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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Horror holiday stories

124 replies

Tooconfused12 · 07/04/2026 10:18

Posting in AIBU for traffic. Currently holed up in a hotel abroad - lovely weather, people playing happily in the pool outside and good vibes all around. Apart from the fact that both my kids have successively succumbed to the worst stomach bug I’ve ever known them to have - one after the other. Hours of compulsive vomiting, reaching, diarrhoea and now general malaise. I’ve just sent DH off to the supermarket to find antibacterial spray, and other hardcore cleaning products. I am sat here, for the fourth day in a row on the balcony watching other people have a holiday. I’m so gutted for the kids.

I was recalling all the holidays we’ve been on as a family for the past 7 yrs or so and I honestly cannot remember a time where no-one either puked, had the runs, or some other awful dehabilitating virus that fucked it, if not completely then for a good majority of time. Then we all get better the morning we go home. Please come and tell me your godawful holiday stories as I can read them today in between the vomiting and remember that I’m not alone

OP posts:
TurtleCavalryIsSeriousShit · 07/04/2026 10:41

7 Days in Portugal booked, meeting up with friends from another country. My first time travelling to another European country. The Schengen visas had just been introduced and the travel agent didn't tell me that I needed one.

Showed up at Manchester airport and got told I couldn't go. Nearest Portuguese embassy is in London. So we book flights to London and a night in a hotel. The following morning we're at the embassy first thing. They do the paperwork and tell a bunch of us to come back at 4:30pm. Out of the whole group, mine had gone through. Stayed in hotel another night and fly to Portugal the next day.

So PAID for 7 nights hotel and 7 days car hire in Portugal and only spent 3/4 there.
No refunds!! plus extra flight to London and 2 nights in hotel there.

Was rubbish.

Vintageblueribbon · 07/04/2026 11:37

Many years ago,my friend (who id known since we where 12 and were both in our early 30's at this point) decided to take the kids to a havan caravan (this would have been 2009)

It worked out as 2 adults (both single parents) and 8 kids between us

Got it all arranged,paid for it and was looking forward to it

She said her mum would take her and kids and wed have to take the train

Fair enough,we did

Got there and she suddenly turns everything into 'im the employer and your the slave'

She refused to unpack her and her kids stuff,took all my kids toys away from them and tried to boss them around while her ds sat on his arse playing on a games console (I put a stop to all this) and tried to make it clear I was to cook,clean and wash up for everyone (I refused and said wed do a rota,which was fair)

She then tried to tell me we where going to the overpriced fast food restaurant (which I couldn't afford,so she marched out with her kids,leaving me to cook and listen to the whinging from my lot as to why they where not having burgers)

Her ds came back bragging about his dinner,which set my lot off again

Id budgeted x amount for each day and all she wanted to do was hit the arcades all day (she had parents who would send her top up money if she asked but my parents would have laughed me out of the building if id asked) and when I said id take mine to the beach,she laughed and tried to tell me I was boring

She tried to turn my eldest (who was 11 at the time) into her personal nanny for her dc

She snapped and shouted at mine for the most minor things while hers ran riot and tried to destroy my kids toys/clothes and bother other people in their caravans

her ds and a dd tried to dump all my kids bedding in a large puddle-thankfully i stopped them and she got funny with me

her ds stood in front of me and pissed on the floor-nope not her ds

If they refused to eat what was put in front of them,she just rang her parents and got money to take them out but told mine they had to eat what was on their plates

Her dd bit/pushed everyone-not her child, her child wouldn't do that

We where meant to get up at 4:30am each morning and be in bed by 6pm (kids not adults-adults had to be asleep by 9pm)

Hers had the best breakfast foods while mine where meant to live on toast

Her ds's attitude was foul

My fault that where was no WiFi (she refused to pay the extra-i think I was meant to)

What her kids wanted to do (arcades) was what we where meant to do all day (I put my foot down and she got stroppy and sulked)

I'd accidentally left my suitcase at home so I only had the clothes I was stood up in (we had a row as her kids didnt want to go shopping and why couldn't I just make the best of it?)

