The world's most disappointing tourist attractions

The Taj Mahal. La Sagrada Familia. The Grand Canyon. These are places that give visitors goose bumps and must be seen in person. The kinds of places that photographs just can't do justice. I know that when I arrived at the Taj Mahal my jaw dropped. I was in awe. But not all travel destinations live up to the hype. All to often, you arrive at your prized spot only to snap a perfunctory photo and get back into your rental car feeling disenchanted and cheated. The Sydney Morning Herald did us a solid and put together their list of the world's most disappointing tourist attractions.

Included on the list are Buckingham Palace ("It's just a big grey building."), the Spanish Steps in Rome ("It's hard to get excited about a flight of stairs...") and New York's Times Square ("And what's there to look at once you arrive? Billboards?").

I missed the Spanish Steps when I was in Rome because I decided to take a nap instead of joining my friends on that walk. Their reaction when they returned to our apartment? Some shrugged shoulders and a lot of "meh." And living in New York, I can tell you that Times Square is nothing more than one of Dante's outer circles of hell, filled with sidewalk hustlers peddling schlock and not much else.

Take a look at their list and let us know what you think. Ever been underwhelmed by a famous landmark? What places have lived up to your high expectations? Drop us a line in the comments.

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