Share your worst travel experiences!

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Not to sound like a pollyanna but I always had wonderful travel experiences. From my very first trip abroad and alone at age 19 when I spent the entire summer in Europe and met two fantastic young ladies from Canada with whom I became fast and forever friends. To traveling to gorgeous Alaska with my best friends in the world and enjoying the breathtaking scenery and hiking in the wilderness. To rainy trips to the New England coast where my DH and I spent lazy romantic mornings in bed under a sky light with the pouring rain coming down. I remember the pitter patter like it was yesterday. So romantic.

OK yes one awful experience but the trip itself was AMAZING but for that one horrid misadventure. When Greg and I were in Italy I got food poisoning in Florence. And it was not good. First experience with food poisoning and I pray it was my last. Vomiting and diarrhea for over 24 hours. In our beautiful boutique hotel room. I was in terrible pain for days. We headed to San Gimignano after the Florence stay and it took days and days to feel normal again. Luckily everyone was so sweet and accommodating and got me extra cushioning for the beds for my wracked in pain body (from all the vomiting etc). And the trip was 22 days long IIRC so it was just a blip on the radar and I have the best memories from that trip despite the food poisoning.

I traveled a lot when I was young and each trip was memorable in its own right. Did everything go right? Nope, not at all. But somehow it just all worked out and each trip remains a very special memory.


I didn't take photos at that time but have a few from my friends and family who did take a few. Very happy memories and while I don't care for flying I do expect one day I will start flying again as I still want to see Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. And maybe get back to Alaska. Truly beautiful.



When I was 19 and spent three months (between college and graduate school) in Italy traveling by myself. My parents and sister flew to Rome to meet me and spend the last two weeks together. I am giving them the gifts I bought for them when they came to meet me.


It was a trip of a lifetime. My mom was so young here. Younger than I am today.

My dearest friends in the world. We traveled to Alaska, Vancouver and Victoria. We went back twice. Such a great trip.




And the infamous food poisoning trip. That was quite the adventure.
I had recovered by this time and we were enjoying the fantastic Lake Como.
Haha the baggy styles from that time. OMG.






So I guess if I have to choose my worst travel experience was also one of the best. When my DH and I spent 3 weeks in Italy. It was an amazing trip but the food poisoning experience was one of the worst experiences. Isn't that funny. The best and the worst in the same trip. Much like life itself.

oh Missy!! I'm glad it didn't last the whole trip! What beautiful pictures and even lovelier stories

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

My worst was a flight from California to Hawaii. As were were getting ready to land, two flight attendants got out of their seats and hurried to the middle of the plane to look out the windows at the wings, then rushed to the cockpit. Then, flight crew did the same, but they were running. Captain stated something about the control panel showing something odd with the landing flaps. We flew up to a higher altitude and started circling. I cannot remember how long we circled, but then we got redirected to land in Honolulu instead of Maui because they had a longer runway. We had to get in the crash/brace position for landing. As we were landing, there were 3-4 firetrucks/emergency vehicles on each side of the airplane with sirens on traveling down the runway with us. We ended up landing fine. It was just a glitch with the control panel. Everything got checked and we flew in the same plane to Maui. It was so scary! Plus, I was 5 months pregnant with my first child.

OKAY now that is the stuff of nightmares!!! I would have totally freaked out! So so glad everything ended up okay!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

The worst flight was to Barcelona. I never get sick flying and I vomited multiple times, having to jog down the aisle to get to the toilet. It was awful and there was a ton of turbulence. The man next to me kept getting out his rosary and praying and singing. I was sick for another 2 full days in Barcelona and honestly, didn't fell well until another 4 days. I kind of wonder if picked up something on that flight. The first two days in Barcelona I just slept and bought easy food from the grocery store that wouldn't make me throw up.

oh no!!!! It's never good either when people start praying out loud on a flight.. you know it must be really rocky!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Flying from Gatwick (UK) to Miami with Virgin. We get to the airport, they make us sign a waiver to say they can do what they like with our golf clubs and they’re not responsible. Then we go through security and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait. They eventually told us the flight was delayed, (like we hadn’t worked that out for ourselves when we were still sitting there several hours after the flight was due to leave. They then gave us a voucher for about $3 to ‘get a meal’ - yeah, that’ll pay for a meal, just about covered a cup of tea. We eventually get on the plane and they hand us a piece of paper, telling us the flight had been delayed, and as compensation, we could get a derisory amount off of our next VA flight. I handed it back to the stewardess and told her politely where she could shove it. It also said any onwards flights booked with them would’ve been rearranged for us, and we’d be met at the plane door with tickets for our onward flights.

