Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you haven’t gone out of town in years, everyone messes up from time to time. An online message board asked frequent travelers what their worst travel blunders were, and we’ve got some doozies for you! These stories can help you avoid pitfalls or silly snafus on your next adventure.
Bag Alarm
One solo traveler shared, “I had a personal alarm on my bag, one where if you pull the strap, a loud alarm goes off. I got it because I’m a solo traveler and hike a lot and wanted something to set off if I twisted my ankle in the middle of the woods. I forgot about it and left it on my bag that I don’t normally check, got my bag back without it attached. I imagine the cord got pulled during handling and the poor airport employees had to smash it to get it to stop yelling at them. Sorry guys.”
Bus or Train?
Booking travel plans in other countries can sometimes be confusing. “I booked a train from Venice at the trenitalia site. When the train never arrived I discovered I’d booked a bus. We missed it,” said one European traveler.
Check The Dates
The Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is a meaningful tour that many people frequent year-round. One visitor said, “I booked a ticket to the Anne Frank museum tour and stood inline. Ticket was for the following year.” Don’t forget to check the dates closely any time you book something!
Current Passport
“Not me but my husband. The night before our first trip to Barcelona he noticed his passport had expired. Hotels were nonrefundable at that point so I waved goodbye and did the trip solo,” said one user. Passport drama can affect many international travelers, especially since it can take a while to renew with the government.
Make Sure You’re in The Right Airport
One commenter said, “I arrived in Paris-Orly airport from the United States, so I went back to that airport for my next flight from France to Italy. I wandered around looking for my flight departure time for a bit before asking an Air France assistant about it. She had the most apologetic look on her face when she told me I was in the wrong airport. Called an Uber. Hopped on and asked him kindly to STEP ON IT to Paris Charles de Gauelle airport (about an hour away). I somehow made my flight that day, only because my travel anxiety made me show up to the first airport 3 hours before my flight.” Many major cities can have two or more different airports, so if your ticket says New York, don’t just assume it’s JFK Airport.
Cash Only
“Leaving all cash and IDs in my safe in the hotel room in Mexico and going into town with only one credit card. Didn’t realize it until I had to try and get a ride back to the hotel and no one had ability to take credit. No banks would give me cash advance obviously. Had to beg a shop keeper to charge my card for cash – he charged me $80 and gave me $30,” said one traveler. It’s always a good idea to have some cash when traveling!
BYOB?
“Mine was being an inexperienced 19 year old traveler bringing lots of German beer to Liverpool in a duffel bag. About 10 or 12 bottles broke and the bags on the conveyor belt were soaked in beer and the people were angrily mumbling over it. Then mine came, the whole bottom was drenched, and eyes were all over me as I quietly snuck out,” said a German beer lover.
Check the Weather
“I booked a trip to Istanbul in December, assumed it would be warm because it was on the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, didn’t check the weather predictions, didn’t pack any warm clothes, and it was snowing when I arrived.”
AM or PM?
“Arriving at 1:00 pm for a 1:00 am flight…12hrs too late. The flight was from India to the US, so it was a very expensive mistake,” said one disappointed traveler. Time listings can vary by country. In some countries, they use a 24-hour clock, so if it’s 1:00pm, it will say 13:00, while it will say 1:00 for 1:00am. This can be confusing to some Americans who are used to seeing 1:00 for both AM and PM.
Don’t forget your underwear!
“I forgot underwear on a three week trip to South America. No offense to the Brazilians here but let’s say their men’s style of underwear was not my idea of comfortable,” said one user.
Source: Reddit
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