Not worth it, the penalties are simply too large unless you're willing to play only at night. Which would be super annoying considering how fast the time flies in Skyrim.
Purely your opinion, not fact. There are more people posting in this thread who like Vampirism. Frankly, I have zero problem playing my Vampire whether it's Day or Night in my game. Doesn't affect me a bit. It's called strategy. Once a Vampire, it seems obvious that you have to slightly change your style of play. They don't run quite the same as a normal character.
There is a shorter route to Vampirism. From Helgen, take the road due East. You'll pass a Stormcloak camp (camp will be on your left), and after a short trip through a winding mountain pass, you'll pass Haemar's Shame (you'll walk right by it as a matter of fact). Go in there, and you'll find plenty of Vampires ready and willing to turn you into an Immortal.
Hope this helps.
