Posted in Vacation Stories
It would be a lie to claim that 100% of the travel experience was wonderful and hassle free.
What is the worst aspect of travel for you (and if possible, how do you try and avoid or improve it)?
Leave your answer as a comment below…
Viktor Nagornyy
I have to agree, air travel does suck from time to time. That’s when you need something extremely entertaining to keep boredom away. Or sleeping pills :-p
I think I don’t care about that as much as I care about being safe when traveling. Just imagine how awesome it would be if you didn’t have to worry about getting mugged or even worse, killed.
Sharon Clay
We just returned from a trip to Italy. My daughter was “elected” to go through 3 different types of security screening. Then we got on our 747 and found that there was a 3rd person in our 3 across seating row, and we were accompanied by a group of 50 15 yr olds on a trip to the US.
Lynn
Keep in mind that the word travel is derived from the word travail. Nevertheless, I was a road warrior before the phrase was coined and I can tell you the worst part of the travel experience today is every aspect of the air travel, which has, in the nearly 60 years of my air travel, gone from a pleasure to a suffering. I’d rather ride a public bus almost anywhere in the world, and have, rather than traveling via today’s flying cattle cars and contending with the crowds, baggage, security and all other kinds of hassle. I try to use mileage and other perks from my frequent flyer status to upgrade to roomier seating and make use of private clubs, choose the best route to result in the shortest possible time in transit getting to my destination and travel as lightly as possible. And for Mary, in one of the preceeding comments, I would add that she should just lean back in her own seat and get as comfortable as possible. Airline seats are the worst design for the human body one could imagine and the slightest bit of relief from leaning them (even the few available inches) backwards is necessary and justified to get some relief. My wish for the specifiers and designers of the seats is that they should spend the hereafter riding around in one for eternity.
fred
Security lines at airports. I am a frequent business traveller. The security lines are so unpredictable it is hard to plan how much in advance you need to arrive at the airport. Then it’s the taking off shoes, getting out the liquids bag, taking out the laptop, taking off the coat…then doing it in reverse. All while some minimum wage person is yelling at you while the line snakes forward.
Kim
Without a doubt the airlines make travel a nightmare
Mary
The inconsiderate idiot sitting in front of me who insists on reclining his/her seat, thus parking their big ole head in my lap, and simultaneously preventing me from lowering my tray, viewing the movie screen, or getting anything out of my bag on the floor. I think I feel a nasty coughing fit coming on!!
carol
oh, and I gotta agree with Daniel: the 8-9-11 hours in “stearage”
carol
Those dam boxes under middle seats on long hauls. You think, oh I’ll be able to keep my feet elevated, that’s good for me. Wrong. The box is too big. You and up “sharing” the minimum space next to you!
Texas Traveler
What I dislike most is the airport departure hassle. Long flights are not fun, but the frenzied, crowded atmosphere that so often surrounds airport checkin and security lines is worse. I try to start in plenty of time to turn in the rental car (especially early if I’m not familiar with the airport), check bags (only if absolutely necessary), and go through security unconcerned that anything in my carry-on is verboten and knowing I won’t have to sprint from there to the gate. Leisurely airport procedures are a thing of the past, and there’s no getting around it. Airports have become the bus stations of the 21st Century, with necessary security procedures on top of it all. I find that large doses of advance planning and patience are the best antidotes for departure stress.
Masrud
The price of airline tickets. I think most everything else can be dealt with, ticket prices are rising and it doesn’t look like things will change for the better any time soon.
Jack Barry
Having to sit like a sardine in a plane and be treated like an annoyance by the flight attendants (in most cases).
cap manuel
unruly kids / children and passengers talking loud as if everyone wants the hear their comments and complaints…
why is that when the plane arrives at the gate…everyone stands up as if they can get off before the door is open…??
Jean Gilnert
Going anywhere in the U.S. on dirty, cramped, U.S. planes that nickel and dime you for everything.
Sandy
The whole airline experience from start to finish has become unbearable. The baggage issues have me thinking twice and three times about traveling.
Jim Gardner
The air lines, the airlines, the airlines. Believe it or not flying was once a fun thing to do. Now every trip that involves flying will be a pain in the behind.
Sharon TOm
Returning from a short term mission in South Africa. The airlines actually lied to us (big duh?). Said we were 3000 pounds over weight. By the time they “resolved” this issue, we taxied out (late), #2 in line for take off…the pilot announces the flight is canceled…due to too many crew hours.
OK, back thru Immigration, grab the luggage and wait and wait and wait for hotel rooms.
Next day, we again are 3000 pounds overweight and late. Guess what? When we landed in the US…no luggage, they took our luggage off AND we missed our connecting flights. Pilot again lied that no luggage would be taken off. What is with this? They don’t fly enough? Lying, just lying gets me!
Shirley Jamieson
Due to the Ash flying around, and planes cancelled. We were left in Cape Town South Afric. our carrier KLM had us in a lsr class Hotel on the Waterfront, and looked after us for the full week that we were unable to get home. I strongly reccomend KLM
Phyllis Rizzi
Getting to and from airports, train stations, etc. Best cure for that is to stay in one place for a longer time.
Walt
Travling is the worst thing about traveling!
The increased costs of baggage and significant reduction in customer service and the long waits for security, etc. make travling uninviting!
Charles Schmitter
While returning from a medical mission in Guatemala this past weekend, I was held captive by a TSA woman in Houston who repeatedly x-rayed my carry-on contents together and separately, commenting that I had “too much stuff” in my bag!I am convinced that she deliberately caused me to miss my flight to Detroit so that I had to stay overnight in Houston.
Martin Flahive
By far it is luggage – carrying, screening, toting, minding – the whole thing. Packing light helps, but it’s still the worst aspect of domestic and international travel for me.
Richard Thomas
Without a doubt, the long, uncomfortable flights. We live on the west coast and enjoy traveling to Europe. Even with the best connections, getting there and back is almost unbearable. Every one of our trips begins with the discussion about whether we really want to go there – because of the pain and discomfort of the flights to and from.
Benton Stewart
Air travel. No question! It is the most tiresome and unrewarding part of travel.
chansen
Without a doubt – the whole flying experience. Everything from trying to find the best rates, dealing with additional charges, the line at check-in, security, waiting at the gate and being herded aboard, being scrunched in the seat for hours on end and the inevitable delays. I hate it. I wish I could take a pill and wake up wherever I’m going..or beam me there, Scotty.
Nelda Kersey
Having just returned from a trip to Portugal and an almost trip to England (we were delayed an extra 8 days in Portugal due to the volcanic ash, could not get to the England portion of our trip and had to wait our turn to get home to USA)the travel headaches are many. The most glaring are the inconsistencies in the security process from airport to airport and the rudeness of service people in airports–government and private. The nicest service people seem to be in-flight airline personnel. Air travel is very hard work and takes mega patience and flexibility.
Daniel Dougan
It’s not the lines at check-in or security. I think it’s just the hours of sitting on a plane. I often wonder when the Star Trek Transporter will become a reality.
Lee Lutz
Where to begin? Probably the small seats with your body contorted.