On the last day,her family showed up and her sister in law was even worse (she hated me anyway) and she was even worse with the attitude-she tried to tell my eldest to change her babies nappy and shouted when dd said 'no' and thought it was acceptable to sit on her fat arse,trying to boss my lot around (they just walked off so she shouted that they where rude) while cooing at my mates kids (who where running around,biting,moaning,whinging and making a mess)

The sister in law tried to tell my two eldest (aged 11 and 10) to take friends kids,her two and my youngest to the park as she 'needed the break' and went mental when I said 'not happening' (the park was out of sight and at 11 and 10 years old,it wasnt happening)

My eldest two went to put some rubbish in the bin a few yards away and her ds 'fell' over (he hadn't,he just wanted to get out of helping) and somehow this was my kids fault (they where nowhere near) and the sister in law was screaming that they'd pushed him over-i had to tell her to shut her mouth,which made the silly cow worse

They bundled everyone into their cars and finally left,leaving us to clear their rubbish and get home by ourselves

(I want to make it clear mine where not perfect angels all holiday but even their mouths fell open at the behavior of friends kids)

Never again-the friendship didnt survive

Tooconfused12 · 07/04/2026 11:41

@Vintageblueribbon

That sounds horrific

OP posts:
Vintageblueribbon · 07/04/2026 11:53

Tooconfused12 · 07/04/2026 11:41

@Vintageblueribbon

That sounds horrific

It was

Her kids where old enough (one was 8 and the other was 4,so old enough not to piss on the floor or bite) but she was blind to everything they did

She told me (when we got home) that mine would never amount to anything when they grew up based on their behaviour that week

I lost it and gave her some home truths

Mine grew up,became independent and have all good careers (ok,my younger ones are in the process of building theirs)

Her (now 3 kids) sit at home (one did move out but spends his days at hers),bossing her about and smoking weed all day while tapping their grandparents for unlimited amounts of money

But because one used to play the violin (she had lessons for 7 months) they have achieved more than mine will ever do

Daft thing is,I was never in competition with her-kids grow and find their own path in life

It could have been a lovely (budget) holiday but turned into a nightmare

Echobelly · 07/04/2026 11:55

Oh poor you! I hope it passes soon. My parents once had a holiday with 3 of us under 7 and we all caught mumps! 😩

Easterbunnyhaspackedherbasket · 07/04/2026 11:59

We were going to a campsite with our caravan. My mate asked if she could tag along to test out their trailer tent..
So me, dh and numerous dc.. Her, dh and 3 x dc.. As per usual I packed a week's shopping.. Saves a fortune and at the time vegi stuff wasn't as available..
We arrived first and got sorted.. They rocked up with my mate in the front passenger seat carrying a cooked chicken in her knee
..apparently the campsite shop wqs where she was getting her supplies from.
Pissed down all week. Guess who hosted 5 extra guests?
I absolutely should have known better than to take her ds abroad some years later... Another story..

Illegally18 · 07/04/2026 12:27

Tooconfused12 · 07/04/2026 11:41

@Vintageblueribbon

That sounds horrific

Unbelievable!

Parrotpirate · 07/04/2026 13:06

Im not naturally a sweaty person. I dont wear deodorant as I never need to etc.

We went on a European city break.in July, during a heatwave. Followed by a cruise.

I didnt sweat at all. Instead my body held on to every bit of excess water. I couldnt get my shoes on by day 2. By day 5 (of 10) I had no clothes that fit.

Nothing I did would make it go down, tried diuretics, the ships drs. Nothing helped.

Luckily I was with family who wear bigger sizes so I didnt have to walk around naked. But I did have to buy some very questionable nana type velcro sandals.

It was so uncomfortable. I felt like a skin sausage, we had booked loads of lovely trips, with lots of walking and i was literally tottering about like the marshmallow man from ghostbusters as I couldnt really bend my knees or arms anymore.

Flew home and over about 10 days I went back to normal.