The service on the flight was appalling, or should I say lack of it. I went to the toilet, and there was no water coming out of the tap, so I couldn’t wash my hands. When I came out, I asked the stewardess where I could wash my hands, and she shrugged her shoulders and walked away. There was a water dispenser outside the toilet, so I put soap on my hands and held them under the water dispenser. I then called the stewardess and said she might like to clean up the mess before someone slipped on it and injured themselves.

I rang for service several times during the flight and nobody came.

We discovered during the flight that the reason the flight was delayed was because the plane had been in for service since December - this was February, and they knew that our flight had no chance of leaving on time.

When we arrived in Miami, of course there was nobody waiting with rescheduled onward flights, and the majority of the plane headed for the VA desk. There was 1 agent dealing with a plane load of irate passengers. When she eventually got to us, she said we were on standby for a flight that night, which I told her wasn’t good enough, and what would happen if we didn’t get on. She said come back and she’d sort something out. I asked her if I really looked that stupid that I believed at gone midnight she’d still be there. We took the tickets and went to the American Eagle desk and asked if there was anything they could do. They got us on the next flight which left in 30 minutes. They said they couldn’t guarantee that they could get our luggage on the flight, we said OK. We arrived in Freeport, and so did our luggage.

Needless to say, we never flew with Virgin Atlantic again!

that is the WORST service I've ever heard of!!!!! How were they even in business?! and that's so unsanitary! That would never pass in today's era of covid. bleh!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I've traveled a lot over the years and had flights cancelled or delayed many times where I had to stay overnight in an airport hotel or even 5 days longer in Dublin than planned because of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano several years ago. I've learned to roll with delays and cancellations and lost luggage to the point that I don't get bothered by them anymore. As far as my worst experience while on a trip, well, that's different and that for me would be in 2016 when I was in Nice for the terror attack and so close to the Promenade des Anglais that we had to run. It was very frightening, not really knowing what was going on and if there was a terrorist waiting around every corner as we ran through the old town. As we got to Place Garibaldi a restaurant owner told us were weren't safe on the street and he brought us into his restaurant (with a few others), took us upstairs to the kitchen and we stayed there for a few hours until he told us it was safe to go back to our hotel which was on the Promenade. We have since gone back to see him on our yearly trip to Nice (until Covid) and he has always treated us as special friends, even offering us the use of his car and vacation home (which we've never accepted). So something good for us came out of that terrible night but it changed the Bastille Day celebration in Nice for a few years.

what!!!!! now that's a story of a lifetime! so glad you were okay, and thank goodness for the kindness of strangers, especially when in a strange country!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I’m a nervous flyer. I fly anyway but I constantly watch the stewardess or stewards for any reactions meaning the plane is in trouble. I also want to sit with my son David..not with my husband. Somehow I feel better because I’m looking after him…It distracts me a little. We were flying to California to see my middle son who was interning for the summer. We were seated over the wing..I heard a funny sound..I turned to my husband who was across the aisle to ask him if he heard it. He rolled his eyes and said that it was fine. I heard it again…This time it was louder..My husband was getting annoyed with me..The pilot finally came on to say there was a problem with one of the engines. Now smoke was coming out of the plane. I grabbed my son’s hand and thought we were goners. My husband laughed and said it didn’t look good. We were able to land in Nevada. People were upset that they were going to miss events. The pilot refused to fly the plane even after the crew said they could fix it so we could be on our way. They were yelling at him to fly the plane after it was fixed. Out of character I stood up and yelled at everyone that they should feel lucky we didn’t crash! I turned to my husband and told him we needed to rent a car because I wasn’t getting back in any plane. Everyone started laughing so it broke the ice. When we got there I had multiple cocktails which I don’t usually do. It was the first and last time my middle son saw his mom feeling tipsy. My son and husband were hysterical. I kept saying I was so happy to be there. They still bring it up and start laughing.

you're such a good mama! I'm glad that it ended well, and is a goofy story that they probably love retelling! hehe

 

[ac117]

he died?!?!? that is so terrible! And awkward! his poor family, and also those poor flight attendants who had to deal with that!

