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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:
Starlight1979 · 09/04/2026 10:20

Getting horrific food poisoning in Thailand whilst staying in a little beach hut (backpacking) with no running water or electricity. Rang my parents in desperation asking them to send money so we could move to a hotel. The only one with availability that we could easily get to was a 5* resort which would have been amazing had I not spent my entire stay sat on the toilet with my head over the sick for 3 days straight. Didn't get to go to the pool, eat a meal in their fancy restaurant, have a nice cocktail at the beach bar... Didn't even leave the room once in 72 hours.

Getting sunburnt so badly on my first day in Cyprus in July that I had to spend 2 days lying naked on the floor of our hotel room covered in natural yoghurt. And then when I did finally go outside I didn't dare expose any part of my body to the sun so spent the whole time covered up under an umbrella.

Getting bitten to death by mosquitos in Crete. Had to call out an emergency doctor as they were literally all over my body and were swelling and filling with pus at a worrying rate. Didn't want to go outside as I looked like the elephant woman and was in so much pain and itching all over. Had to have an injection in my bum to stop the reactions (I think, although I couldn't really understand the doctor!).

Tooconfused12 · 09/04/2026 10:42

I’ve just remembered another horrific holiday. This one is up there but the last time we went to Majorca 2 years ago with our sons I travelled out with what I know in hindsight was whooping cough that had turned into a chest infection. The GP had given me a 5 day course of Amoxicillin so I thought I was ok. I couldn’t have been more wrong. A few days into the holiday after the meds had ceased it came back with a vengeance. I spent 3 or 4 successive nights coughing and vomiting in the bathroom. Called out a local doctor in desperation who diagnosed Pneumonia (I have chronic asthma also) & injected me in the bum with a steroid to open up my airways. Then threw some very very strong macrolide antibiotics at me which were brilliant. But he was in the verge of sending me to hospital he was so concerned.

I remember thinking at the time that a five day course of Amoxicillin was no good for whooping cough - I even told the Dr this but they still went with the cheapest option. Holiday fucked

OP posts:
MermaidMummy06 · 09/04/2026 10:59

Mine's pretty mild but is fresh so stings.

Last Friday (Good Friday) we went on a much needed, very expensive break. We'd sprung for a place with a lovely view - something we never do.

Checked in & took a photo of the view, dinner. Phone rang. FIL, who'd had unnecessary very high risk surgery last Tuesday, had complications, won't live until morning. Cue us jumping in the car & getting home at 1am, exhausted DC. SIL, BIL & DN on our doorstep. So instead of a lovely holiday I was hosting - beds, cooking, shopping for food, plus unpacking on my own. Listening to BIL brag about their wealth & planned expensive holiday. No accom refund for us so a couple of grand down the toilet.

FIL survived (as he always does) & is fine. I've spent the rest of the holiday time doing everything at home while DH is with his DF and now organising his care.

Tried a day out yesterday for some kind of break. DH gets a call at lunch from FIL's DW with more bad news. So cue him grumpy & on the phone. He claimed he'd help with some housework today & every time he started another phone call dropped in. Just a crap holiday break. I'm cancelling our holiday planned for later this year as it'll keep happening.

Torchout · 09/04/2026 11:21

Last year, city break in Nottingham. I was feeling woozy and started by falling off the train. I told DH I needed to go to hospital but he convinced me that I'd been pushed. Then once we arrived could out I couldn't eat or drink anything and walking in a straight line wasn't possible. Our train home was delayed and we missed our final connection so the taxi supplied was bribed to take us home rather than to the station.

Next day I was incredibly ill and DH did call an ambulance as he though I was having a stroke. Turned out I had a kidney infection, not a UTI, and not eating or drinking had made me as ill as I was.

jeaux90 · 09/04/2026 11:30

Snowboarding in Italy felt really unwell and that night got taken into hospital and they diagnosed appendicitis. I was in so much pain when they put the mask on me to put me under I thought I was going to die.

CandyColouredEggshells · 09/04/2026 14:03

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.

“Under tattooed”?!?!

Careful, your weird judgemental side is showing. As someone who is heavily tattooed I find it such an odd thing to mention. I’d never look at someone with no tattoos and think “god, not a single visible tattoo, what a weirdo”. It wouldn’t even occur to me.

