# Best 'touristy' place you've ever stayed?



## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

This year we toured from St Malo, down to coast to La Rochelle, in to the Dordogne, toured around a lot seeing cathedrals, abbeys, lovely medieval towns and villages, prehistoric cave paintings, beautifulul scenery, countryside and rivers.
Then we felt a bit 'cathedralled' out and thought we'd go to the coast so, having done the Cote'd'Azur before, decided to go to the Perpignan coast. We ended up at Canet Plage, took lots of trips along the coast and in to Perpignan and then went in to Spain to avoid the fuel blockades and football hooligans. 
So we spent a week in Roses on an ACSI site and then went round the coast a short way to L'Escala with a new promenade and modern hotels at one end, an old town in the middle where there is a campsite and an old harbour and roman ruins.
All the coastal places you could say are touristy and modern but very pleasant and have interest of their own and surprisingly pleasant.
So - what about you? Have you got a favourite 'touristy' place.
Going in to Spain and Portugal next year along the Costas to start with so any good places (touristy or not) would be welcome.
Thanks.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I moseyed along the Dordogne from Le Bugue to Sarlat this year and thoroughly enjoyed all the wee villages along the way.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

For me it would be Annecy. We were there in May 2015 and it was pretty busy although the ACSI that we stayed on was very quiet. Annecy town is lovely and the scenery is stunning. We cycled around most of the lake and everywhere you look there are great views. Going there has whetted my appetite for the Alps and hopefully we will be heading that way for our Spring trip. The Dordogne is of course very touristy but also a lovely place to visit in the Spring or Autumn.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Agree with all above. Annecy is very touristy but still lovely and of course its the gateway to some of the best scenery in the French Alps, most of it a scooter ride away or within an hour in the van when you want to escape it all. Everyone should do Annecy at least once on Bastile day. Its just bonkers. I Can remember in 2009 being their on Bastile day (14th of July) we parked for a couple of nights outside a college (there were motorhomes all over) and after a few beers went swimming in the lake on a barmy night around midnight. There were loads of people still in the water and then there were fireworks going off everywhere. Brilliant.

Michelle loves Mont st Michele as well (Second most visited place after Paris I think).

The Ardeche and Vallon Pont D'Arc in the Ardeche Gorges is another one that is manic in peak season but a good atmosphere.

I like lake Titasee in the Black Forest in Germany (Child hood memories always draw me back there). The little lake is lovely and the town is just chocolate box touristy with cuckoo clock shops etc everywhere. Totally touristy but in a good way.

I quite like dipping into the touristy areas now and again, when you have had enough its easy enough to escape them in a motorhome.


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## WildThingsKev (Dec 29, 2009)

Lourdes; would be bottom of my list. Jackie says Venice but I think cities shouldn't be included so I'm going for Sarlat, Les Eyzies and the Vezere. Until it snows, then a ski resort like Cortina d'Ampezza for sure.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm with Michelle I love mont st Michael 

But not likely to do it again, can't do the steps anymore

Annecy is lovely, and holds such lovely memories as we were organised in the aire by masters, completely and happily blocked in with military precision, to fit twice as many vans as should be there, and about turn to let every one out at there allotted time

I loved Assisi, and of course the Mosel, Carcassonne, Brugge, Amsterdam , and Monets garden in 
Giverny 
Rovinj in Istra Croatia , Krka falls , Trogir , Innsbruck 
So so many

We are all so lucky to be able to visit these places in the van

Sandra


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

I'd forgotten about Annecy - went there once and loved. I don't think we're going that way this year - although we often change our minds once we get over the water.
This year we're planning more in Spain and Portugal as we haven't done past Granada before.
We went t Torre del Mar one year and liked that for a touristy place and the bus service to Malaga and other places is good.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We stayed at Torre del mar last year 

Definately touristy although the supermarket is to die for, the fish and meat brilliant 

We stayed there with Mees so the company was great

Would I go again, dont think so , but to be fair we don't do long term staying as a rule, and it's a long way for a short stay

Good for a winter long stay 

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Actually I quite like Lourdes. Well Mrs D really likes it. The shops and the town are a bit tacky and rotten but I quite like the atmosphere on a weekend around the Basilica and the torchlight procession. Then its only a short drive up into the mountains which I suppose you could also list as top tourist attractions. Gavarnie, Cauterets, Cirque de Troumouse (Anywhere in the Pyrenees National Park really).

