What are your best (and worst) holiday experiences

[Bollo]

Best was possibly this year in Corfu - 3 people not known for being chilled (me, Mrs Dr B and Bolletta) actually managed to chill, despite the landfill issue.

Worst was visiting my Uncle in Vancouver in 1990. The visit was fine, but on the return journey we had to do an emergency landing in Calgary and it took us two days to get home. Then they lost our luggage at Heathrow. The airline went bust about a year later and the planes were sold. A couple of years later the same plane crashed taking pilgrims to Mecca.

 

[MarkF]

Couldn't pick a best holiday, I've had so many good/happy ones.

The worst was in Crete when I was young, I needed transportation urgently (long story) and stole a nun's bicycle, brought up by a strict Catholic father it's played on my mind for decades, even now it pops up in my mind when I am telling my kids always to be honest/straight, and I feel like shoot. I'll take it to the grave.....

 

[swee'pea99]

Couldn't pick a best holiday, I've had so many good/happy ones.

The worst was in Crete when I was young, I needed transportation urgently (long story) and stole a nun's bicycle, brought up by a strict Catholic father it's played on my mind for decades, even now it pops up in my mind when I am telling my kids always to be honest/straight, and I feel like shoot. I'll take it to the grave.....

You stole a nun's bicycle? Blimey. Take care not to die, 'cos that's a straight to hell do not pass go do not collect £200 if ever I heard one.

 

[Nigeyy]

Best: Costa Rica. Just everything went so right -it lives in my family's memory, everyone enjoyed it so much. Spectacular scenery, volcano, rain forest, amazing beach, swimming was like swimming in an aquarium with all the amazing coloured fish, really friendly people, the fragrance of the flowers was unforgettable. It really is our number one holiday. I also have very good memories of family holidays as a kid to Wales, Scotland the west country and Scarborough.

Worst... well not sure it was the worst but did go through nearly seeing a toddler drown in Niagara Falls (OK, the hotel pool, not the falls) and then much to my wife's dismay on the way back I slept through a DEA drug bust when staying in a western Massachusetts motel room when they went in full force into the room below us. Apparently it was quite noisy with shouts of "hands in the air", "don't move" etc. I had a good night's sleep that night but errrr.... my wife didn't. I'm just glad there wasn't gunfire as a motel floor is no protection.

But really fortunate in that no holiday has been awful. Though I did nearly end up getting into serious trouble in Costa Rica and ended up sliding down a rain forest mountain side with someone else's baby in my arms (don't ask). I think the wound I ended up getting on my knee resulted in an infection that ended up with me having suspected meningitis and getting quite a few spinal taps later on as apparently I was an awkward stick and they "needed a bigger needle". Aaah, fun times.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Best has to be Japan
Truly loved everything. The atttention to detail, service, cleanliness and everyone is so polite

I got back to the uk and was in shock at how uncivilised we were and still are

Worst

Portugal and then Cyprus
Just not my kind of place and so glad to come home

 

[steveindenmark]

Your worst holiday experiences are those that stick in your head and make laugh for years afterwards.

 

[Garry A]

I always remember my early beach hols in Majorca and Ibiza as being a bit crappy. All about trying to screw money out of folk for trips and party nights.

Just back from a cruise to the Norwegian fjords. Brilliant ship, the food, drink and entertainment. Amazing destination for scenery.

 

[Dave Davenport]

We had a really nice unexpected trip when all the flights were grounded because of the Icelandic volcano a few years ago.
We were on a short break to Rome and after being ripped off for an extra night there just got on the next train that was leaving, which took us to Florence, from there we used local trains (all the inter-city one's were full) to Pisa, San Remo and then Cannes, from where we got the overnight sleeper to Paris, then on to Caen for a ferry back to Portsmouth (which we'd booked when in Cannes). Was good fun and after getting a payout from Air Italia and a goodwill payment from our travel insurance we actually made a profit!

 

[MikeG]

Best holiday? Driving the length of Africa in 1994/ 95, camping in the bush every night. Second to that, probably cycling Land's End to john O'Groats 7 or 8 years ago.

Worst? Beach-and-pool holiday at some sterile hotel in one of the Ballearics. Pure tedium.

 

[Dave7]

I always remember my early beach hols in Majorca and Ibiza as being a bit crappy. All about trying to screw money out of folk for trips and party nights.

Just back from a cruise to the Norwegian fjords. Brilliant ship, the food, drink and entertainment. Amazing destination for scenery.

View attachment 429502

How do you manage to ride a bike with legs like that .
Seriously though that sounds nice. We are thinking of one of those european river cruises.

 

[wormo]

Worst - Playa del Carmen, Mexico 2005. A fortnight AI in a 4 star resort hotel. To be fair, the first week was pretty blooming good. But then Hurricane Wilma (the most intense tropical cyclone ever reported in the Atlantic basin) arrived...although we got away quite lightly compared to the poor people up the road in Cancun.

Best - there have been some good ones - let me think...

We were supposed to go to Cozumel a week later, that got hit really hard as well. Eventually went to Playa del carmen in the following Jan and loved it.

Always love Croatia

 

[ianrauk]

Worst
Two days in New York 1998
Only upsides were going up the Empire State Building, & seeing the Chrysler Building, at night

Why was it the worst?
NYC is one of the greatest city's on the planet imo.

 

[wormo]

Never really had a bad holiday, we always (sometimes to the point of being annoying) research as much as possible, but also adapt to what we find if it doesn't meet expectations. For instance Cape Verde, we didn't realise how little there is there, some small towns, a Martian landscape and some mediocre day trips, but adapt and relax, shut down completely and enjoy the endless Sandy beaches and fun waves that crash in...marvellous.
Cancun I thought was overrated. Perhaps the nightlife, of which we didn't partake is world class..?but the rest isn't. Still enjoyed it though.

I enjoyed our Holiday in Cape Verde, the hotel was miles from any other property. I enjoyed walking down the beach and having it to myself.

 

[AndyRM]

The worst was probably Lindos on Rhodes. We had been lured by dirt cheap accomodation which was great, but couldn't afford the astronomical additional cost of air conditioning. With temperatures never really getting below 30°, the nights were pretty unpleasant.

 

[wormo]

The worst was probably Lindos on Rhodes. We had been lured by dirt cheap accomodation which was great, but couldn't afford the astronomical additional cost of air conditioning. With temperatures never really getting below 30°, the nights were pretty unpleasant.

Lindos first time will be my worst holiday. Flew out on 12 mth aniversary of 9/11, flight was delayed 7 hrs. Was told before we went it would be roasting, it rained for 4 or 5 days of the 7 we were there. It sounds the same as our accomodation.