Yea….. it was awful.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Before the pandemic, I had to travel internationally (12-15 hour flights) quite a bit, about 5x a year for work. Never really had the flight delays and cancellations that that some of you guys have experienced....but I have had some horrible disgusting flying mates.

1) I had one guy sitting across the aisle from me take his boots off, and his socks looked like the haven't been washed in weeks. He stank up the whole cabin for hours! No one around him dared to complain because he looked like a big burly crazy person

2) I had a lady sitting next to me coughing up luggies (phlegm) into a cup the entire flight, and she just kept the cup on her tray table in front of her the entire flight.

3) Another time I was sitting in the center seat with a belligerent drunk who kept ordering bottles of blue sapphire gin, and cussing out the flight attendants when they offered water instead. He was also seeping alcohol through his pores, and I couldn't lean the other way towards the window because my boss was in the window seat!

4) I was on a plane to Thailand with a plane full of guys, in large groups, and with ogling pervy eyes, and when I got up to use the restroom, I felt like I was being stripped down with their stares. I later found out they were part of a $ex tourism group!!! As soon as we landed and I got to my hotel and took a hot shower to wash off the gross stares.

5) I am a germaphobe who really freaks out about public toilets, so try not to use small enclosed toilets like port-a-potties, plane/train/RV toilets et. I feel that every wall has filth on it. Anyhoo, I was so happy when I saw the beautiful modern train stations when traveling from Shanghai to Beijing via bullet train. They rivaled some of the best airports....but when I went to use the restroom in that large beautiful Beijing train stations, I found out they had squatty potties only, and none of the stalls had doors!!!!

Anyway, those are my travel horror stories. May be minor compared to some of yours, but I'm so glad I haven't had to travel for work in 2 years!

 

[AprilBaby]

My daughter and bf were coming for Christmas from Portland, stopping first in Nebraska. There are no direct flights to Nebraska. Her flight there was canceled and rescheduled up to the last day 4 times. Finally they get there. They stayed for 4 days and had a direct flight to Chicago canceled twice for snow. They arrive to Omaha to delayed flight to Chicago. The flight coming in from Cancun had been diverted to Mexico City. New plane delivered. Right before they board they find out there were exposed to Covid and can’t board. Back to Lincoln for a few days to quarantine. No time to come to Chicago now. They get a flight from Lincoln to Denver delayed by weather-and then Denver to Portland. As soon as they land in Denver they realize they have a dead passenger and try to defibrillate them while they wait for a gate. After 5 tries they get a gate and let everyone else off. My daughter said all she heard was a gurgle noise. She HATES to fly and gets extreme anxiety. She says she will never fly again. She got home last night To Portland. I’m supposed to go there for her birthday late January but because of Covid it probably won’t happen.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Mine was traveling by myself with a 9-month old. Flight delayed by 3 hours. Then stuck on the tarmac for almost 2 hours during departure AND upon arrival. Eventually ran out of milk (despite packing an emergency stash plus buying a bottle of milk at the airport). Airline had no milk on board. So I had to sustain the kiddo with half-and-half cut with water.

 

[lilmosun]

Once I had a business trip where the plane(s) had 3 malfunctions.

- First, the plane was delayed by two hours because of issues balancing the fuel tank. As people around me worried about connections, I remember saying "I have one too but the important thing is that the plane is safe".

- Then about an hour into the flight, the plane started to shake and make a loud noise. Suddenly, the noise stopped and the plane dropped. The pilot then announced that he had to shut down one of the engines and he needed to empty the fuel and make an emergency landing. I remember sitting in first class alone watching couples holding hands comforting each other. (My co-worker who joined last minute was in coach with the person next to her throwing up). It was the longest hour ending with the plane landing (safely) on a runway full of all sorts of fire/emergency vehicles.

- At this point, they had to completely change our itinerary due to multiple missed connections. Seated on our next flight awaiting takeoff, I see the guy come out of the cockpit in a maintenance jump suit. Not good. We had to change planes again due to a mechanical issue. (I did take the opportunity to mail my husband a postcard during the unplanned stop in Hawaii saying "Wish you were here" ).

After landing, the rest of the flight was to Hong Kong and I kept thinking "what if there is another problem but this time over the ocean?". Fortunately, it all went well (other than missing luggage when we finally arrived due to all the plane and route changes).

