What is the worst travel experience you've ever had?

1. 61

   Steve Orionposted 12 years ago

   What is the worst travel experience you've ever had?
   
   Were you robbed? Lost your luggage? Fell off the Great Wall of China?

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2. 60

   Africanusposted 12 years ago

   My worst travel experience was when I took a train in France, fell asleep and found myself in Belgium. The problem was not only that I had to get on a train back to France. On French trains, there is a rule that if you are found not to have bought a ticket before boarding, you have to declare yourself to the guard, or face a fine for travelling without a ticket. I had forgotten my wallet containing my credit card  in England. I did make it back to France, but my blood pressure went up several points.

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3. 95

   DeborahNeyensposted 12 years ago

   I have a few stories but this is probably the worst:  We were flying through Miami on our way home from Belize.  Our international flight was delayed and we missed our connecting flight.  There had been bad weather on the east coast that day and tons of flights had been cancelled (our connecting flight was apparently the only one that left on time) and it was spring break so the airport was swarming with people trying to rebook.  We were told the earliest the airline could get us on another flight out of Miami was Tuesday (this was Friday) or they could get us out of Ft. Lauderdale on Monday to a different airport 2 hours from home.  At that point, we elected to rent a car and drive home to Iowa from Miami because both my husband and I were due back to work Monday morning.  So instead of arriving home Friday night, we got home Sunday morning following a 1,500 mile drive.

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4. 0

   gkanekoaposted 12 years ago

   I spent 30+ hours in Tokyo Disney Sea because of the March 11, 2011 earthquake. We had limited information coming in and out. I don't speak Japanese so I have no idea what was going on. I had to sleep on the floor and the food they gave us to eat were chocolates, corn soup, bread, and rice. And we didn't get it all at one time. I had this aluminum blanket to sleep with but I was still cold. The ground shook like every 2 hours or so and that shit was crazy. I've never seen a lamp post shake like that; i swear that wasn't normal. Oh and where I was sleeping I could see huge speakers above my head and I kept thinking they were going to drop on me.
   
   When we finally got outside the park to look for food the whole area outside was a mess. Liquefaction had turned most of the sidewalk into sand and it whipped at our faces every time the wind blew hard. We found a convenience store that only had alcohol and ice cream left.
   
   We got picked up on the 35th hour or so by a friend. The car ride back to where I was staying took about four hours. And then I found out that a nuclear reactor had blown up.
   
   Tried to get an early flight out: additional 2,000 dollars to buy a new ticket. Managed to get home early 'cause a friend called the airlines for me.
   
   Oh, and as a precursor bad luck omen, on the flight coming to Japan--about two days before the earthquake, I fainted on the airplane and had to lie down for two hours next to the emergency exit door. Free alcohol on international flights, but I faint if I drink on the airplane. NOOOO...It's free T.T
   
   Worst Vacay EVER!

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5. 59

   whoisbidposted 12 years ago

   I think Heathrow airport is one of the most terrible places in the world to be in when there is trouble, any kind of trouble.

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6. 66

   Aley Martinposted 12 years ago

   Phoenix. Stayed at a hotel near the airport, booked on Travelocity. It was in a rundown area that rented rooms by the "hour"! The surroundings of the buildings had razor wire and overhead were helicopters during the night. There was a murder, a driveby and a shooting all in the same area that night. The sheets on the bed were "see through" and shiny, probably not changed. There were bugs in the room and cracks in the ceiling. It was rated a 4 on Travelocity...I am not sure why. I thought I was going to die that night.

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7. 64

   Lanzskieposted 12 years ago

   The worst travel experience that I ever had  was June 27, 2011. From the Philippines all the way through to Manchester, United Kingdom, I was detained! Not because that I brought them fraud files but because of the difference of the date format between American people and British. I was detained for about 9 hours in the airport then they send me back to my country.
   
