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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:
sandrapinchedmysandwich · 01/06/2025 11:53

DoggyLoverz · 01/06/2025 11:50

It was actually quite frightening and I didn’t want my children exposed to it. People are asking for their most horrible holidays and this is it 🤷‍♀️

But you exposed her to it more by hiding away than by taking charge and saying " Come on then dd. Let's go for a wee and then we will go for a lovely day to the beach / town / pool / park" It would have been better to remove her from the villa full stop.

Totallytoti · 01/06/2025 11:55

Perfectlystill · 01/06/2025 08:20

The Lake District. Dog had diarrhoea, garden wasn't fenced so I spent all my time watching him shit himself. Traffic everywhere, crap pubs, tourists (yes including us) everywhere. I couldn't wait to get home and cried with relief driving down the M6.

Same! Didn’t realise how utterly crap the food is and it’s mostly pub food everywhere. Everything that was a ‘must see’ was just so poky and felt so underwhelming. We drove 45min for an M&S to find some normal food.
It also rained a lot and we were just miserable and we all got sick too. I don’t know what the hype is. Unless you are a hiking family. Or maybe I’m just too used to London. It was busy all over but not worth the hype.
we stayed at a really nice place so that was the only positive.

LaaLaaLady · 01/06/2025 11:59

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.

That sounds awful but the thought of you all, half cut, singing mutha fucka song in the rain did amuse me. Hope your next holiday is better x

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 01/06/2025 12:01

Went to the airport yesterday to fly to Italy for 3 weeks, all wildly excited. Got onto the plane, found our seats, put the luggage up and DS13 had a massive panic attack. We had to get off the plane and are now sitting at home coming to terms with the fact we can probably no longer fly.

SusanSHelit · 01/06/2025 12:03

Benodorm for a friend's 21st. Was in February so absolutely freezing cold. Went with two other girls who just wanted to drink and drink all holiday. Spent most of it battling multiple mouth ulcers and a raging cold. Then friend who's birthday it was lost her grandma (who had raised her) so was absolutely devastated understandably, and in no mood to celebrate.

Other two friends brought random men back to the hotel for a one night stand. We did not have our own rooms. Spent the night in the hotel lobby.

Couldn't wait to get on the plane home and if I could have afforded it I would have bought another ticket to go home early.

Absolutely never again.

Either that or majorca when I was 8 where I got a rip roaring ear infection on the second day, spent the week crying in pain in the hotel room and had to fly back home still with the ear infection where the combination of cabin pressure and infection perforated my eardrum. Pain was a 10/10 but significantly less once my eardrum had popped. I still can't hear as well out of that ear 16 years later

FeelinTwentySixPointTwo · 01/06/2025 12:03

We drove 45min for an M&S to find some normal food

What a bonkers decision when you have Booths in Keswick and Windermere. Bloody love Booths.

And the Lake District has incredible food btw, but you're not going to find it in touristy pubs. Go to Cartmel next time.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 01/06/2025 12:07

SusanSHelit · 01/06/2025 12:03

Benodorm for a friend's 21st. Was in February so absolutely freezing cold. Went with two other girls who just wanted to drink and drink all holiday. Spent most of it battling multiple mouth ulcers and a raging cold. Then friend who's birthday it was lost her grandma (who had raised her) so was absolutely devastated understandably, and in no mood to celebrate.

Other two friends brought random men back to the hotel for a one night stand. We did not have our own rooms. Spent the night in the hotel lobby.

Couldn't wait to get on the plane home and if I could have afforded it I would have bought another ticket to go home early.

Absolutely never again.

Either that or majorca when I was 8 where I got a rip roaring ear infection on the second day, spent the week crying in pain in the hotel room and had to fly back home still with the ear infection where the combination of cabin pressure and infection perforated my eardrum. Pain was a 10/10 but significantly less once my eardrum had popped. I still can't hear as well out of that ear 16 years later

Like hell would I be sleeping in a hotel lobby rather than the room I have paid money for so a friend can have a shag. Absolutely not. They should have found somewhere else rather than kicking you out of your own room

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 01/06/2025 12:08

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 01/06/2025 12:01

Went to the airport yesterday to fly to Italy for 3 weeks, all wildly excited. Got onto the plane, found our seats, put the luggage up and DS13 had a massive panic attack. We had to get off the plane and are now sitting at home coming to terms with the fact we can probably no longer fly.

I am sorry. That's such a disappointment for you all

LaaLaaLady · 01/06/2025 12:08

MisunderstoodMe · 01/06/2025 09:13

Malta at Christmas one year , it was mums choice. Daughter got a tooth infection and face swelled on the flight out. Was fine until we got up in air so just thought she was complaining because of the air pressure. Had to pay to see a dentist and she was understandably a beast the whole holiday! It was freezing, the heated pool was ice cold. The daytime entertainment non existent and the evenings would suit a nursing home. Really not much to do in winter in Malta so my other 2 kids spent the whole time bored and fighting. Then second to last day I came down with flu. It was a bank holiday and can only get any kind of medicine in a pharmacy which were all closed. Luckily on the flight home they let me board and the air hostess gave me paracetamol or i don't think i would have made it home.

