How Overrated Is Venice?

We spend a lot of time here at TheExpeditioner.com going on and on about places to visit and sights to see around the world, but it begs the question: aren’t there plenty of places you shouldn’t travel to? Of course there are, I just don’t think there’s much use spilling a lot of ink talking about them.

Unless of course you’re trying to do a whole “High Fidelity” thing, putting together a top-5 (or in this case, top-10) list of the most overrated places on Earth, like what was done over at Frommer’s.

Their list includes such neighborhoods as New York’s Little Italy (tourist trap, few to zero actual Italians); and Harajuku, Tokyo (tourist trap, after-school hangout). Whole cities get thrown into the mix here as well, including Vancouver (or as they refer to it: “Blandcouver”), and, wait for it, Venice. Yeah, that’s going to provoke a few arguments.

And because I can’t help butting in with my own opinion for lists like these, I’ll throw a couple out there.

How about Times Square? If you want to come all the way to New York City to spend time in a section of the city that seems nothing like New York, then here’s your place.

What about the Eiffel Tower? Great as a landmark, terrible as an actual destination. Why? Same reason as Times Square. Your thoughts?