   On one hand, I've had a chat with one staff at the Visa Centre in Manila prior to come here in the UK and she told me that YES I can now fly as soon as I have the visa. I checked the date, it was 5/8/11 (In america and in the Philippines, that is May 8,2011). However, in Britain that is August 5,2011. That is the most tiring journey I ever done in my whole life. I lost pounds for that staff mistake. Anyway, lesson learnt!

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8. 0

   MP50posted 12 years ago

   Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris France..........total nightmare and utter choas LOL. My luggage was never seen again.

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9. 66

   jbrock2041posted 12 years ago

   The first day of snow in Boston brought a terrible blizzard and we were supposed to fly to CA for a friend's wedding, that I was in. It took us 28 hours to go from Boston to Los Angeles. We sat on the airplane for 4 hours at the Boston airport while they de-iced the plane over and over. When we finally got out we got rerouted to NYC, then to Colorado, where we got off and waited 6 hours until a flight was leaving for Vegas and then finally got to LA.
   
   As long as this trip was and how long it took us, reading through some of the experiences below makes this trip feel like nothing. There are some horrible travel stories and I've always been tested with patience in the time of the moment and think there are reasons for everything.

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10. 0

    Kieran Gracieposted 12 years ago

    Visiting Equatorial Guinea, I checked in to the only hotel in the capital at that time (1980s).  The receptionist asked if I would like  an air conditioned room or a non-air conditioned room.  Naturally, being on the equator (Equatorial Guinea - geddit?), I opted for the room with AC.  The man then said that perhaps I should check the room before making a decision. 
    
    You can probably guess - the room had wide open windows and no AC unit.  Natural air conditioning!  When I asked what the non-AC room had, he told me that it had closed and sealed windows, but that these would prevent the mosquitoes getting in!  I chose the non-AC room, slept with nothing but a sheet over me, but still had 35 mozzie bites around my face in the morning!
    
    There was a shower, but the pan was cracked and open to the elements.  The toilet roll (no holder) was occupied by the largest cockroach I have ever seen...
    
    There was plenty more, but I think that about answers the question about the worst travel experience I have ever had.

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11. 65

    maddotposted 12 years ago

    It was in the south of Thailand in 1979. My friend and I unknowingly booked into a hotel run by drug runners and rather desperate people. It was a very clean and comfortable little hotel. A German couple ahd booked into the room next to us. We had a bit of a chat to them before they went out for a meal down near the beach. We followed shortly after only to witness the German guy being shot as he walked along the street by two guys on a motor bike. To cut a long story short we arrived at the local hospital to support the German couple but the German guy died.
    The town was run by...not sure who, but who ever it was took us, plus the German girl, under their wing and put us up in their fancy big hotel and then promptly went and shot the two guys on motor bikes through the head..for us! and then insisted we come to the hospital to look at their bodies
    The two guys on the motor bike were from our intitial hotel, ther were only 18 years old. We were told they shot the German guy for his camera. 
    We were told that this incident was not uncommon in this town and offenders were dealt with in this manner. Needless to say it was a nightmare and we got the hell out of there asap.

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12. 61

    Jarvis Millerposted 6 years ago

    I was going back to college catching the greyhound bus. I was on time and I was waiting in line to get my ticket check. Until this greyhound employee lady at the counter trying to explain to this guy that didn't speak English. How to get where he needs to go. By the time the guy was done. I 've already miss my bus to get to my college. I was pissed.

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13. 83

    Lisa Jane39posted 6 years ago

    My worst experience was when I was in La Guardia airport in New York City. I arrived at 6 am and my flight was cancelled until 12 pm due to a blizzard. Then I had to wait in line for 5 hours to get my ticket with a cell phone ready to die with no charger. Then after getting my ticket, I go downstairs to find out that I would have to go back in line so they can get me into a hotel for the next 5 days. Good thing for my parents. Even though they live in Maine, they were calling everyone they knew to help me. Eventually, my great aunt from New Jersey came to get me at 12 am. The good thing about this was spending time with my great aunt and great uncle that I hardly see.

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