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Original poster

What’s the worst thing you’ve forgotten to take on holiday?

356 replies

Ricekrispie22 · 29/07/2021 19:51

There’s always something I forget! Our car is all packed for the off tomorrow but it feels like I’ve forgotten something.

OP posts:
2018SoFarSoGreat · 29/07/2021 22:17

not forgotten, but mixed up. Hotel put passports back into wrong holders. DBIL and I at different airports in different cities when we realized. NOT good. Horrible, in fact.

Worse for DH was when I was to meet him half way across the country to take a lovely romantic Valentine's trip to London. I was working in DC, he was home in California, and last thing night before he flew out at crack of dawn, he thought to double check that I had my green card. Nope.

"I'm sure it in that bookcase, on top of a book." - big bookcase, lots of shelves, lots of books. Took him several hours to find it. Man, I'm glad he had a 5 hour flight to get to me, so that he could cool off!

Nothappyland · 29/07/2021 22:18

Knew I was due on my period towards the end of the holiday - forgot any san pro. Night before departing back home it started, was in the Maldives that only had one little shop that opened at 8am, speedboat to the airport was 6:30am. Shoved a (thankfully unused) flannel in my pants until I could get to the Maldives airport - still no shops/vending machines there! A flannel worked surprisingly well until I got to Doha though thank God

Louloubelle78 · 29/07/2021 22:21

I was going on a fancy holiday to LA and Vegas. It was on my younger years so lots of nights out etc. I left my bloody make-up bag on the stairs. Nightmare having to purchase a whole new set of make-up, but also very decadent and wonderful.

Molly499 · 29/07/2021 22:22

We went on a skiing holiday at Xmas with kids 5, 3, and 1 in a hotel. Just got them all off to sleep, sitting down with a much needed drink and realised that we’d left all of the Xmas presents at home. Four hours from home, disaster but luckily someone who worked for us managed to drive them down…phew!

Ellmau · 29/07/2021 22:26

I once forgot to pack any knickers.

A family member once forgot their sandals or any shoes apart from the smart pair they were wearing on the plane, on a beach holiday.

Stroan · 29/07/2021 22:26

All of my jeans and trousers. Had packed underwear and tops. No bottoms.

Ellmau · 29/07/2021 22:27

Also my toothbrush, I had to go into a shop in a foreign country and try to explain what I needed in a language I didn't speak. It involved mime...

DrMadelineMaxwell · 29/07/2021 22:27

My parents once forgot to pack my preventer inhaler when I was a child.

DH once forgot his wallet.

Despite being given a list DD forgot to pack nightwear once.

On our first abroad holiday she decided she'd be fine in jeans and ended up wearing a pair of my cropped ones all holiday when she discovered how much hotter it was compared to home.

When we went to Disneyland Paris for an October (and a bit chilly and occasionally wet) break she 'forgot' her raincoat --because she decided she didn't want or need it'' and we ended up buying one in one of the Disney shops. Luckily it was reasonably priced considering and relatively plain. I should sell it on really as we won't be going again.

Tombero · 29/07/2021 22:28

Nappies!

gluteustothemaximus · 29/07/2021 22:28

My contact lenses. And no glasses. Couldn't see a fucking thing.
Luckily was only a weekend break Grin

Friend forgot her contraceptive pill.

DH forgot all his underwear once.

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 29/07/2021 22:30

Clothes and footwear (plus sportswear eg swimming) for all potential changeable weather conditions so sun shades, sun hat and sun cream to extra layers, waterproofs etc. Easier to have these to hand as and if needed than to waste time in a new place buying extras taking away holiday adventure time.

OhGiveUp · 29/07/2021 22:32

@Hm2020 My mother once did that.
My DF eyes nearly popped out of his head when she opened it and he saw all the lacy underwear rather than my Mother's usual mahoosive apple catcher's and very sensible bra's 😂

MumofSpud · 29/07/2021 22:36

Not really forgotten but lost - on a ferry to Ireland DD (about 4) was holding her doll to wave as we left and yes, the doll fell in the sea - cue everybody who was on that side of the boat to say 'oh no!' at the same time!
I'm not saying I'm a good liar but when I quickly explained to a sobbing DD that the she couldn't see doll in the sea as the captain would have got the sailors in the engine room to rescue her and taken her to doll to hospital ASAP - my DS (11) said really, that's goodHmm
Cue a panicked call to DM to get a replacement doll who was waiting for us when we got home.
And the reason she looked slightly different was that she had had a lovely makeover whilst she was there!!

