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Original poster

Have you ever left a holiday early?

323 replies

LudoBear · 04/05/2021 12:02

We were booked into a caravan in Cornwall for 7 nights but came home after 3 nights as the caravan was dreadful at the site owners (independent place, not a company like Parkdean) wouldn't move us as they disagreed anything was wrong. The mattresses were about 1 inch thick and you could feel the frame underneath, the window in the lounge didn't shut properly and let the cold air in (it was October), the shower didn't get hot and at best was tepid, toilet didn't flush properly, the carpets were absolutely filthy.

Came home on day 5 of a 2 week holiday in Orlando due to my uncle being in a serious car accident and we didn't think he'd survive (he did).

OP posts:
Original poster
LudoBear · 04/05/2021 20:49

@squashyhat

Only a short break but it was horrific. Went to Gloucester for a friend's wedding. Instead of choosing to stay in the hotel where the wedding took place (which was lovely) we stayed independently in a B&B, which was horrible. Uncomfortable bed, mouldy shower, rattly windows, freezing cold and a really creepy owner. After the wedding reception we decided to cut our losses and drive straight home. It was well after midnight when we went back to get our things, I was writing a cheque for the cost (long time ago) in the hope we could just slip away when the owner appeared and demanded to know what we were doing. I just flung the cheque at him, made up some family emergency and we ran Grin
Gloucester and its neighbouring Cheltenham are around 30 mins from me. Cheltenham is a beautiful town. Gloucester is a dump. You had a lucky escape!
OP posts:
MintyMabel · 04/05/2021 20:57

Left a day early because the weather forecast for travelling the following day was bad. Glad we did as the roads out of the village were flooded, one was washed away and we would have been stuck there.

alphasox · 04/05/2021 21:02

We were at a glamping place last summer but left after only 2 nights (of 7). Our kids wouldn’t go to sleep while it was light out and got up for the day at 4am when the Dawn broke, and as soon as the sun went down some other people in the field started a loud party up until 2am. Both nights. So after 2 nights of only 2 hours sleep we went home and collapsed interesting our beds with our black out blinds!

Hottubtimemachine · 04/05/2021 21:03

Left Orlando after 5 days into a 3 week holiday. Stayed on international drive and did disney. It was hideous, so commercialised and in your face. Headed out to the west coast of florida and they keys which was amazing!!
Also left center parcs in the middle of the first night when my baby was really ill and ended up in hospital.

mouse26 · 04/05/2021 21:06

Yes, Sun holiday to Pontins at Prestatyn. We were trying to stick it out for the kids, 3 days in they begged to go home. We'd 'upgraded' so I hate to think what the basic accommodation was like. Never again.

frumpety · 04/05/2021 21:32

@mouse26 we did the same holiday at the same place, we got put in a caravan next to 6 teenage girls who spent the three nights we were there, simultaneously getting drunk, singing and wailing and Irish dancing. I may have got very drunk and tried to engage them in a dance off through the window in a Graham Norton in Father Ted dancing in a caravan fashion

I wanted to come home, but DH wouldn't hear of it.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 04/05/2021 21:47

Not me but if I ever feel short changed by a holiday, I read trip advisor reviews for Pontins in Camber Sands and realise it could be worse.
Seem to be people who sleep in their cars before going home thr next day.

HelloDaisy · 04/05/2021 22:08

@WithLoveFromMyselfToYourself

Camping in a tent. More than once. We weren’t the only ones; one time, the site looked like a bomb site after a rough night on a cliff top site, with the bins full of mangled tents. We had the DC with us including very disabled DD2 and my bulldog. I spent most of the night bracing against the bowing tent poles; the apex of thereby was inches from the groundsheet at times. Holiday my arse!
Your gorgeous dog really looks fed up! I’ve felt just like that on cub camp in the rain 😁😁
HelloDaisy · 04/05/2021 22:11

We’ve left a camping trip early when ds was ill. He looked so fed up I though we should go to the doctor on the way home so antibiotics could start that night. Luckily we did as he ended up in hospital for 5 days.

hellywelly3 · 04/05/2021 22:19

Came home a day early from a festival. I couldn’t cope with the rain anymore. Everything was wet

GintyMcGinty · 04/05/2021 22:19

Yes caravan holiday in Northumberland.

It rained for days and we just got fed up.

CoffeeRunner · 04/05/2021 22:23

Only once. Our first family camping trip to Tenby.

It rained torrentially all week. Even inside the tent the ground underneath was mud. We just never felt dry or warm.

We have only been camping once since - the weather was lovely & it was a fabulous holiday.

I always say I would camp again. But not prebooked, more last minute if the weather allows.

CoffeeRunner · 04/05/2021 22:25

Just to add - we are fairly resilient. We survived a mini break at Pontins Southport.