The Eiger, Matterhorn, Junfrau in Switzerland, Dolomites in Italy. The list goes on.

Your right Sandra about being lucky enough to do them in the van. I bet if I listed all the places we have been since we got the van in 2008 most people would be lucky to do half of them in a life time


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I also like Lourdes 

I first visited it 44 yrs ago on route to Israel 

It's so completely touristy

But in between are people who have such faith and hope 

And it doesn't really matter whether we agree with them or not 

Only that we absorb the tangible hope that they have

Whatever they are hoping will be solved one way or another 

It affects me the same as the Western wall in Jerusalem 

People praying to their God, to my God 

With more hope and faith than me 

Or more desperation 

Sandra


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Lourdes is Awful. Annecy, Albi, Arles, Beziers. Dolomites spot on. San Sebastian and... could go on and on. each to their own. I often say to Mrs that some of my favourite and best recalled aires were in the most nondescript, unremarkable French towns with little to see or hear except a river.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

True 

But that was not the question

The best TOURISTY places
We had a lovely trip down the dalmation coast 

Little coves, swimming in the sea well away from touristy sites

There are hundreds of those

I never posted those here in our own Gt Britain 

Sandra


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

Albi for the cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. The cathedral is so overdecorated so as to rub the Cathars noses in it and the museum was enjoyable to me even though I am an arch-philistine around art.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

A place that really surprised me as to its unspoilt appeal was Saint Tropez. Mind you it was out of season. Felt like a factory farmed tourist in Venice last year but won't have missed it. Similarly in Prague this year, Brno is a gem though as was Bratislava that is a bit poorer and cheaper. Budapest were we are now is on a par with London I would say tourist wise very grand. As was Vienna that I really liked, it was big enough to dilute the tourists.

Balaton and then Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea. Looking forward to it, a bit cold but dry.

Dick


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I found that Butlins in Saltdean Brighton, very touristy and exciting, but I cannot tell you why.It is all in my single past (1965).Nowhere else has risen to the occasion so frequently. 00:love2:

cabby


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well as you get older cabby

Rising to the occasion gets more difficult

I almost said harder >>

Not that I have personal experience 

Sandra :grin2:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Glandwr said:


> *A place that really surprised me as to its unspoilt appeal was Saint Tropez*. Mind you it was out of season. Felt like a factory farmed tourist in Venice last year but won't have missed it. Similarly in Prague this year, Brno is a gem though as was Bratislava that is a bit poorer and cheaper. Budapest were we are now is on a par with London I would say tourist wise very grand. As was Vienna that I really liked, it was big enough to dilute the tourists.
> 
> Balaton and then Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea. Looking forward to it, a bit cold but dry.
> 
> Dick


I agree. We have been a few times now. Out of the entire trip down the Cote D'Azur last year its one of the best bits. Still got a bit of a laid back cool vibe and the best Kebab shop in France.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Hunstanton/Blackpool take your pick... and at the other end of the scale... Zermatt. Ditto many of the others quoted.


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks all. Keep them coming if you like. Such wonderful memories of so many diverse places. As has been said were are SO lucky to be able to experience all these amazing places.
We did the Les Eyzie/Sarlat etc etc this year and really enjoyed it. The Rough Guide was qite 'sniffy' about Les Eyzie but ithe musuem are really interesting and the pre-history in the area fascinating so its a good base.
Likewise The Cote D'Azur which we did a few years ago - we stayed in the municpal site at Cassis and enjoyed train rides all along the coast to Nice.
Vienna and Prague are definitely on my to do list as is Lourdes - I'm not at all religious but I think ts some where you should experience. We went to St Michell this year. There was a mass going on, the singing was so beautiful it bought tears to my eyes.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Biarritz is another one I like. Its always a really buzzing town. One time we were there was the day of a big Rugby match and there was a kind of impromptu carnival going on in the streets. There was a flat bed truck with a PA system and music going round with some mad bloke dressed as a Native American singing and getting the crowd going. People were flocking out of shops and businesses to join in. I think Rugby is big in Biarittz. Last time we were there we were down on one of the lovely beaches in the town and mid afternoon the beaches all filled up with teenagers from the local schools and colleges. They were either surfing, swimming or snogging and generally having a superb time. Its an incredibly "good looking" town as well. I remember thinking there are no ugly people here.  What a great place for these kids to grow up. Swimming and surfing after school with your pals, in the winter they can be skiing up in the Pyrenees in an hour or two. No wonder they all looked so fit.


