Worst holiday memories?

9 years ago

A few months back we started an incredibly funny thread on dinner disasters. We enjoyed reading your stories so much that we thought you would probably have some entertaining holiday disaster memories, too.

So bring them on!

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Seasons in Colour
9 years ago
Mine is a recent. And costly.

So the whole family, we're Greek. We've been in the UK for some 2 decades and my son was born here, but we still kept the Greek nationality.

The Easter holidays were something we were really looking forward too, as both husband and I work in London, long hours.

So 2 days before the take off to Tenerife, dear husband asks for the passports to do the online check in.

I pass them on.

Dear husband checks in himself and me and gets on with Junior.

Junior's passport had expired.

For two days we tried everything to get the booking postponed, the passport renewed to no avail. The day that we were meant to be on the plane came and went. The same night the agent started calling to confirm we were going to be a no-show so they could re-sell the room to someone else.
alant1000
9 years ago
Mine was a holiday to Tunisia. Me and a mate wanted a last minute sunshine holiday out of season. Disasters included:

The travel company booked us for 1 week and not 5 days and by some paperwork loophole it ended up all my fault and we had to re purchase our flight tickets at more than the actual package cost.

Being pelted with stones when we were quad biking.

In our 5 star hotel the waiter kept trying to sell us his car stereo as we ate dinner at the table. He actually bought it to the table to show us.

It rained most days.

The coach that could collected as had a flat tyre - and he kept driving even though the hole thing smelt of burning rubber.

When we got to the airport to fly home, the passport official took me and my mate aside and asked us to follow him to another security check booth with no queue - and took our passports and told us to 'PUT IN SOME MONEY'.

Not the best experience!
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We are scheduled to have a new member of the family, in canine form, around November, so for the next few months we are preparing for it's arrival. As the weather was an absolute cracker over this bank-holiday weekend, I thought that I'd make a start on something outside. It is going to have the utility room for it's room, and I'm going to pop in a dog flap into the back garden so that it also has the use of all outside should we go out for a duration and have to leave dog alone. I wanted to make a covered / shaded / dry / quiet area for it to use should it want to. So cleaned out the kids dumping area, and random storage, at the back/side of our house and made a start. pre 'building work' 1.80m across the back, and 2.24m to the front corner. Also, the garden wall is not parallel to the house, leaving 1.10m as an opening. (during building work - I had absolutely no idea what I was doing so was kinda blagging everything - and going on memory from what I've seen various people do previously) (getting there slowly) and done: I think that it's a pretty decent job IMO - considering I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to woodwork, and I try and avoid it all costs. My old CDT (craft design technology) teacher Mr Morris AKA Wobbly Morris would be so proud of me :) I tipped some water out of the upstairs window and it all runs off the roof nicely, and over the edge of the wall - onto a grass verge so I'm not fussed about a gutter. Kennel will go under the window - the rear garage door has never been used, in fact it's always been locked and I have absolutely no idea where the key is. I may put a gate across the front, we'll see what happens. Next up will be the replacement of a fence panel between us and next door, once I can speak with the neighbour to find out who owns the fence. It's currently crudely propped up with a bit of wood, but I need a more permanent solution. Then an additional side gate.
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Linda Renzulli
9 years ago
My husband and I traveled from Vienna (where we were on business) to Athens to visit his college roommate from 1968.
They had exchanged emails about our flight arrival and we expected his friend Greg to be waiting for us at the airport as his email indicated he would be. Four hours later, Greg still hadn't come to get us. I kept asking my husband if he was sure Greg had the right day, the right time, right airline, blah, blah, blah. Now Husband is getting angry that I'm questioning his ability to make travel arrangements. I'm mad at myself knowing he is completely incapable of doing so, and why did I let him handle this without me double-checking his email? I insisted on reading said email and...

Much to my horror, but not to my surprise, he had given Greg the wrong date. Not only that, he has no idea where Greg works, does not have a phone number for him and has no home address for him; just an email address (we did not have cell phones back then). I may have raised my voice, as I noticed many women of various nationalities from throughout the world who happened to be at baggage claim in Athens and witnessed my meltdown gave me countless comforting looks of solidarity and sympathy, proving that I am not the only wife who occasionally wants to smack the bejesus out of her loved one. I suggested a cab to the nearest Marriott with a full bar, whereupon I first threw back several martinis and then proceeded to the business center and sent an email to Greg informing him of our arrival.

He was only 6 miles away, but it took him 2 hours during rush hour traffic to get to us. Welcome to Athens traffic, oh my! By the time dear old Greg arrived, I was well lit, but still annoyed at my hubby. He got no lovin' that night, not even the drunk, sloppy kind.

The rest of our Greek adventure was delightful!
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
9 years ago
Well, they're certainly memorable!

@alant1000 I would've been quite intimidated by that passport officer, would you ever go back?

@macgrill - That's such a classic! As much as mobile phones are annoying, they're also pretty handy to avoid these situations. Did your husband make it up to you?

Worst holiday memories?

Comments (4)

Seasons in Colour

alant1000

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Linda Renzulli

Emmeline Westin
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Worst holiday memories?

Comments (4)

Seasons in Colour

alant1000

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Linda Renzulli

Emmeline WestinOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Emmeline Westin
Original Author