Moonface123 · 04/05/2021 22:29

Yes, four year old DS fell off top of slide at campsite in Cornwall, and broke his arm, it was early evening we rang for a paramedic who arrived but paramedic then had to ring for an ambulance as his clutch had gone, and nearest hospital with an x-ray dept that was still open at that time was 15 miles away. I was only dressed in fimsy shorts and top and flipflops, the heavens opened whilst waiting for ambulance, then DH and other DS were meant to be following in car behind ambulance suddenly disappeared as car was almost empty re petrol, they had to find a garage and we were out in the sticks, husband had my bag with phone in. They didn't know where hospital was. I desperately needed the loo, poor son was being given pain relief in back of ambulance, it was a comp!ete nightmare. We came out of the hospital in the early hours it was freezing cold, and we had a problem in that one of the car windows had slipped right down and wouldn't shift, so we had to drive miles back to campsite with no window, me and sons still in just shorts and t shirt, almost froze to death, we had a few hours sleep, felt so bad for son with broken arm, and then we packed up and came home.

carlycornwall · 04/05/2021 22:31

There is a proper theme here Grin camping is just not a holiday

I research holidays for ages before I book - it's quite a hobby in normal times. (I can recite the Kuoni brochure virtually off by heart.)I generally like a 4 star best, especially a smallish boutique one set in gardens. Nice but less formal than a 5 star. I read trip advisor reviews.

We've never had anything too bad. One in Rhodes was a bit dodgy but it was so cheap we couldn't expect anything different.

Howtomakeevery1 · 04/05/2021 22:41

No but only as there were no flights.5 hours into a long weekend to Skopje I’d have happily left

TangledNemo · 04/05/2021 22:44

I booked a bus tour round New Zealand South Island. After Christchurch, there was a stop at Kaikoura, then a ferry to the North Island and another day on the bus back to Auckland (I was living there at the time). I did want to go to Kaikoura but, after weighing up the costs, I decided to give it a miss and got a flight from Christchurch back to Auckland instead. Turned out to be the right decision as torrential rains hit the day I would have been in Kaikoura so wouldn’t have been able to do anything there anyway.

LouLou789 · 04/05/2021 22:45

Quite often want to come home from a 7 night hol after 6 nights, just because I’ve had enough.

Once we did a week’s cottage rental (in UK) and were due to vacate by 11am and we woke up at 3am for a wee, and said let’s just go.

HerRoyalNotness · 04/05/2021 22:48

Came home a night early of a 3 night camping weekend. I was pregnant and had 2 DC with me. We were having so much fun in the day, camped by the river, swimming in it. At night several dogs appeared to be in camp, despite being a no dog allowed site, they barked all through the night. The tents down the far end had music going late and shouting. Then in the middle of the night when they used the loo, they fired up the ATV and drove to it, which would have been a 3 min walk if that. All night long. We were so tired, the kids begged me to go home early.

RampantIvy · 04/05/2021 23:00

We didn't leave a holiday early, but we cut short a stay in a hotel in Memphis because it was so noisy at night. We had originally planned to spend 2 or 3 nights there, but were woken up in the middle of the night by plane after plane taking off and landing. We learned many years later that Memphis airport was the hub for DHL.

TedDansononmyown · 04/05/2021 23:00

Currently in an Airbnb for work and it is the most disgusting place I have ever stayed. Mould, grime, filthy bedsheets, no wfi etc. If I had the option to leave, I absolutely would but no hotels nearby and no transport.
Does anyone know if you can complain to Airbnb after the stay, with photos and screenshot of owners accepting liability but refusing to do anything? I can't leave but really don't want to pay for this (even though it will be reimbursed as its the fucking principle of the thing)

TheYearOfSmallThings · 04/05/2021 23:10

We survived a mini break at Pontins Southport.

You should get that on matching t-shirts!

bumblenbean · 04/05/2021 23:13

Trip to Bluestone a couple of years ago when kids were 6 months and 18 months. Decent resort, but it was a nightmare from start to finish...

DS had a total freak out at puppet show (can’t blame him, it was a tad freaky). DD became hysterical when we tried to dip her toes in the pool and couldn’t be calmed, meaning I had to traipse back To the cottage with soaking wet hair and a screaming DD whilst DH stayed with DS. Lost DS in the soft play. Weather was atrocious. Couldn’t eat a meal in the restaurant without DD whingeing / wanting milk or DS Wanting to run around like a loon.

DS refused point blank to get in the travel cot and had to bed down with me in the only bed, forcing DH onto the tiny sofa downstairs with DD in the cot beside him. Had to sing to DS for About 2 hours to get him to sleep, whilst DH tossed and turned on an extremely uncomfortable sofa and got up to feed DD at regular intervals.

We stuck it out for 3 nights before admitting defeat and leaving early. In hindsight I think they were just too young for it!

Frazzled2207 · 04/05/2021 23:19

@etinox

Never, but I've been twice forced to stay longer because of weather events. Wonderful!
Ah yes we were caught up in a hurricane in the Bahamas, flight cancelled and it took three very miserable days to arrange another one. I have never before been so exhausted as I was when I got back from that.
Annapops1 · 04/05/2021 23:25

One year my ex boyfriend and I went to stay with a couple whom he used to work with for a week's holiday (they'd relocated). First day all ok, did food shop, split the bill etc. In eve made tea / drinks....got to around 11pm and we were blatantly asked if we had ever considered partner swapping 🙈. Cue mutterings of "oh is that the time, it's been a long day, goodnight" and off boyfriend and I went to bed. Just about resisted to barricade ourselves in may I add.
Morning after the guy had gone to work and left us with his wife who was crashing and banging around in the kitchen. She then went into lounge with her breakfast and proceeded to pull her armchair in front of the TV, completely blocking us from her view and turned the volume up!!
Needless to say we packed up and did one!!! 20 years later I often wonder what ever happened to them and if they ever found anyone to take them up on their offer 😂😂