Edinburghwomenonamisso8n26 · 07/04/2026 14:09

Not exactly a hoilday but me and dh( boyfriend at time) Missed the last train home to Edinburgh from Preston. After trailing about Preston looking for somewhere to stay we eventually found a small hotel/bnb. I'm going to put bullet points on why it's a horror story.

. We were told cash only ( 2013)
. They had a piece of paper where one of us had right write our names down. The guy then told dh quietly just put any name down.
. He then told us how to cover fire alarm so we can smoke in the room
. The room had a shower only ( no toilet) but it was clearly used as a toilet.
. when dh bumped into the guy again to the toilet he was asked Effectively how to book me and how much 🤮

Holidayhellarama · 07/04/2026 15:10

I changed name specifically for this thread cos I seem to be a bit of a disaster on holiday!

Ibiza for two weeks with friends on a budget - cases did not arrive for a week.

Paris with one of the girls - overbooked flight on way home, bumped off and had to stay in the airport overnight with no money, no credit card and no credit on phone.

Scotland with kids. Left car in a cheap alternative carpark to the airport one. Did not read the t&c's. Carpark closed on a Sunday. We arrived back on a Sunday. 80euro each way in taxis home and back to the carpark the Monday and a 50euro bloody release fee.

England with a couple of pals, one asked me a question about something and I gave her the answer, other friend went absolutely crazy as it was not something she wanted to hear despite it being the truth and she beat me up. Police called etc. Nightmare flight home with her giving me evils and me with a black eye and missing a clump of hair from the front of my head.

Turkey with ex and our kids. He waited till the night of my birthday and over dinner in front of our children ended our relationship and did not speak one word to me the remainder of the holiday. God home and he had already moved his things into his new girlfriends place.

Spain with kids and 'mum friends'. Found out they were both fake as fuck while away and decided as soon as hit the tarmac back home that I would never speak to them again. Went to collect car in carpark and had a totally flat tyre, by time insurance sent assistance and I got home it was very late and I was shattered yet arrived in the door to a leak coming from the bathroom right through the ceiling, thousands of damage.

Italy, taxi brought us to wrong airport so we missed our flight, much crying and cajoling and finally got a much much later flight but it cost me a lot of extra money.

France - arrived just for a few days on a cheap holiday in a caravan to find a train strike and cost 100 each way to and from campsite as the strike lasted the entire time we were there.

Tunisia, honeymoon. The disaster was that I got married lol Guess thats the one I could have avoided ;)

I stopped going abroad a few years back as it just is not worth it for me.

GoldSnail · 08/04/2026 13:42

On my honeymoon in Thailand, I got a stomach bug so bad, vomiting, diarrhoea completely out of it due to pain as well. Hotel sent a doctor who gave me an injection of God knows what, I just agreed as was so sick and just wanted to get better! Hubby got it too but not as bad for him. Should have known what was too come when a little girl threw up at breakfast several times as they tried to leave the dining area. Hope you all get well soon!

Chigreenen · 08/04/2026 13:47

My aunt arranged a family meet up at centre parcs. Not my first choice of venue. We all got a bad vomiting bug from the pool, there was a high fence all
the way around the grounds so we felt like it was a prison, all the activities were rip offs and we felt very ‘under tattooed’. I’d expect it from Haven / Butlins but this was surprisingly expensive. Grim. Never again.

Della19 · 08/04/2026 13:48

In 2023, my fiancée and I went to Zanzibar. Paid thousands for the hol, and included a private safari on mainland Tanzania with transfer in a tiny airplane on day 5. Drank the water the first day we touched down on Zanzibar, spent the next 4 weeks with a c. diff infection (I was taking immunosuppressants at the time). Still went on the safari but spent most of it trying not to shit my pants 🥴 fiancee also got the infection, it was a rough couple of weeks that resulted in me being sent up to A&E by 111 when I got back to the UK.