EvieBB · 09/04/2026 14:08

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.

I feel 'under tattooed' everywhere I go these days 😆 Glad it's not just me ....!

BetterOffNow · 09/04/2026 14:16

Why on earth does it matter how many tattoos someone has? I'm genuinely confused by the whole 'under tattooed' thing - can you elaborate please @Chigreenen

Tooconfused12 · 09/04/2026 15:03

Has anyone ever done a road trip? I’m wondering if they work out or if the idea of them is far, far better than the reality. I have a friend who lives in America - she did a roadtrip once - never again. Everyone was sick and her LO screamed through the entire state of Ohio

OP posts:
Whammyammy · 09/04/2026 15:17

Hired a villa in Menorca years ago for me, dh and 2 dc. Out one night early in to holiday we bumped in an old friend of mine with her Dh and 3dc.
We had drinks and arranged to host them at our villa the next day.
They turned up with another family of 4 that they had met on holiday previously.
Took all the sunbeds by the pool, broke my daughters lilo, nearly started a fight with neighbouring villa occupants and ate everything from the bbq.
The husband of uninvited family was drunk and became abusive, ended up ushed my son into the pool for "a laugh".
My husband ended up in a fight with him and battered him.
Police were called, however no charges as Spanish neighbours explained everything clearly to the police.
We did see them a few nights later, didn't acknowledge us or aolpologise and blanked us.
Never a good deed.

ItsSunnyTodayAgain · 09/04/2026 15:28

Booked a cheap last minute package trip to turkey with DH for 7 days. On day 2 I got stung by a jellyfish and had a horrible allergic reaction to it. Spent the next two days in hospital… had no insurance stupidly, and the hospital bill was 4 times the cost of the holiday… we felt so unbelievably stupid…

Gettingbysomehow · 09/04/2026 15:41

WaddesdonWanderer · 09/04/2026 09:00

My parents:

  • booked to go to Yugoslavia and war broke out (cancelled)
  • booked to go to LA and there were riots (they still went)
  • booked to go to China and there was a SARS outbreak (postponed)
  • booked to go to Egypt and there was a terrorist attack (cancelled)
  • went to Mauritius, DM snorkelled too far out to sea and had to be rescued, and ended up with really bad sunburn

It was a standing joke in our family to avoid anywhere my parents booked!

Oh and we dragged whinging teenage DD round Pompeii in 40° heat when she had a slight rash. Turned out it was shingles. Oops!

Edited

I lived in Mauritius for 5 years with my parents. It's surprising how far out the coral reef is. You soon find out when you've reached it as huge waves start crashing over your head. But at least the sharks can't get in.
I remember we went to stay in some beach huts attached to a resort, I don't know if they still have them, this was back in the 70's and you could sleep in one for the night. I awoke in the early hours to find a giant huntsman spider resting on my face.
I expect I woke the entire hotel up screaming.

PrincessofWells · 09/04/2026 16:59

Booked a last minute holiday in the early 80s from Gatwick- flight was 7 am. We were to pick up the tickets there but when we arrived there were no tickets and we weren't on the flight list. It turned out the travel agent messed up and hadn't booked it . . .

chatgptmeup · 09/04/2026 17:07

My DS threw up at the airport before a flight. He was 6 months old and I didn't worry about it. We got on the flight and my DD threw up repeatedly during a 10+ hour flight (some kind of norovirus). At one point the bathroom was occupied, and she threw up all over herself, my HD, a flight attendant and another waiting passenger. My DH and DD appeared back in airline PJs with their clothes having being taken into industrial waste in case of contamination. We landed for our sunny beach holiday by which time the plague hit my DH and I, so we basically spent the whole time cooped up, throwing up, unable to eat or drink, and with absolutely no energy to do anything. We came back feeling very skinny at least I guess.

Ferryl · 09/04/2026 17:18

Gettingbysomehow · 09/04/2026 15:41

I lived in Mauritius for 5 years with my parents. It's surprising how far out the coral reef is. You soon find out when you've reached it as huge waves start crashing over your head. But at least the sharks can't get in.
I remember we went to stay in some beach huts attached to a resort, I don't know if they still have them, this was back in the 70's and you could sleep in one for the night. I awoke in the early hours to find a giant huntsman spider resting on my face.
I expect I woke the entire hotel up screaming.