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Can't agree with St Tropez or biarritz, but loved Alvor in Portugal, don't think i have seen so many irish bars in so small a place, old town fishing port area. Brillaint fish restaurants great walk along the boardwalk. Like Cambrils in Spain too, we were directed to a lovely restaurant, no one spoke english well about as much as I do Spanish, food was incredible. Great beaches picturesque marina. Quite like Benidorm old town and the market was something else, but doubt we will visit again John hated it, but think that was because he had to carry the casette because i was poorly. (I still had to go with him to empty it though lol)
Sue


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Salzburg in Austria is a good one. I can provide you with the GPS co-ordinates for all the Sound of Music film locations.  However, you might prefer to do a proper guided tour rather than the one I made up to do ourselves. Worra carry on. Flying around Salzburg and the surrounding area on the scooter trying to find them all listening to the Sat nav in my ear piece and still getting lost. Lovely city though and of course on the edge of the Austrian Lake district which is stunning when you get fed up of running around singing "The Hills are Alive" or "Doe Ray Me"!


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## Littlebt (May 19, 2012)

So what's a Touristy Place??? I dont think it's what I would find in the local Tourist Office ! It's personal choice and often based around your lifestyle.

Though I love the character of everywhere we visit from Villages to Cities my Touristy Thing would be to try and hang out with the locals and find the best Restaurants I can.

I like to really enjoy the feel of anywhere we stay for a few days and often feel like a local when I leave,it's quite amazing how people accept you through the simple art of communication.

Touristy? I don't live there,I'm a Tourist on Tour.

Brian


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

The most touristy place that surprised me the most for being nowhere near as tacky as I thought it would be was Gracelands.

Not being Elvis fans we were in two minds whether to bother, but being in Memphis - why not? How bad could it be and it didn't look like it was even very expensive.

Went up to the window and the first thing we were asked was "Did we qualify for any of their discounts? My reply was "Such as?" the lady replied "AAA for example"

"Well no, I said we are from Britain, but I am a member of the AA" and showed her my membership card. "That will do fine" she said and knocked 25% off the tickets.

The exhibits were well executed, all the staff were polite and helpful, the food in any of the eating places was no dearer than outside and we really couldn't find anything wrong.

We just couldn't believe just how different the experience was from some of the tourist rip-offs in Europe and Dis(mal)ney everywhere.


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Good thread, every year we seem to end up in Vannes which has a lovely old section of the town and being beside the golf de Morbihan gives us lots of cycle options. The town is quite touristy without being tacky. Stayed 14th July this year for fireworks and parades which were excellent.

For proper seaside touristy we always seem to stay at St Pierre Quiberon and cycle round the peninsula. Lovely place with a nice atmosphere. Both of these locations are enroute from Roscoff as we head either south or homewards northbound, so they make a nice final couple of stopovers.

A third village we love in the seaside category is Le Croisic, north of St Nazairre.

We get most of our culture and church visiting in more inland locations.

Davy


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

What could be more touristy than Edinburgh? Not tacky though, just overcrowded and expensive. The welcome though, as in the whole of Scotland actually, was awesome.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Vegas in an RV for 'touristy'.

Ray.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

HermanHymer said:


> What could be more touristy than Edinburgh? Not tacky though, just overcrowded and expensive. The welcome though, as in the whole of Scotland actually, was awesome.


Bruges???

Overcrowded, expensive AND tacky.

But nowhere near as bad as EuroDismal.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

HermanHymer said:


> What could be more touristy than Edinburgh? Not tacky though, just overcrowded and expensive. *The welcome though, as in the whole of Scotland actually, was awesome*.