Netcurtainnelly · 08/04/2026 14:05

Turkey a long time ago.
I went on one of those cheap holidays where you didn't know where you going just the country.
Would never do that now everything is strictly reviewed or recommended beforehand or a repeat visit from the past . Holidays got much better after that

Anyway when we arrived it was a 2 hour coach trip to the hotel. En route stop to a cafe they had partnered up with for trade.
When we arrived it was the early hours so it was the call to prayer.

It was very hot and there was no air conditioning can't remember if there was a fan.
Anyway the two brothers who ran the hotel went round talking to all the young ladies and ignored the men.
One night in the early hours there was an almighty loud noise, crashing and banging. It turns out the two brothers had, harca fight. It was never mentioned the next morning.
I also got thrush but was able to get medicine thankfully.
Went to a local cafe for a drink and they tried to charge us twice. We had already paid they wouldn't accept it.
Never went to Turkey again and never would Never would go away without knowing the resort and hotel. It was something you could do back then.

Easterbunnyhaspackedherbasket · 08/04/2026 14:26

My mate and her dh took their 4 dc to Turkey on the coach many years ago.. Her dm was also going. They agreed her dm would bring the food for the journey.
The dm arrived at the coach station wearing a fur coat and carrying a parcel of cheese toasties..
I didn't dare ask anything else after that.

theQuarterly · 08/04/2026 14:44

Edinburghwomenonamisso8n26 · 07/04/2026 14:09

Not exactly a hoilday but me and dh( boyfriend at time) Missed the last train home to Edinburgh from Preston. After trailing about Preston looking for somewhere to stay we eventually found a small hotel/bnb. I'm going to put bullet points on why it's a horror story.

. We were told cash only ( 2013)
. They had a piece of paper where one of us had right write our names down. The guy then told dh quietly just put any name down.
. He then told us how to cover fire alarm so we can smoke in the room
. The room had a shower only ( no toilet) but it was clearly used as a toilet.
. when dh bumped into the guy again to the toilet he was asked Effectively how to book me and how much 🤮

I need to know what B&B this was! I don't live in Preston now, but did some years ago!

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 08/04/2026 15:51

Way back in the 80s I agreed to go on holiday with a friend whose husband had left her and she was distraught. I agreed reluctantly as I didn’t need, nor could really afford, another holiday that year but was trying to be supportive. To set the scene, her XH was very wealthy. To offset his guilt he had bought her outright a beautiful £250,000 apartment and given her a payoff of another £100,000 which in those days was a huge amount of money. We were to go to her former in-laws apartment in Puerto Banus. I suggested that this wasn’t a great idea as she had holidayed there many times with the XH but no, this would be fine and would cost us nothing. So off we went.

From the moment we entered the apartment she barely spoke to me except to snipe and on one occasion scream at me because I opened the curtains. It was as though I had done something to offend her and I could do nothing right. In the end I would take myself off to the pool with a book and leave her to it. It was a very long week and I couldn’t wait to get home. On the last day her in-laws were coming to the villa so she had me working like a bloody slave to ensure the place was clean. When they arrived she suddenly came to life and was all over them, laughing and talking and running about getting them food and drinks and I assume, playing the perfect DIL.

The kicker was, a few weeks later I discovered through another friend that the XH had not only paid for her flights but handed over £500 spending money to her for the week. Considering I had given her a lot of support it would have been a nice gesture to offer to pay for my flight (Gatwick to Gibraltar) considering she was awash with money and I was struggling to pay a mortgage on a nurse’s salary and that she had treated me like shit all week. Strangely enough our friendship ended there.

FirstWorldProblemSolver · 08/04/2026 16:40

Family of five here, kids aged between 16 and 5. At least one of us gets sick every single time we go away, to the point where we say 'it isn't a holiday unless someone gets sick'. Of course it's my job as mum to keep it together, whether I'm sick too or feeling ok, I have to do all the nursing. It honestly makes me hate going away, but husband (being the one who is always minimally affected) never agrees. I'm hoping for a time when holidays will become breaks again but can't imagine it tbh.

cobrakaieaglefang · 08/04/2026 17:29

5 night trip to Canaries, started coughing on the plane going, put it down to allergic reaction. Next morning felt rough, 3 days of feeling utterly shit. It disappeared as fast as it arrived. Absolutely fine by the time I got home. My first solo holiday.

