a RTW ticket limited only to stops in cities I had already been in before, I would choose Budapest, Lagos, Teheran, Bangkok, Medellin.

35

Not all inclusive, reflecting my own experience:

Multiple: NYC, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tucson, Portland, Santa Fe, Vancouver

Once: Houston, Galveston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Miami, Nashville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Ashville, Huntsville, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Orlando, Madison, Indianapolis

Not even once: Detroit, Toledo, Hamilton, Gary, Cleveland, Buffalo, Dallas

36

Would return to: Berlin. Berlin is ALSO the Washington DC of Germany: it’s a major internal tourist destination without being a top 10 international tourist destination.

Once is enough: Chicago, Hong Kong.
I don’t know why I would go back. What am I missing?

Not worth traveling around the world for a 3 day visit (any city in AUS). Great place to live. Astonishingly empty outback. Cultural experience meeting different people. Good jobs. Bay, Bridge, Reef, Rock. Cheaper than London, Paris, NY. More cosmopolitan than Bend, Oregon. Safer than Detroit. But you’ve only got two weeks leave?

37

Multiple visits:
Cartagena, Colombia
Valletta, Malta

Singe visit is enough:
Nome, AK
Basseterre, St Kitts

38

From my own experience:

One visit: Las Vegas, Toronto, San Diego, Honolulu, Savannah

More than one: Boston, New York, Montreal, Chicago, Washington DC, Paris, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Lahaina

Not worth visiting: Miami,

39

Quit ragging on Cleveland, the only dopefests I’ve ever attended were there.

40

Wow, I never knew Miami was such a hated city. I’ll avoid it.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates Helsinki. We stopped there on a cruise and for such a prosperous country, I couldn’t figure out how their capital looked like Soviet era crap. They ran out of stuff to show us on a city tour after about an hour. “Here’s the capital building, some lame Olympic stadium from the 1950s, a church built into some rocks, and a bunch of pipes commemorating a composer you’ve never heard of. Oh…but look at all the saunas!” Yes, it looked like a bunch of oversized outhouses on the beach. Seriously, this is culture? Who broke Finland?

Istanbul is my most surprising “multiple visit” city. I was amazed how much there was to see and I barely thought I saw a fraction of it.

As far as one visit places…anywhere in the Caribbean. A nice beach is a nice beach…St. Lucia, Martinique, Aruba, Bonair, Grand Cayman are all interchangeable. My advice is go wherever it’s cheap and you speak the language. Martinique was expensive and French, so two strikes against it.