Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What is the worst holiday you have had?

378 replies

TwinklyFawn · 18/01/2025 16:33

I will start. In 2023 i went to the haven caravan park in Berwick. I stupidly forgot to pack a shower mat and i slipped while getting out of the shower. Anyway i had to phone an ambulance as i could not put any weight on my right leg. At the hospital the doctor asked me to stand up. I could put a bit of weight on my leg but i fell again when i tried to walk. My knee just gave way. I still shudder when i think about this holiday.

OP posts:
Arran2024 · 18/01/2025 17:59

A cottage in Sherringham in Norfolk. It was so windy, and it was the week before Easter and everything was closed. My husband got something in his eye from the wind and we had to go to hospital in Norwich. We usually went to Cornwall or Scotland, thought we would try something different - we haven't been back!

Wendolino · 18/01/2025 18:00

A long time ago, a week in Yugoslavia with a soon to be ex-boyfriend. It was a tiny quiet town in the mountains with no public transport, few shops and nothing to do. The staff in the hotel were all bad-tempered and the food was awful. I caught a rotten cold and to cap it off I had to read the two books I took with me twice over through sheer boredom.

exLtEveDallas · 18/01/2025 18:01

An AI in Agadir in August 2010, supposedly a 4 star, Caribbean something.
Good thing: the room was lovely and large and had good air con.
Bad thing: everything else.
Said room was top floor with no lifts, ok only 3rd story but it was 6 flights of stairs and DD moaned like hell every single time we went up them.
The food was dire. We always try to eat 'local' dishes, so I was expecting lovely tagine's aplenty, but no, they were trying to cater for 'us foreigners' and got it badly wrong. DD (5) and I went down with D&V 2 days in and once better were advised by the doc to avoid meat, salad, eggs, rice, anything in a sauce. That pretty much left us bread and potatoes - the bread was solid and gave us both cuts in the roof of our mouths.
The weather was terrible - Agadir in Aug apparently is always cloudy, but we'd picked a record year for how bad it was.
Outside the hotel was dreary and depressing, lots of half built hotels that were falling down.
The pools were cold and dirty, and sunbed wars meant that even with me going down at 6am we were right at the back so couldn't give DD any freedom.

Was a bloody relief to get home, and we've never been tempted to go back.

51Pegasusb · 18/01/2025 18:01

@Malbecfan Bloody hell!! I cannot even begin to imagine how stressful that was! Let alone to drive a RV camper van across Arizona with two small kids not knowing how your husband was doing.
Glad to hear your husband recovered, and you managed to get back to the US again! Washington state is stunning.

fetchacloth · 18/01/2025 18:02

I seem to have a problem with Lanzarote so I haven't been back since 2003, because:

  1. My first visit to Lanzarote in the mid 1990s, I caught a flu type bug on the plane on the way there and spent the whole week there in bed. When I returned from that holiday, I then developed a serious chest infection.

  2. My second visit in 2003 it rained every single day and the temperature didn't get much above 10C, so days by the pool were out of the question. Ironically at the same time, the weather in the UK was far warmer and dryer. 🙄

Purplecatshopaholic · 18/01/2025 18:02

The Algarve the year they had the worst weather in the history of Portugal, lol. It was torrential rain constantly, it was cold and we had no warm clothes. I also suffered from gynae problems at the time and had some of the worst flooding ever one night - the bed looked like a murder scene.

WellsAndThistles · 18/01/2025 18:04

Tunisia, hated the people constantly trying to scam money out of you. Genuinely not one single person spoke to us without an ulterior motive.

FoxtonFoxton · 18/01/2025 18:05

Dominican Republic years ago when I got food poisoning. Before I got ill, it was already rubbish as it was too dangerous to go out of the resort without an armed guard (we went to the private beach one night and were even accompanied then) and there was nothing to do. If you went to the beach you were constantly harassed by people selling stuff and even if you tried to sleep you were prodded awake by them. The flight home was delayed while we were sitting on the plane for hours and I was at the tail end of the food poisoning and still feeling bad and terrified I'd have a dodgy belly confined to a plane. Just awful.

wizzywig · 18/01/2025 18:07

You all have put me off ever going all inclusive

TwinklyFawn · 18/01/2025 18:16

ElfAndSafetyBored · 18/01/2025 17:57

Do you normally pack a shower mat? And just forgot this time? It wouldn’t occur to me. Although maybe it might now as that sounds painful. Sorry it happened to you n

I just forgot. I always manage to forget something even if i write a list. I am crap at packing. I didn't think to buy a shower mat when on holiday as i was more bothered about getting some decent food that was fit for humans. Yes it was painful. I had never experienced pain like it.