It took me a long time after that to get comfortable flying afterwards. For many years after, I would research the plane accident history and go out of my way to book on planes with at least 3 engines as I learned engine shutdowns were not that uncommon. I remember a flight where the flight attendant seeing my anxiety kept asking me "Are you sure you want nothing (alcoholic) to drink?"

Fortunately, I am better about it now as I love nothing more than travelling. But I still feel vulnerable when flying and it doesn't take much for me to feel nervous at points on a flight.

 

[qubitasaurus]

I remember a funny one from my husband. He was flying to san francisco then continuing down to cancun. I had to pull out of the trip due to late stage pregnancy -- disappointing but not a big deal. I took him to the airport. We'd upgraded him to business class as the first leg was a 14 hour flight, and he has some airline frequent flyer status so they were pretty good about expediting check in and he went straight to the lounge. Then he tried to board the flight. Well it wasn't the right flight. He was supposed to get on the same flight but in 24 hours time, they just hadn't stopped him at any prior stage as he had lounge privileges/frequent flyer status ect. and no one wanted to tell him no.

Ok so he calls me and says he is coming home. But then they can't get him back through customs because he has no prior port of embarkation. They finally fix that issue only to discover he hasn't kept his long term visa and his travel documents in sync. While trying to board the flight he had used an expired passport to scan himself through immigration/departures, because the expired passport was still officially linked to his long term residency visa. When he tried to re-enter he had to use his current passport; and of course they have no record of someone leaving on that travel document. Needless to say he was stuck there for a long time. I got calls every couple of hours that night.

 

[LilAlex]

Plane failed to pressurize at take-off out of a low-resource country half a world away. We didn't know what was going on. We were popping our ears about every second, then twice per second, etc. Looked at flight attendants and they were frozen in their seats in total panic. Thought we were gonna die -- and, looking around, that seemed to be the consensus among the passengers. Someone in the cockpit (seemingly sealed off from the cabin) finally figured it out and started pressurizing. There was no announcement or apology -- or even acknowledgment. When I landed in the US, I felt weird and had neurological signs of "the bends" -- decompression sickness. But I literally wanted to kiss the ground.

That and the time we woke up in our motel-like vacation accommodations in a major US city and saw that our toddler daughter was not in the room. Absolute panic and terror as we threw on clothes -- and then we heard a knock on the outside door. She got up early and took a walk -- and found her way back to the right door among who knows how many. She is still kinda like that -- painfully independent.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I had a massive fight with an ex boyfriend - a very serious relationship - in the morning before a trip we were supposed to take together. The fight escalated to the point that we succumbed to the inevitable and ended a multiple year relationship. On the spur of the moment, I decided to go anyway (he obviously didn’t) and set off for the airport completely heartbroken.

I reach the airport, having set up a weird connecting flight on low cost airlines to save money, bad idea. I make the first leg ok, but the second flight gets delayed by several hours. The airport staff refuse to give us any form of vouchers or comps and it was a small airport, so no hotel. I spent the next seven hours sitting on the floor, alone, crying. After most of the day, they cancel the flight (and rebook me for the next day) and I’m left in this strange city where I speak very very little of the local language, without a working phone. Somehow I find my way to the nearest hotel and book myself a room, and befriend a complete stranger who I end up sharing a room with voluntarily. To be fair I befriended her in the airport while crying and ran into her again at the same hotel. I help her plan her wedding to pass the time and drive the knife a little deeper into my heart lol. Next morning I head back (they rebooked her on a different flight) and find out my flight was delayed again. After about five hours I give up and book a different flight back home (having to take a flight and then a long train ride because the flight to the closest airport was hours later). The flight back is riddled with turbulence but at this point I just do not care enough about anything. I just want to be home. I make it back okay, and collapse in a fit of tears. As I’m sitting alone in my apartment on the couch and drinking away my sorrows, I get a text from my ex. He had been a bit unwell for a few days when we broke up and he ended up falling intensely sick. He was messaging me from the hospital.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

My dad always told me to sit near the wing...that it was the safest place to be in a plane. If I am recalling that correctly.
And LOL I would have felt the same way! No thank you. Let's drive to where we need to be.

i always take an isle seat near the back and always keep my shoes on -and not sandles but proper walking shoes