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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for your worst holiday ever?

300 replies

5amisthenew7am · 01/06/2025 06:06

We’ve just got back from what I think was our worst holiday ever.

It rained heavily for 6 days out of 7
The kids fought all day, every day
I had to keep logging on for work because of a crisis situation
We went with my parents who made every excuse not to spend time with us and basically just took themselves off for lovely day trips without us. They didn’t lift a finger to help
Me and one DC both got D&V
The pool at the villa was absolutely freezing with giant bugs in it so nobody wanted to do any swimming
Our flights were delayed there and back

We actually went somewhere really beautiful and I’d been looking forward to it for months. The trip cost so much money and I honestly have never been so happy to get home.

I would love to hear others stories to make me feel better!

OP posts:
shortsharp · 01/06/2025 06:10

Where were you?

Madat54 · 01/06/2025 06:13

Egypt. Lost a stone 🤮 never again

SparklyGlitterballs · 01/06/2025 06:33

Toss up between:

Morocco approx 43 years ago on an 18-30 holiday (I was 18). Went to a place called Camp Africa where the accommodation was these tiny stone huts with thatched roofs. Came down with diarrhoea after a camel ride/beach picnic. On the coach trip back from the excursion they stopped off at a little village place and before we even got there I was desperate for the loo. Village had one little cafe with a toilet and it was the most disgusting thing ever - shit everywhere (toilet/walls etc) and no toilet tissue anyway so I couldn't use it. Had to clench my buttock muscles like they've never been clenched before and never ever have I been so relieved as I was when we got back to the camp. A few days later there was a fire and a few of the hut roofs burned down. Was really scary as it started spreading. Went home from that holiday a stone lighter.

Spain in October half term about 22 years ago. Two very young children in pushchairs. It rained just about every day from day 2, and was much colder than we expected. We hadn't packed enough clothes for cold/wet weather and had to go shopping for jumpers, trousers and raincoats. Nothing much to do as it was a beach resort so we either stayed in the apartment or went to the shopping centre. Kids were miserable and cried a lot. It was a loooonng week.

MixedBananas · 01/06/2025 06:37

My last trip. Wont say where. But visiitng inlaws so I shouldnhave known wouldnt be a holiday. Me and DH didn't get any alone time. Didn't connect, he works crazy hours and we barely seen each other. His famiky got on my nerves. We had a couple of major arguments. Didn't get to enjoy the country at all. The kids had a blast as they are under 4 years old.....but had they been older they would have suffered to. Was an expensive holiday and it was the worst I been on in over 12years.

Changingplace · 01/06/2025 06:42

Went to Vegas with my soon to be ex ‘D’H, he went on a bender and disappeared for 12 hours, was with friends and we were literally calling the police station and hospitals.

He was doing coke and god knows what else, disgusting pig.

Cardshade · 01/06/2025 06:48

Sounds bloody awful

single parent here and I take no risks with holidays and throw money at them! So always at time of year for country when poor weather historically almost unheard of, the best of everything I can afford, private transfer, private trips and guides so not awful hanging around waiting for others.

and never ever go away nor would I with anyone that I fundamentally don’t love and enjoy their company enormously. Hence I’ve only ever been away with two of my best friends of 3 decades, my children and my sister.

having said that… one trip to DR and I got salmonella. Now THAT was horrific!

Cardshade · 01/06/2025 06:48

Presuming you went to Europe… this time
of year is always hit or miss unless maybe Seville and surrounds!

Cardshade · 01/06/2025 06:49

We went with my parents who made every excuse not to spend time with us and basically just took themselves off for lovely day trips without us. They didn’t lift a finger to help

and this was completely unexpected out of character? Ie usually very hands on, love to help and love to spend time with you all?

SpanThatWorld · 01/06/2025 07:00

Last hiday with my mum and her partner. Menorca - based in a shiny holiday development.

Half-arsed construction with bundles of wires poking out of walls. All the restaurants were owned by the same company and uniformly ordinary. The beach was alive with biting insects. Nothing, absolutely nothing, to do.

Halfway through, I found my mum lying on her bed saying, "Bored, bored, bored." This was a woman whose entire holiday plans usually consisted of lying in the sun with a thick novel but she was too fed up of the resort to do that.

And there was a woman who drank in the bar across the way from our room whose tag line was yelling "I'm gonna batter you!" at 200dB at 1am.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 01/06/2025 07:03

Egypt as a single mum. The weather was fabulous and I met some truly wonderful people. But outside resort in the local town I was treated terribly by men. I felt very very unsafe. Also I got the shits just before the transfer coach and had to immodium myself to the hilt.

VaddaABeetch · 01/06/2025 07:05

Long arranged holiday of a lifetime with a friend. She took her new boyfriend. First I knew of it was when he came to wave her off at the airport (according to friend) but got on the plane! they spent their time shagging, would want to meet in the evening then spend their time eating the face off each other. I did my own thing but I was furious at spending all that money to be a third wheel.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 01/06/2025 07:12

VaddaABeetch · 01/06/2025 07:05

Long arranged holiday of a lifetime with a friend. She took her new boyfriend. First I knew of it was when he came to wave her off at the airport (according to friend) but got on the plane! they spent their time shagging, would want to meet in the evening then spend their time eating the face off each other. I did my own thing but I was furious at spending all that money to be a third wheel.