OP posts:
Damnbrsatz · 18/01/2025 18:16

In the 1970s so long, long before mobile phones, my dad and his best friend decided it would be great to take both families camplng in the south of france. They planned it all, friend booked the site and off we set _my brother was 3, I was 4). Drove from Yorkshire to the south of france. No sign of friend and family. Then it turned out that friend had all the camping gear in their car and we had the food so we couldnt even pitch a tent. Dad got in the car, turned round and drove all the way back to yorkshire without stopping, apart from the ferry. Mum had a migraine and was vomiting all the way up the M1. We didnt even find a bnb for a night. Turned out there were 2 places with similar names. We went to one and they went to the other. The friendship didnt survive as they both blamed each other. Idiots the pair of them - at least take your own camping stuff.
Edit to say, their entire plan consisted of "See you in ---- on Monday"

ginasevern · 18/01/2025 18:21

I have posted this before some time ago but here goes.

Torremolinos 1982 with my mum, my then 6 year old son, aunty Gladys and very dear family friend and widower Derek. We arrived to a building site, although our hotel was thankfully complete. The first thing we noticed when disembarking the coach was something that looked like a dead body covered in a blanket on the scrubland in front of the hotel. We were right, it was a dead body. It was a waiter who had apparently been shot and had been there for 2 days.

On the second day Derek went out to buy some ciggies and was mugged, sustaining 2 black eyes and endless curiousity for the rest of the holiday.

The food in the hotel consisted of the same dish every day which was effectively a grey stew with undeterminable bits in it. It smelt as bad as it looked and my mother christened it "donkey stew". The staff served this concoction from a great big soup tureen on a table in the middle of the restaurant, with bowls ready to receive it stacked high on either side. On the fourth evening my mother decided to complain. She raised herself, all dignified like, from her chair and said "watch this Gladys". She marched across the floor but her foot caught a patch of grease and she proceeded to sail across the dining room with arms outstretched and mouth wide open, wherepon she landed head first in the donkey stew. The stacked plates leapt in the air and crashed all over the floor with an ear shattering sound.

On the final night we were treated to a fire eater. I should say that the "entertainment" had been so bad it was actually good, especially after several bottles of Cava. The fire eater was roughly 80 years old and clearly drunk as he alarmingly staggered around with various things on fire. He managed to set fire to the curtains behind him and we were all evacuated from the hotel, which pretty much burnt down.

Wendolino · 18/01/2025 18:23

ginasevern · 18/01/2025 18:21

I have posted this before some time ago but here goes.

Torremolinos 1982 with my mum, my then 6 year old son, aunty Gladys and very dear family friend and widower Derek. We arrived to a building site, although our hotel was thankfully complete. The first thing we noticed when disembarking the coach was something that looked like a dead body covered in a blanket on the scrubland in front of the hotel. We were right, it was a dead body. It was a waiter who had apparently been shot and had been there for 2 days.

On the second day Derek went out to buy some ciggies and was mugged, sustaining 2 black eyes and endless curiousity for the rest of the holiday.

The food in the hotel consisted of the same dish every day which was effectively a grey stew with undeterminable bits in it. It smelt as bad as it looked and my mother christened it "donkey stew". The staff served this concoction from a great big soup tureen on a table in the middle of the restaurant, with bowls ready to receive it stacked high on either side. On the fourth evening my mother decided to complain. She raised herself, all dignified like, from her chair and said "watch this Gladys". She marched across the floor but her foot caught a patch of grease and she proceeded to sail across the dining room with arms outstretched and mouth wide open, wherepon she landed head first in the donkey stew. The stacked plates leapt in the air and crashed all over the floor with an ear shattering sound.

On the final night we were treated to a fire eater. I should say that the "entertainment" had been so bad it was actually good, especially after several bottles of Cava. The fire eater was roughly 80 years old and clearly drunk as he alarmingly staggered around with various things on fire. He managed to set fire to the curtains behind him and we were all evacuated from the hotel, which pretty much burnt down.

That is just so funny! Watch this Gladys! 😂😂😂😂

Wendolino · 18/01/2025 18:25

I'm sure the Haven in Berwick is where my sister and family went one year and some girls in the next caravan were throwing dirty nappies out of the windows when they changed their babies.

PermanentTemporary · 18/01/2025 18:27

@Damnbrsatz reminds me of a camping weekend away that my dh and his brother decided to take with their respective sons, aged 7 and 5. The lack of thought and planning was amazing. They picked a site that was convenient for them both to get to. From what i secretly looked up about it, it didn't even have a playground and was mostly going to be older couples in RVs. In the end I did prompt dh at least to take a football with him as neither of them were considering taking anything at all for the boys to play with and I couldn't quite bear it. I don't think it was a particularly successful weekend, certainly not repeated.

CoralOP · 18/01/2025 18:29

Tunisa, absolutely horrible people everywhere we turned. Probably spoke to about 9 people out of the hotel, each one tried to scam us or demanded money from us, taxi drivers, shop keepers and random people coming up to us.

Even the staff in the hotel were nasty, we were all inclusive and they were clearly angry that I (as a woman) was drinking, I'm not a big drinker at all but was drinking wine to try and get through that horrendous holiday. Could never recommend there.