I live in Malta... It's a poop hole. Moving home in a month, can't wait!

Globules · 01/06/2025 12:12

£9 Sun holiday in a mobile home.

Only allowed 1 hour swimming a day. Nothing else really on the park.

Rained every day. The beach over the road was so exposed that it wasn't fun having rain adventures.

We ended up putting the oven on as an additional heater for the place, as it was so cold. We introduced the kids to the LOTR extended trilogy and played a lot of board games.

Went home a day early

YourOnMute · 01/06/2025 12:15

Went on a campsite holiday a few months after separating with ex. Ex turned up because it was his holiday too, was an absolute nasty, seething nightmare: he was absolutely horrible. I remember calling my friend in tears the night I arrived..he stole money from my bank account (he wasn't paying maintenance) as I hadn't changed my account and he knew the pin (I didn't realise). When I got the deposit back he took it and wouldn't return it.
He was so so nasty during the entire holiday, wouldn't let me bring the children anywhere, we were staying on a campsite and didn't even get to visit the pools due to Mr. Dictator. I hired a car and wasn't allowed use it but he was!
Fast forward to now and he's completely abandoned his kids, he's blocked them on phone and social media and doesn't respond to any of their attempts to contact him (although they've given up now).

What.a.man.

Unforgettablefire · 01/06/2025 12:17

Canary Islands, a huge cockroach scuttled all the way down the inside of my arm, under the blanket at about 5am. I was leaping about like a ninja, stark naked I just hope nobody saw me from outside.

I made myself a tent with the sheet after that, weighed it all down at the edges with shoes and slept under it for the rest of the holiday.
I’m now obsessed with cockroaches.

LogicalBlodge · 01/06/2025 12:18

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.

That is epic and terrible in one.

Tenducks · 01/06/2025 12:22

I once woke up in a cheap hotel in India to strange noises to find several huge rats munching on some packet snack food I had in a bag in the floor. When I eventually went back to sleep and woke up in the daylight I found they had chewed right through the straps of my only sandals. It was a brilliant holiday though so maybe doesn’t count!

ZenNudist · 01/06/2025 12:23

Portugal September 2011 with 1yo ds1 and dh both ill. Stayed in villa owned by in law's friends. Death trap for toddlers. Bed was so uncomfortable it was like a board. Dh whinged about lack of sleep and stayed in the room all day. I was still getting used to holidays with young dc being the same drudgery as back home.

Cornwall with covid was pretty bad as well.

There's usually something to enjoy about the holiday

newrubylane · 01/06/2025 12:27

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.

Agreed, I literally have tears rolling down my face picturing this. I'm sure it wasn't so amusing at the time though.

GreenCandleWax · 01/06/2025 12:31

Three weeks after my DM's funeral. The time before her death had been stressful for months, then a family feud when she died saw me being cut out completely of her funeral arrangements that she had asked me (as her only DD) to do. Brothers and nephews acted disgracefully and it was all a total nightmare, then her jewelry that she left me was stolen from her house. I was a wreck and uber stressed out and grieving. We booked a special villa in Spain to have a relaxing two weeks away from the problems. It was more expensive than our usual holiday places, out in the country and looked very nice.
On arrival it was through a difficult security gate in the middle of nowhere, it felt a bit unsafe, and half the villa was out of bounds - no access to the terrace for example. The inside had clearly not been made ready - there were rolls of dust under all the furniture, moth in rugs, and lots of black mould in the showers. There were bedspreads that looked grubby and had people's hairs on them. It was so disappointing.
The next day I phoned the agency - it was a British couple living in the area. I asked the woman as politely and tactfully as possible if she could arrange for someone to come over as some areas still needed some cleaning. She exploded at me, screaming that I was lying, she had cleaned it herself two days earlier and it was "immaculate". She then screamed at me that I was just trying to get the accommodation for free. All this just after my DM had died was just terrible.
Then my DH became ill and had to go to local A&E and stay in hospital several nights. I had nowhere to stay and wandered strange industrial town for ages before someone helped me find a hotel. I will never forget her kindness, the best part of the whole holiday!

MaryTheTurtle · 01/06/2025 12:35

Went to Spain on a coach, hours upon hours upon hours of sitting there - never again. DD was 1, DS 13. 30 mins before we got to location DD vomitted. Me and DS got D&V on day 5 of the 10 day holiday. Completely wiped us out, DD spent those 4 days in her cot because I could nearest move. It was without doubt the worse holiday ever.

Foodoverload · 01/06/2025 12:37

Egypt. Not spoken to by any man. All staff male. Wanted a black coffee and was brought with milk - which I can’t drink. Argued no woman should drink black coffee. DP kept getting drinks brought to him, but not me. He ended up calling them back each time. I hated it. DP got a bad belly. Alcohol tasted like ethanol and all the same.

Mexico till the last 2 days. Loved it then I got a parasite. I took 12 immodiums to get on the plane. Took weeks to recover.