PicturesOfLily · 29/07/2021 22:38

I’ve forgotten my toothbrush and, on a different trip but one where I was sharing a room with a friend, pyjamas. DH forgot his suit for a friend’s wedding but we’d driven from northern England to Switzerland so he had to buy a new outfit!
I’ve been packing today for a weekend away with dh, dd and baby so this thread is very helpful. I feel like I’ll remember everything for the dc but forget something essential for me!

drspouse · 29/07/2021 22:39

My whole bag. We went to an ASDA with a clothes section before getting on our canal boat but they still didn't have the right contact lens solution.

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 29/07/2021 22:43

Toddler DD's clothes, apart from what she was wearing when we left home for a weekend. Thank goodness for Woolworths, and Ladybird clothes!

My driving licence. Drove probably illegally in several European countries. Was asked for it as ID in a supermarket in France, while in transit between stops.

NoddyMcdoddy · 29/07/2021 22:44

A visa for DD for a trip to the US. Myself and DP already had visas from previous trips, no idea how it never dawned on either of us that DD also needed a visa. I’ll never forgot her wee face looking up at us, lip quivering ‘ Am i not allowed go’

We had to pay a small fortune for an expedited visa at airport computers, thankfully it came through just in time.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 29/07/2021 22:44

Passport. Swapped bags last minute.

Thankfully I had a relative who was a motorbike courier.

sergeilavrov · 29/07/2021 22:44

DH forgot his personal iPhone, to which he had connected all of his airtags on all of his luggage and personal items (keys, wallet) on a recent business trip to Saudi. They beep if they’re not close enough to the iPhone to prevent people using them to stalk people. He had no idea what all the beeping was.

Saudis didn’t like the beeping man with the beeping luggage, and he got searched at the airport, hotel, every security point. He came home with no airtags and doesn’t quite find it funny yet.

mafted · 29/07/2021 22:45

Forgot to take passports to the airport and so completely missed a weekend in Paris.

A couple we know had a wedding in the brides home country.
They spent two weeks there before the wedding then the plan was they'd return and have a night at home before going on their honeymoon.
Only their return flight was delayed so they ended up with just 4 hours at home before the taxi came to get them to the airport. They went for a nap but slept too long and just had stuff in a jumble of cases so packed as quickly as possible. When they arrived the groom had no shorts and two shoes from different pairs and the bride had only bikini bottoms no tops and only stilettos. They had a massive row and didn't speak for three days!

JudgeJ · 29/07/2021 22:46

@NakedAttraction

A whole suitcase. Didn’t make it into the car.
My brother did this, resulted in a mad dash to meet his daughter on a roundabout, barely stopped, she threw the case into my car and I broke every limit going on the run down to the airport! I tend not to forget things going but usually manage to comeback without things, often something white that gets left on the bed or chargers. My daughter who managed a hotel came to our rescue, she produced a huge bag of chargers and said Take your pick, back in the day when there were so many different ones.
WellTidy · 29/07/2021 22:48

We stopped overnight at a hotel just outside Paris on the way to the south of France (we were driving). I left my wallet in the safe in the hotel room. Realised when we were four hours’ drive further south, at around 2pm the next day. (We arranged a courier and got it back when we arrived home. Thankfully DH had his wallet on him!)

JudgeJ · 29/07/2021 22:52

I realised when I reached the hotel where I was attending a meeting that I'd forgotten my pj's, worst still we were having to share rooms with strangers. All through the first session I was wondering how big the hotel towels were to fashion some kind of sleeping garment. During coffee a man came up and asked my name, There's been a mix-up by reception, I'm down to share with you but when I looked in the room you were clearly a woman! Saved my bacon did that error. I'd registered for themeeting using a uni-sex abbreviation of my name.

rossogingerale · 29/07/2021 22:53

Got married in NYC and left my make up bag on my bed at home.

Carriemac · 29/07/2021 22:55

An entire suitcase one may half term
. All my stuff except shoes .
3 kids one husband and one dog all had their stuff