Porcuporpoise · 18/01/2025 18:31

Camping in Wales 2015. I've had some great camping holidays, including in Wales, but this time was cold, windy and so, so wet. Dh had to leave for a few days in the middle to help my parents move house and whilst he was away we had to evacuate the campsite because a gale was coming in. It wasn't a total wash out, we had the odd lovely day but mostly it was wet and cold.

WellsAndThistles · 18/01/2025 18:31

When we stayed at Haven Berwick the caravan had a damp mouldy smell 🤢, we know the area really well so managed to spend most of our holiday away from the site.

Foy19 · 18/01/2025 18:32

Disneyland Paris, staying at Davy Crockett Ranch.

Filthy dirty, run down accommodation, and torrential rain most of the week. Never been so pleased to come home.

Moulook31 · 18/01/2025 18:33

ginasevern · 18/01/2025 18:21

I have posted this before some time ago but here goes.

Torremolinos 1982 with my mum, my then 6 year old son, aunty Gladys and very dear family friend and widower Derek. We arrived to a building site, although our hotel was thankfully complete. The first thing we noticed when disembarking the coach was something that looked like a dead body covered in a blanket on the scrubland in front of the hotel. We were right, it was a dead body. It was a waiter who had apparently been shot and had been there for 2 days.

On the second day Derek went out to buy some ciggies and was mugged, sustaining 2 black eyes and endless curiousity for the rest of the holiday.

The food in the hotel consisted of the same dish every day which was effectively a grey stew with undeterminable bits in it. It smelt as bad as it looked and my mother christened it "donkey stew". The staff served this concoction from a great big soup tureen on a table in the middle of the restaurant, with bowls ready to receive it stacked high on either side. On the fourth evening my mother decided to complain. She raised herself, all dignified like, from her chair and said "watch this Gladys". She marched across the floor but her foot caught a patch of grease and she proceeded to sail across the dining room with arms outstretched and mouth wide open, wherepon she landed head first in the donkey stew. The stacked plates leapt in the air and crashed all over the floor with an ear shattering sound.

On the final night we were treated to a fire eater. I should say that the "entertainment" had been so bad it was actually good, especially after several bottles of Cava. The fire eater was roughly 80 years old and clearly drunk as he alarmingly staggered around with various things on fire. He managed to set fire to the curtains behind him and we were all evacuated from the hotel, which pretty much burnt down.

This is hilarious. 😄😂

Foy19 · 18/01/2025 18:35

ginasevern · 18/01/2025 18:21

I have posted this before some time ago but here goes.

Torremolinos 1982 with my mum, my then 6 year old son, aunty Gladys and very dear family friend and widower Derek. We arrived to a building site, although our hotel was thankfully complete. The first thing we noticed when disembarking the coach was something that looked like a dead body covered in a blanket on the scrubland in front of the hotel. We were right, it was a dead body. It was a waiter who had apparently been shot and had been there for 2 days.

On the second day Derek went out to buy some ciggies and was mugged, sustaining 2 black eyes and endless curiousity for the rest of the holiday.

The food in the hotel consisted of the same dish every day which was effectively a grey stew with undeterminable bits in it. It smelt as bad as it looked and my mother christened it "donkey stew". The staff served this concoction from a great big soup tureen on a table in the middle of the restaurant, with bowls ready to receive it stacked high on either side. On the fourth evening my mother decided to complain. She raised herself, all dignified like, from her chair and said "watch this Gladys". She marched across the floor but her foot caught a patch of grease and she proceeded to sail across the dining room with arms outstretched and mouth wide open, wherepon she landed head first in the donkey stew. The stacked plates leapt in the air and crashed all over the floor with an ear shattering sound.

On the final night we were treated to a fire eater. I should say that the "entertainment" had been so bad it was actually good, especially after several bottles of Cava. The fire eater was roughly 80 years old and clearly drunk as he alarmingly staggered around with various things on fire. He managed to set fire to the curtains behind him and we were all evacuated from the hotel, which pretty much burnt down.

Grin funny, but truly awful too.

Beaverbridge · 18/01/2025 18:38

Lake Como. Never again even for free!!!!.

Fluffyyellowball · 18/01/2025 18:39

Dominican Republic with my now husband around 28 years ago. Beautiful 5 star all inclusive resort. Around 4 days in I started being ill with D&V, the next day DH started with the same. We spent 4 days in the room and then was too scared to eat anything other than packaged biscuits and bottled water. Speaking to others in the hotel they had experienced the same. The tour operator denied all knowledge of illness in the resort. I came home having lost almost a stone in weight.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/01/2025 18:40

Looking back, any holiday with now exh.We did do some nice things, but there was always the threat he’d suddenly get in a mood, esp if he didn’t get everything entirely his own way.

itsgettingweird · 18/01/2025 18:41

Malbecfan you win! What an awful trip but so glad to hear everyone treated you with kindness and were supportive.