Edited

I would have been furious. Such a selfish thing to do. I hope she is no longer a friend.

5amisthenew7am · 01/06/2025 07:13

I’m starting to feel marginally better reading these Grin

yes it was Europe!

The trip also really highlighted my mum’s weird food issues. She doesn’t eat proper meals, she “fasts” until she’s about to pass out then she eats a whole pack of cheese or salami. So annoying at mealtimes when you’re sitting round the table and she piously says “no nothing for me, I’m fasting” then you walk into the kitchen an hour later and she’s hoovering up the kids’ babybels.

My DP don’t normally help, no, but I hadn’t expected them to be quite so hands off. I literally saw my dad for about 30 seconds per day. When they were around all they did was tell the kids off for completely normal child behaviour. I haven’t been on holiday with them for about 20 years and I don’t think we’ll be doing it again!

OP posts:
LeCigareVolant · 01/06/2025 07:14

Florida when I was 18. I developed a nasty kidney infection and spent a week in bed. I lost so much weight I had to buy safety pins to keep my shorts up! The worst part was that the people I went with, some of whom I’d known my whole life, didn’t care at all, wouldn’t even bring me a bottle of water before they left the hotel for 12 hours. I was so ill I’d have to crawl to the bathroom, there was no way I could make it to the nearest vending machine. I ended up really dehydrated.

Aposterhasnoname · 01/06/2025 07:17

I’ve posted this before.

Dom Rep in February. Plane going out was delayed for many hours because they couldn’t open the hold doors and get the previous passengers luggage out.

Arrived very late at night and went straight to bed. Got up the next morning and it was raining, heavily. All trips were cancelled due to the weather, and for some bizarre reason the entertainment team cancelled everything too. You’d think they’d arrange games or something in the bar, but nope, they just sat around playing loud rap music all day. Anyway, it was an all inclusive hotel so we went to the bar, along with everyone else. I don’t think the entertainment team spoke great English because one of the songs they were playing contained the lyrics “ if you’re scared mutha fucka, go to church” they obviously liked this one, because they played it frequently. This was a family hotel by the way, we were alone, but there were many families with kids around.

So the first day passed in a drunken haze, and we got up the next day, raring to start the holiday properly. Nope, still raining, back to the bar we went, and back to the mouth fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song, next day, well, you get the idea. By now people, including the kids were singing along. The entertainment clearly though that this was a popular activity, so played the song even more frequently.

Day five of the holiday was my birthday, so we got up and went to the bar for the daily group sing along. At 5pm everything started swaying, so we thought we’d drunk enough and returned to our room, our ground floor, beach front room, and switched on the tv. The Haitian earthquake had just happened, and the Dom Rep was on a Tsunami warning. We went to reception to ask what we should do, blank looks all around, so we went to the bar and a few told other people and word got round. Don’t forget, everyone had been drinking solidly for six days, so reactions varied from don’t give a shit, to complete melt down panic. We, and a few others, decided to head for higher ground, so squelched out way to the top of the hill across the road, where we stood in the pouring rain dolefully singing muthafucka for about an hour, before realising nothing was going to happen, so we squelched back down and went to bed.

The next day, the rain stopped, but the majority of the staff were Haitian and had relatives there, so were understandably very worried. It didn’t feel right enjoying ourselves while the staff were so upset, so the last week was a very muted affair.

Finally it was time leave, and we boarded the plane. There was a baby screaming just a couple of rows in front of us. The pilot announced we’d have to wait for a doctor to check the baby was ok to fly, this took an hour and a half. Finally given the ok, we started taxiing to the runway, the baby was still screaming. Some bloke jumped up marched down the plane and shouted shut that brat up or I will, or words to that general effect, in the mothers face. The father naturally came to her defence and squared up to him. The plane ended up going back to the terminal for aggressive bloke to be removed.

Never been so glad to get home in my life.

CissOff · 01/06/2025 07:20

Carvoeiro, Portugal. Sunny on the day we arrived, that was it for the week. Just cold and rain for the rest of the time with 6 relatively small DC. Pool was freezing, we were at the top of a very steep hill that wasn’t wide enough for the double buggies, and it just lacked a holiday vibe.

In fact, both my Portugal holidays have been quite dreary weather-wise but the second wasn’t quite as bad.

Jellycatspyjamas · 01/06/2025 07:21

Nope, still raining, back to the bar we went, and back to the mouth fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song, next day, well, you get the idea. By now people, including the kids were singing along. The entertainment clearly though that this was a popular activity, so played the song even more frequently.

Im sorry you had such a horrible time but this did make me laugh. You have a lovely way with words.

Pippa12 · 01/06/2025 07:21

Oh god! I’m so sorry your holiday was awful! It’s the worst when you save like a demon and it’s rubbish!

Mine was by far a trip to the canaries. The hotel was infested, and I mean infested with cockroaches. It was disgusting! They were even sauntering around our underwear drawer. We were very young and had no money to book into another hotel. We spent the week pissed. Awful.

