Your Holiday Disasters (or near disaster) Thread.

[Dave7]

Just reminiscing over holiday experiences.
These two go back years.
We booked a caravan near Cricieth via an ad in our local paper (no internet in those days). Sounded lovely and promised sea views.
It was adjacent to the owners property.
Got there late after work. Went in and thought 'no way'.....it was the pits.
We all slept on top of the beds.....didn't dare get in.
Next morning we checked for the sea view. If you stood on the roof with binoculars, maybe.
We threw our stuff in the car, left some money on the table for the one night and legged it.
2. North Wales. Day one. Sunny. Down to the beach. Stupidly overdid it all and got serious burns amd sunstroke.
Next day the rain started....... 7 days solid. The site flooded. The river burst. The road blocked with a land slide. We ran out of dry clothes. We packed up and escaped via the mountain road in our rusty old mini......me driving in my underpants as my clothes were soaked.
Got home just as the sun came out.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Are you employed by the Welsh Tourist Board? Great job if you are

 

[figbat]

Had a near miss last year. We booked a villa in Lanzarote in October 2018, to be taken in July 2019. We separately booked flights and car hire at the same time.

Two days before departure we get an email from the villa provider - "sorry, you can't use the villa - here's an alternative, let us know if you want it". When we called them it turned out that the neighbouring villa was having building work done which was very disruptive - the previous week's occupants had moved out mid-holiday. We rejected the alternative villa as it was in the wrong resort and was nowhere near what we wanted in terms of specification; that was the only alternative option the supplier's had. So there we were, 2 days from departure with nowhere to stay - time for lastminute.com - literally. Within hours we had a new villa lined up, in the right place, slightly cheaper plus a full refund AND compensation from the original supplier. When we finally arrived in the new villa it was awesome - arguably much better than the original and the new provider was very responsive.

It turned out to be a great holiday but we could have done without the 24 hours of stress just before leaving.

 

[gbb]

1st major holiday abroad, we went with old friends and shared an apartment. A good time was being had but they had a family emergency and had to head home a week early, arranged kindly by the reps.
Ah well, the apartments ours now and we continued till the end. Coach pickup times were displayed, 8pm.
8pm came, no coach. 8.30, 9pm, still no coach. Rang the reps number, yes it's on it's way she stated, probably without double checking.
10pm, we were pacing outside the hotel...still no coach. Rang the rep, no answer....jeez.
The apartment owners arranged a taxi (the ubiquitous Mercedes taxis out there) and we hurtled across the Cretan countryside at 160kph, (100 mph) to Heraklion airport.
It dawned on us on the way, they'd have cancelled Terry and Doreens pickup and flights....and then double dawned on me....what if theyve cancelled our flights ?
It was a nervy arrival at the flight desk....and heres you boarding pass..said the staff member. Phew....

Otherwise, we're very self sufficient, do the homework on holidays, dont really struggle, if something goes wrong, theres a way to fix it. Keep calm and carry on would be a good motto.

 

[DCLane]

Not much, although we booked a budget 2* apartment holiday with a major tour operator to Ibiza in a quiet resort. Arrived and it was a bare room above a shop, no facilities and just a bed.

Complained, complained again and we were moved to another proper 2* with pool and nicely furnished.

 

[raleighnut]

Generally my holidays have been good cos I camp but there is one phenomena that gets right up my nose, why when you put a tent in a reasonably empty field and go for a walk (OK to the pub but hey ho) then on your return find someone has put their tent up right next to yours when there's a whole bloody field to use.

 

[gbb]

We did get stuck out in Cyprus when the Icelandic volcano went up. I was working not holidaying so any expense wasnt an issue for me...but my wife had followed me out there a few days earlier (which we often arranged,, the only cost were flights for her)
I just carried on working and we shifted accommodation a bit but no biggie, until it came to going home I think £7 to 10 days late...flights suddenly had a premium and the only ones we could get were business class to Prague then a swap to Heathrow. My costs were covered but that cost me dear (£1000 for both of her flights) although it was nice to give her a taste of something better than cattle class.
I wonder how holidaymakers fared ?

 

[gbb]

Generally my holidays have been good cos I camp but there is one phenomena that gets right up my nose, why when you put a tent in a reasonably empty field and go for a walk (OK to the pub but hey ho) then on your return find someone has put their tent up right next to yours when there's a whole bloody field to use.

Sheep mentality, you often see it. It's happened to me in empty carpark...you go back and now theres 2 cars, the latest inches from yours.

 

[Dave7]

Sheep mentality, you often see it. It's happened to me in empty carpark...you go back and now theres 2 cars, the latest inches from yours.

Was just saying exactly that.
New car, supermarket carpark so I parked at the furthest point.
Came back and someone had parked inches away. Half the car park was empty so WHY

 

[cougie uk]

We did have a camping holiday in Devon where it rained so much the car couldn't get up the grassy field for almost a week. Was quite good really. Cups of tea and reading books.

Happened upon a caravan park in the bottom of a gorge today. I'd not fancy driving down the road - single track and steeeep. Their website ad has a photo of Talacre lighthouse on. It's a 15 mile drive ! Nowhere near the beach !

 

[ColinJ]

on your return find someone has put their tent up right next to yours when there's a whole bloody field to use.

Sheep mentality, you often see it. It's happened to me in empty carpark...you go back and now theres 2 cars, the latest inches from yours.

The one that really bugs me is when there are 9 free urinals in a row next to the one that I am using and then some random stranger walks in and decides to stand right next to me! Bonus bugging points for not following urinal protocol (stare straight ahead in silence, do NOT turn towards me, do NOT try to engage me in conversation, and DEFINITELY DO NOT LOOK DOWN)!

 

[Grant Fondo]

I once had a disaster at the Mandarin in Hong Kong. Ordered a Hine XO cognac and recieved a VSOP! For gods sake. Didn't totally ruin the holiday but at least the sommellier was apologetic

 

[screenman]

Was just saying exactly that.
New car, supermarket carpark so I parked at the furthest point.
Came back and someone had parked inches away. Half the car park was empty so WHY

Simple, types like her keep me busy.

 

[fossyant]

Got stuck with the Icelandic volcano. Was on a package holiday so OK, except Mr Accident prone was here. As we knew we were going to be stuck, we decided to get water squirters as all the kids were having a big battle in the pool. What idiot ran after my kids at the side of the pool. Yep, slipped and broke my ribs. Spent the rest of the holiday sleeping in a chair at night. Didn't want checking out because of a previous holiday.

A few years earlier, holiday in Spain, near Benalamedina, at Christmas with the outlaws. Hotel was full of oldies. Anyway, son gets Chicken Pox on the last couple of days so couldn't fly. Outlaws and Mum, daughter go home on time. Me, stuck for another week in an empty hotel with a two year old. Lets say we did loads of walking with him in the trolly. Bored to death.

Hence not going to a medic when I broke my ribs.

 

[screenman]

Got rushed into hospital in Turkey blue flashing lights etc, this was two years ago with herniated disc in my back, spent the rest of the holiday in bed not knowing if i was going home or not.