KIlliePieMyOhMy · 01/06/2025 12:43

Now ExDP and I had been on many, many, many holidays with his parents.
His father passed away. we had already booked to go to somewhere in Europe in August - where we had been many, many, many times before. She asked to come. I was concerned that we had been with her and her husband before in April and she had constantly moaned about the heat.

Get to destination - it is hot. Moan, moan, moan - days spent searching of appropriate clothes for her, I went in every single shop. Moan, moan. Nothing is right.

Every morning ExDP would get up and she would tell him how she wanted to go home, but she wouldn't be able to cope with this herself, so we would all have to go home.

Nights out in nice restaurants would either want no food, or something just not on the menu. She had in her mind to go to a certain place, We said it was a long walk and to get a bus or taxi. No she wants to walk. Is indeed a long walk, when we get to the place it is not the place she had in mind and part of it is closed anyway. I say best bit is the garden which is over here - refuses to go to garden. I am accused on taking her to wrong place on purpose.

I agree for ExDP to have an afternoon to himself while we, mother and I watched a film in the apartment, all windows open. Off he goes, she goes to her room and won't come out.

I really wanted to go to a botanical garden, only way to do this is by myself. She says she wants to come. I say it will be hot. She points out how she likes hot weather!!!! Eventually I go by myself. sit on bench in said botanical garden and just cry with the frustration of it all.

Plane delayed on the way back and she refuses to speak to me all that day.

Found out later ExDP had gone for a random shag during his day off!

XelaM · 01/06/2025 13:05

Madat54 · 01/06/2025 06:13

Egypt. Lost a stone 🤮 never again

See people were telling me this about Egypt, but we just spent a week in Hurghada with no food issues whatsoever but I guess it depends on the resort. The food at our hotel was very safe. No one in our party got ill and I didn't hear of anyone having food related issues at our hotel.

Some things really pleasantly surprised me in Egypt - like how amazingly well organised and easy the airport in Hurghada was with no queues for anything (unlike the MASSIVE security queue at Stansted) or how seriously the lifeguards monitored water safety (at the hotel aqua park and the beach). Felt very safe.

XelaM · 01/06/2025 13:11

Foodoverload · 01/06/2025 12:37

Egypt. Not spoken to by any man. All staff male. Wanted a black coffee and was brought with milk - which I can’t drink. Argued no woman should drink black coffee. DP kept getting drinks brought to him, but not me. He ended up calling them back each time. I hated it. DP got a bad belly. Alcohol tasted like ethanol and all the same.

Mexico till the last 2 days. Loved it then I got a parasite. I took 12 immodiums to get on the plane. Took weeks to recover.

Wow our experience in Hurghada was completely different. Amazing service and extremely friendly (and sometimes overly friendly to my very pretty daughter 🤣 but I'm definitely not pretty and all the men serving us couldn't have been nicer).

crackofdoom · 01/06/2025 13:12

I initially thought I'd never had a bad holiday. Certainly I've rarely been disappointed by anywhere I've been (I am an obsessive researcher). But then I remembered several holidays and camping trips that have been partially or wholly spoilt by shitty behaviour from a partner. If only I could choose my men as well as I choose my holidays 😆

The most recent was Amsterdam a few months ago, which was supposed to be a massive birthday treat from my boyfriend of the time. And he did book a nice hotel in a lovely part of the city. But he just started behaving more and more bizarrely as the weekend went on (he did have serious mental health issues, which he was proactive in getting treatment for, but I don't think that was the whole story).

We were walking through the city when we met with a big International Women's Day march- colours, noise, home made placards, loads of cool looking women/ trans people and supportive men, all in all a positive and cheerful vibe. One woman had a placard saying "Put tariffs on men" (obviously a Trump reference and quite funny I thought). Boyfriend kicked right off. Felt personally attacked, NAMALT, don't they know he's one of the nice guys, etc 🙄. I spent a couple of hours intensively talking him down in a bar, instead of us going to where we'd planned to go that afternoon.

Then we went on a touristy boat trip that boyfriend had booked. It was quite pleasant even though the commentary was pretty cheesy. Then the guide said "Of course, quite a lot of drunk tourists fall in canals - usually the British ones!" So I felt compelled to mention to boyfriend that I felt personally attacked and not all British people are like that 😆.

When we got off the boat boyfriend kicked right off. How dare I say that, I was downright mean, could I apologise at once! Could I fuck. So he stomped off, came back 5 minutes later to ask why I hadn't chased after him, threatened to storm off again, then when I didn't react did so.

I dumped him when I got back to the hotel, and did manage to have a good time the next day sitting in the sun outside an old cafe on Prinsengraacht talking to a local lady, then going to visit an old friend in the Hague.

But I never, ever, as long as I live want another man ruining a holiday for me. And if that means never going on holiday with one again, so be it.

WomenInSTEM · 01/06/2025 13:14

Going to Egypt as a nineteen year old redhead was interesting...

Vinvertebrate · 01/06/2025 13:18

Kerala. Decided to eat at a crab shack after several beers (not one of my better decisions!) Got dysentery.

Aside from nearly shitting myself to death in front of DP (now DH), I had to have monthly stool samples taken at the GP and still tested positive for Shigella after 6 months. My least favourite holiday souvenir ever.