Aposterhasnoname · 01/06/2025 07:22

Aposterhasnoname · 01/06/2025 07:17

I’ve posted this before.

Dom Rep in February. Plane going out was delayed for many hours because they couldn’t open the hold doors and get the previous passengers luggage out.

Arrived very late at night and went straight to bed. Got up the next morning and it was raining, heavily. All trips were cancelled due to the weather, and for some bizarre reason the entertainment team cancelled everything too. You’d think they’d arrange games or something in the bar, but nope, they just sat around playing loud rap music all day. Anyway, it was an all inclusive hotel so we went to the bar, along with everyone else. I don’t think the entertainment team spoke great English because one of the songs they were playing contained the lyrics “ if you’re scared mutha fucka, go to church” they obviously liked this one, because they played it frequently. This was a family hotel by the way, we were alone, but there were many families with kids around.

So the first day passed in a drunken haze, and we got up the next day, raring to start the holiday properly. Nope, still raining, back to the bar we went, and back to the mouth fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song. Next day, raining, mutha fucka song, next day, well, you get the idea. By now people, including the kids were singing along. The entertainment clearly though that this was a popular activity, so played the song even more frequently.

Day five of the holiday was my birthday, so we got up and went to the bar for the daily group sing along. At 5pm everything started swaying, so we thought we’d drunk enough and returned to our room, our ground floor, beach front room, and switched on the tv. The Haitian earthquake had just happened, and the Dom Rep was on a Tsunami warning. We went to reception to ask what we should do, blank looks all around, so we went to the bar and a few told other people and word got round. Don’t forget, everyone had been drinking solidly for six days, so reactions varied from don’t give a shit, to complete melt down panic. We, and a few others, decided to head for higher ground, so squelched out way to the top of the hill across the road, where we stood in the pouring rain dolefully singing muthafucka for about an hour, before realising nothing was going to happen, so we squelched back down and went to bed.

The next day, the rain stopped, but the majority of the staff were Haitian and had relatives there, so were understandably very worried. It didn’t feel right enjoying ourselves while the staff were so upset, so the last week was a very muted affair.

Finally it was time leave, and we boarded the plane. There was a baby screaming just a couple of rows in front of us. The pilot announced we’d have to wait for a doctor to check the baby was ok to fly, this took an hour and a half. Finally given the ok, we started taxiing to the runway, the baby was still screaming. Some bloke jumped up marched down the plane and shouted shut that brat up or I will, or words to that general effect, in the mothers face. The father naturally came to her defence and squared up to him. The plane ended up going back to the terminal for aggressive bloke to be removed.

Never been so glad to get home in my life.

January not February. You’d think I’d remember when my own birthday was.

DinoLil · 01/06/2025 07:25

Tunisia just over 30yrs ago with XH. He was 24 and sobbed every night, crying that he didn't like it and wanted his mum. I got hassled every time we stepped out of the hotel - I was 21 and very blonde.

A camping trip about 10yrs ago. Drove six hours to the camp site and discovered I'd packed the wrong tent poles. We had a week in the rain with a very wonky, propped up tent.

Hard to tell which of the two holidays was worse!

x2boys · 01/06/2025 07:27

VaddaABeetch · 01/06/2025 07:05

Long arranged holiday of a lifetime with a friend. She took her new boyfriend. First I knew of it was when he came to wave her off at the airport (according to friend) but got on the plane! they spent their time shagging, would want to meet in the evening then spend their time eating the face off each other. I did my own thing but I was furious at spending all that money to be a third wheel.

Edited

That's terrible
Something similar happened to me but thankfully there were three of us that had booked a week to kos,at the last minute one of the others boyfriend decided to book at the same resort same week so she just spent the week with him at least i had my other friend though.

DinoLil · 01/06/2025 07:28

@AposterhasnonameI'm sorry, but your post has left me howling with laughter! You definitely win the prize for worst holiday ever!

Natsku · 01/06/2025 07:31

I've been lucky and never had a really bad holiday but when I was a child we went to Spain in December and it rained almost the entire time. I still had fun because I was a kid, the rain was fairly warm, I even went swimming in the hotel pool in the rain, and there was a pool table in the hotel bar but I imagine it wasn't so pleasant for my parents.

When we went to Cyprus we stayed in one of those hotels with apartments, we were shown to our apartment and it was infested with cockroaches. But my dad won't take no for an answer so we were moved immediately to a different one, with no cockroaches. The whole resort smelt vaguely of sewage but I guess I got used to it pretty quickly. I do remember being in the pool and seeing a poo float past once though.

MilesOfMotivation · 01/06/2025 07:31

We went with my parents who made every excuse not to spend time with us and basically just took themselves off for lovely day trips without us. They didn’t lift a finger to help

If your children were fighting all the time, maybe that's why they made themselves scarce?

In terms of holidays, don't think I've ever had a bad one - yet. But I'm a stickler for doing a lot of research!

PruthePrune · 01/06/2025 07:32

I'm on it ATM. Recovering from the worst bout of D&V ever. Don't like the location, locals constantly hassling us and can't wait to get home.

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