How is it that neither Machu Picchu nor the Taj Mahal is on the list?
Surely two of the most touristed spots on the earth. Your list is very Euro centric, in my opinion.
A somewhat pitiful 4, considering I’ve been to a fair number of countries, though I’ve been outside the checkpoint Charlie museum I think. Come to think of it, I might have visited the Trevi Fountain as well, but I was teenage and jetlagged to hell and back, so I can’t remember.
I live less than 50 miles from Stonehenge, and ain’t been there yet. I’ll get round to it someday.
I can’t believe that a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center is on the list (though I notice that the article also lists Paradise Cove, which is a different location. The PCC Luau is inside a building, not on the beach, and it’s run by Mormons, so no alcohol. It may be “authentic”, but it’s dull as hell.
I questioned some of them myself. To answer your question they came from an article I referenced in the OP from Budget Travel Magazine
Only two - Cafe du Monde in Nola and the Space Needle. I’ve got some catching up to do.
I would definitely count them; because I did count them in my number. I’ve been to the Statue of Liberty, the purpose of the trip was to see the Statue of Liberty. No I didn’t go inside but I made a specific trip to see the SoL
Now maybe if the Louvre was on the list, I could see not counting it if you hadn’t been inside of it; because the Louvre is mostly about what’s inside.
Ditto. Almost none of those are tourist “traps” - just cool/interesting things that happen to be very popular. I thought the list would be full of things like the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum and Madame Tussaud’s - those are my ideas of “traps.”
Anyway, I’ve been to 11.
Not a single one. I did go up in the arch in St. Louis. And I go to plenty of places with cheesy gift shops. But nothing on that list.
After reading this; a light bulb went on. The article isn’t about tourist traps, it’s about the BEST tourist traps. The Empire State Building isn’t on there because it’s a HORRIBLE tourist trap! My God, Never was I so disappointed as when I went to the ESB. The ratio between payoff to the pain in the ass of waiting in line for HOURS to get to the top made it something I’d never do again. Conversely If I were in NYC, It wouldn’t bother me a bit to see the Statue of Liberty again.
I look at this list like I do with my personal rating system for movies. “Would I be willing to see it again?” Regarding the other locations you mentioned, Colibri… All I can say is that this isn’t an article written by a travel writer; I’m pretty sure it’s just a bunch of random reader submissions. So, know going into it that’s probably a flawed list.
Only three: Tower of London, Statue of Liberty, and the Capitol. The latter two I saw as a kid.
I did go to a Hawaiian luau, but it was on Maui.
Space Needle, US Capitol Building, and Ipanema Beach. I’ve seen the Statue of Liberty from a distance but didn’t go to it specifically, so I didn’t count that.
A lousy five! Greece, Italy, and U.S.
I’ve hit all the US ones and every European one but Checkpoint Charlie. Probably because the last time I was in Germany there were still two of them!
Same three for me, and they are apparently the three most popular around here.
Does driving by Graceland count? Or does one have to pony up cash and actually go inside. We did drive by specifically to drive by Graceland (i.e., not by chance).
Same with The Tower of London. I’ve been outside, but not inside. I’m kind of surprised that London’s tourist trap is the tower. I thought it would be something like westminster abbey. I guess I should have gone inside.
Only nine, including horseback riding (not some touristy ride-a-camel thing, though I’e done that too - REAL horseback riding) around the Pyramids of Giza, which is patently uber-cool.
As to stories, just one: while in Beijing, we arranged a grip to the Great Wall through our hotel. About a dozen of us, including my not-especially-fit parents in law, got on the bus. When we arrived, the guide said: “If you go right, that’s the easy walk. If you go left, it is rather challenging.” Of course my in-laws took off to the right, but my husband and I soldiered off to the left. It WAS rather difficult in spots - really, really, really steep. But we persevered - that’s the kind of challenge I am constitutionally unable to turn away from. Lots of other tourists huffed and puffed around us, but we weren’t paying any attention to them.
Eventually, we got to a spot where that section of the wall just ended - it was impossible to go any further. There were a group of us who had made it - far smaller than the number of people who had confidently set out in the same direction at the entrance.
The weird part was that, except for my in-laws, the group at the end was composed of EXACTLY the group from our hotel: no one had dropped out, and no one had joined us. Given that we were all exploring independently, and there were plenty of other tourists around, that was a striking coincidence.
The other funny thing was that I had a sweatshirt tied around my waist that was a reference to those old commercials for an elderly emergency call service - if you are old enough, you’ll probably remember them: “Ive’ fallen, and I can’t get up!” “Don’t worry, Mrs. Fletcher, we’re on the way!”
My shirt had a fallen stick figure, and the inscription: “‘I’VE FALLEN, AND I CAN’T GET UP’ - Mrs. Fletcher.”
Well, one of the people from our hotel who made it was named Mrs. Fletcher, and she was quite exhausted. She made her husband take a photo of my backside, where the sweatshirt picture and inscription was clearly on display, with the Great Wall as a backdrop.
10 for me, but that list is pretty odd IMO.
Despite having traveled quite a bit, I was only able to check off six on that list.
Part of this comes from never wanting to go to the tourist traps - far happier to spend time at local cafes or roaming side streets, etc. than going to some tourist trap. For instance, I used to have to walk through the Empire State Building in NYC (not on list) on the way to work (as a short cut), but never once deemed it necessary to actually go to the top of it.
I did go to a Luau in Maui - and boy, you NEVER need to do that! Trust me. The worst buffet in Las Vegas is 100 times better than that crap.
By far the biggest waste of time on this list was my visit to the Eiffel Tower - I was dragged there, and hated every minute of it. Total waste of time and money to feel like cattle stuffed in tiny elevators.
Seven for me. I’ve been to all of the ones I was near, with the exception of Blarney Castle in Ireland. Pepper Mill and I refused to go to what seemed to be mainly a hyped-up tourist site (not that others on the list aren’t). There are plenty of better and more representational places in Ireland – Glendalough, Newgrange, Rock of Cashel, Tara – all Blarney really has going for it is name recognition among Americans.
I’ve been to only 8, but I visited Stonehenge in 1964 when it was still possible to go up to the stones, rest your back against one, etc. It was fascinating, but that experience is not possible today. I think the Eiffel Tower, the Seattle space needle (and the CN Tower, just as impressive as the Seattle needle) are vastly over-rated. Versailles, however, which I also visited in 1964, was unforgettable. The Temple of Chion-In in Kyoto ought to be near the top of that list. The Philosopher’s walk in the same city was very interesting, the old Imperial Palace less so. But the temple of Kiyo-Misadera, however it is spelled, was also worth a visit.