Mumdiva99 · 08/04/2026 17:46

First holiday with now DH. Went to Tunisia. He got gout and couldn't walk. I got V&D from the food or water. 5 days stuck in a cheap room. Hell never to be repeated. (When we arrived back i agreed to drive him home to Central London as he still couldn't walk and manage the train - days before sat nav and google maps. Forgot my A2Z and got lost on the way home.)
Next holiday we spent a lot on accomodation so we would be comfortable if it happened again!!

MustTryHarderAndHarder · 08/04/2026 17:47

@Holidayhellarama

Wow

Bluespottedfrog · 08/04/2026 18:21

Easterbunnyhaspackedherbasket · 08/04/2026 14:26

My mate and her dh took their 4 dc to Turkey on the coach many years ago.. Her dm was also going. They agreed her dm would bring the food for the journey.
The dm arrived at the coach station wearing a fur coat and carrying a parcel of cheese toasties..
I didn't dare ask anything else after that.

Turkey on a coach? How long did that take?

honeylulu · 08/04/2026 18:26

When our eldest was about 3 we planned a fairly ambitious (for us) holiday which involved flying to Italy, driving to Slovenia for a few days, then on to Croatia for a week and then driving back to Italy for the return flight.

Got into a massive traffic jam on M25 and stationary for over 2 hours. By the time we got to the airport the gate had closed and we saw our flight taking off. At great expense we bought new flights direct to Ljubljana, rebooted the car hire also at more expense. When we arrived and collected the car it was a different spec and no child car seat. The car hire people advised us to visit a hypermarket and buy a car seat ASAP as a fine if we got caught would be ££££. We drove to our accommodation, dropped stuff and the staff helpfully gave us directions to the hypermarket via the ring road.

Unfortunately we could not fathom how to leave the bloody ring road and went around it 3 times. Twice passing a police car and making son hide in the footwell so they wouldn't spot him. At last managed to leave ring road and head to shopping centre. Hypermarket didn't have car seats but a baby shop next door did, happy days. We stocked up on provisions including some much needed wine and beer. Back to accommodation, had some food. Husband downed 3 beers and thought they seemed "a bit weak" and then read the label. He had bought non alcoholic beer.

Rest of holiday was quite good except we ended up separated at the airport homebound (my case was called over for extra screening and I took son with me). Case was fine but the officials looked at our passports (our surnames are different) and asked if I could prove he was my child and did i have his parents permission to take him out of the country! Totally freaked me out! (I know on the different surnames threads posters always say this never actually happens but on this occasion it did.)

honeylulu · 08/04/2026 18:34

Another one though I'm cheating as it wasn't actually my holiday but it's a family legend that gets retold a lot.

My aunt uncle and 3 cousins went to Spain on a coach. It was every bit as awful as you would fear. The coach was overbooked and at the coach station a family was told they had been moved to the non smoking section (this was early 1980s). Their toddler immediately declared "awww fuckin' 'ell!" correctly predicting how her parents would react.

At a scheduled stop for a meal my aunt worriedly noticed the coach driver downing a beer but the travel rep travelling with them tried to allay her fears. They set off again with the driver trying to summon the attention of the travel rep by periodically yelling "Les? Les? Yer there, Les?" , over the microphone, but ignored by Les.

At the next scheduled stop they were greeted by a furious Les who had been left behind at the last stop and who had to spend a fortune on a taxi to catch them up.

They ended up enjoying the holiday but never went by coach again.

IceNoSlice · 08/04/2026 20:19

Not my story but a family one…

my aunt and uncle lived in Tanzania in the 70’s and went back for a nostalgic trip about 10 years ago… not realising the rules had changed. Now in their 70s.

They were out and about and my uncle found an impala horn on the ground, picked it up and decided it would be a nice souvenir.

They were arrested for smuggling. Three days later they were eventually realised.

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