Virgin Travel Insurance has interviewed 1,267 holidaymakers about what their most disappointing sights are abroad and in Britain. 

Listed in order from 1st to 10th most disappointing:

The Eiffel Tower, Paris; Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Paris; Times Square, New York; Las Ramblas, Barcelona; Statue of Liberty, New York; Spanish Steps, Rome; The White House, Washington DC; The Pyramids, Egypt; The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin; Leaning Tower of Pisa

We suppose that the good news is that most of these sights (save the Louvre and Statue of Liberty) are free of charge.  In defense of these iconic sights we believe that each is worth visiting.

Tips for how to make each of these disappointing sights more satisfying:

1. The Eiffel Tower, Paris- Get a photo and if the line is too long then go to the top of the Arc de Triumph and take in a beautiful panoramic of Paris.  If you are up for it we suggest one of the bike or Segway tours with Fat Tire Bike Tours.

2. Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Paris- Yah, the Mona Lisa is small compared to let’s say the Creation of Man in the Sistine Chapel, but there is a lot more to the Louvre than this picture.  Take some time to appreciate: Venus di Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace , a fantastic Roman collection stolen by Napoleon and countless other paintings.  Plus the Louvre is an unusually comfortable museum experience because it has plenty of places to sit, eat and use the restroom.

3. Times Square, New York- Go at night when everything is lit-up or at about 13:00 (1pm) when MTV is shooting TRL.  If you go during the day there is a good chance you will run into some intern trying to give out free tickets for shows such as David Letterman and others.

4. Las Ramblas, Barcelona- We think that there is no better place to find top talent street performers.

5. Statue of Liberty, New York- It is a hassle to get there, no doubt.  But really, you get a boat ride and the chance to see the statue for the price of a film.  Cost for ferry $11.50 for adult, $9.50 for child.  Another alternative is to take the Staten Island Ferry which is free and leaves every 30 minutes.  If you decide to do this just go to the back of the ferry for a great view and picture opportunities of Lady Liberty, Downtown NYC and the Verrazano Bridge.  This option will not take you to the Island.

6. Spanish Steps, Rome- Yup, they are just steps!  But get there in the day and have an espresso at Antico Caffe’ Greco, 86 Via Condotti where Casanova, Lord Byron, John Keats and Buffalo Bill frequented; have your coffee at the bar for the best price but make sure to tour the very old an unique caffe’.  Craving a spot of tea?  Try Babington’s English Tea Room.  Plus, around the Spanish Steps, there is plenty of great shopping including Gucci, Prada and about every other major Italian brand.  A great walking tour / pub crawl that covers the Spanish Steps is Rome(ing) Tours.

7. The White House, Washington DC- Hey it’s free.

8. The Pyramids, Egypt-  Sure they are just ‘there’, but they are absolutely spectacular especially if you see them at night with one of the light shows.  We recommend taking the opportunity to rent a camel.  Think of it, you on a camel in front of the same physical structures that Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Napoleon conquered.

9. The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin-  We were also let down by this.  A great walking tour that covers this is the Insider Tour.

10 Leaning Tower of Pisa-  After years of avoiding this sight because of the bad press we took a short trip, maybe 3hrs in total including travel and visit, from Florence to finally check it out.  Maybe it was because of our low expectations but we found the tower well worth the €20 transportation cost.  Moreover, only by being there can one actually see how far this tower is leaning, which is quite impressive.

Any other suggestion for how to make these underwhelming sights more satisfying?