I actually truly think this would have finished me off. Give me any emergency situation to deal with and I’ll try. Give me even the hint of a spider and I’ll completely cave

Ferryl · 09/04/2026 17:21

Also, please don’t judge people with tattoos. My tattoos have my dh’s ashes in them, and short of still having him here with us, they bring me the greatest solace.

youalright · 09/04/2026 17:25

Any holiday that my kids have been toddlers for.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 09/04/2026 17:26

When me and exH got spiked in Gran Canaria

ThisIsTheAge · 09/04/2026 17:29

Bed bugs in Dominican Republic ate my legs alive. Any full body photos of me on the holiday look like I've been severely attacked by a vicious monster.

D&V in Egypt for 2 weeks and the effects lasted for 2 years.

DH nearly being kidnapped in Tunisia. Still no idea what really happened but they were ushering him away from me but they hadn't counted on the fact I'm a bit bolshy so I kept following them and eventually they left him alone.

Being scammed in Turkey and arguing with the bar owner that we'd already paid when presented with a bill for over 12000 Turkish lira. They didn't reckon on DH being tight as on holiday and keeping track of all spending no matter how drunk he was and again, me being bolshy and argumentative sober or drunk!

Charel2girl5 · 09/04/2026 17:32

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

Is this true cause if it is you need to really look at boundaries. I would have in no uncertain terms told her to Fuc* off.
You need to grow a backbone seriously, I would have knocked her outء!

EvieBB · 09/04/2026 17:45

BetterOffNow · 09/04/2026 14:16

Why on earth does it matter how many tattoos someone has? I'm genuinely confused by the whole 'under tattooed' thing - can you elaborate please @Chigreenen

It's just to do with us oldies of a certain age - when I was a teenager, literally only criminals and reprobates had tattoos so I still equate them to that unfortunately. It's David Beckham that made them mainstream.....

theshitmaw · 09/04/2026 22:55

Tooconfused12 · 09/04/2026 15:03

Has anyone ever done a road trip? I’m wondering if they work out or if the idea of them is far, far better than the reality. I have a friend who lives in America - she did a roadtrip once - never again. Everyone was sick and her LO screamed through the entire state of Ohio

Well we are a road trip Glasgow to Disneyland paris family

2017 we drove DD 7 DD 4&15m at the time drove glasgow to folkestone with an overnight, after checking in & having dinner we realised if we’d kept on driving we could have been in disney area, then we went to bed & the 15m SCREAMED!!!! all night the older 2 were begging us to make him stop I had him swaddled in a bath towel at 1 point

2018 learning from our mistakes decided to drive it all in 1 go were almost at london we’re gonna be 2h ahead of time for tunnel and ping phone goes there’s major delays on tunnel our 4pm tunnel is not gonna happen eventually crossed 7pm by this time no3 had lost it the last hr of the drive he just SCREAMED (see the pattern here) we also knew if we got him out we would never have got him back in the car seat so we turned up the music & prayed 🤦🏼‍♀️

i will add we’ve done this drive multiple times since we now drive overnight for the british leg of it plus they are now much older

MrsKateColumbo · 09/04/2026 22:56

My sister was sick in our tent at the beginning of a 2 week holiday, thr tent smelled of sick the whole time

CheeseWisely · 09/04/2026 23:03

A twist on the theme, 2 weeks in Majorca when ExDH and I were already on the brink of collapse. First week with friends, second week just us. He was a complete dickhead to everyone the entirety of the first week, and then decided he was going home. Was I coming? Was I fuck! I stayed the second week as planned, did what I wanted when I wanted, made holiday friends, had a lovely time. We separated legally the day after I got back. Had numerous wonderful holidays without him since.

dollydoops · 09/04/2026 23:50

I nearly had one today at Dalaman airport in Turkey. Security scanner at the entrance, loads of people were coming through at once and it was a bit chaotic. I had my phone in my pocket so I just took it out and put it loose in the box with my handbag and cardigan. Got to the other side, no phone!! The staff couldn’t have been less helpful as I had a major panic- was travelling with my elderly dad and my 6 year old and the boarding passes were on my phone. Had visions of not being able to get on the flight. It was the most stressful 15 mins until a man came rushing back through the airport and handed me my phone, which he had picked up by mistake in the chaos!! I could have kissed him!

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