Oh I dunno, I go the sh1t kicked out of me in Edinburgh once.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

So let's look at our own

The Lake District 

No longer Can I walk the fells , the mountains, the passes

But ifyoucan then you can escape the tourist sites 

Stand on helvellan and stare at the tarn in the bottom ,walk the cathedral route to pillar

Send the memory of a dog who traversed the snow to find a safe route for you to follow

Walk the route via Lords rake to scar fell pike, in the footsteps in deep snow of someone who traversed before you

Play wagner onthe tops of those mountains 

Feel the total freedom as you climb dungeon Gill through the water falls

Remember the hound who fell and refused to go there and climb again , and bad step on bowfell, where he preferred to run on a long detour and meet us at the top

And remember the pubs were you met those who had climbed the same mountains that day

And your kids that you dragged relentlessly up those mountains

As they slowly came to love them

We really don't need to leave our shores

Sandra


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

suedew said:


> ...Quite like Benidorm old town and the market was something else, but doubt we will visit again John hated it, but think that was because he had to carry the casette because i was poorly. (I still had to go with him to empty it though lol)
> Sue


I liked Benidorm old town too. I took a train with others from an MHF meet in Denia - quite prepared to hate it but it was lovely.

Tho I can't imagine I would have liked it much if I was lugging our full thetford!!


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

jiwawa said:


> I liked Benidorm old town too. I took a train with others from an MHF meet in Denia - quite prepared to hate it but it was lovely.
> 
> Tho I can't imagine I would have liked it much if I was lugging our full thetford!!


We visited Benidorm often when we had a little place 10 miles away, the shopping and restaurants were good. However for the beach we preferred San Juan, really safe for our 11 yr.old :smile2:

tony


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I'm with Ray on this one.

My OH HATED Las Vegas but I could simply have walked round and people watched forever. It is _so_ OTT, with the obsessed gamblers mindlessly feeding buckets of coins into slot machines 24/7, the all-you-can-eat buffets that cost practically nothing as they want you in the building, gambling, the truly tacky big hotels with bigger, brighter everything, the glitz and glitter and lights, and yet, 5 minutes down the highway you're back in a desert with stunning sunsets, tumbleweed, coyotes and roadrunners.

I don't think I could have done more than a few days but am very glad we did do it and it's up there with my more cultural favourites.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> I'm with Ray on this one.
> My OH HATED Las Vegas but I could simply have walked round and people watched forever. It is _so_ OTT, with the obsessed gamblers mindlessly feeding buckets of coins into slot machines 24/7, the all-you-can-eat buffets that cost practically nothing as they want you in the building, gambling, the truly tacky big hotels with bigger, brighter everything, the glitz and glitter and lights, and yet, 5 minutes down the highway you're back in a desert with stunning sunsets, tumbleweed, coyotes and roadrunners.
> I don't think I could have done more than a few days but am very glad we did do it and it's up there with my more cultural favourites.


So true G.
Our first visit we were in awe.!!!! But subsequent visits revealed the tacky money grabbing side. Hookers, buskers, beggers, drunks and construction all the time.
The most ridiculous thing I ever saw with the whole 'strip' ablaze with lights, was a notice on our bedside table to turn our light off when we go out to save electricity?
But with the Colarado river lower than it's ever been and the Hoover Dam in danger of not producing enough electricity, Vegas could just become another American ghost town in time.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

aldra said:


> So let's look at our own
> 
> The Lake District
> 
> ...


I agree Sandra. I must have spent half my life there. I can be out Kayaking or cycling around Ullswater in less than an hour from here. It has to be probably the loveliest place in the UK. We are surrounded by wonderful places here. I live at the top of the North Yorkshire Dales and have the Lake district to the west, the Dales all around me and the Yorkshire Coast with stunning places like Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and Flamborough Head to the east, Northumberland to the North East, Scotland in just over an hour. However I am not sure I agree with your last statement. I love them all but they are not the Alps, Pyrenees or Cote D'Azur which are just better.  Oh and sunnier and warmer (Most of the time).


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