Horror stories due to terrible travel companions
#196
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
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Posts: 6,900
#197
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 8
This is a great thread!
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
#198
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 969
This is a great thread!
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
#199
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 10,687
This is a great thread!
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
If it was a whisky tasting or waiting for the staff to locate a rare bottle, then it is acceptable in my eyes.
#200
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PDX
Programs: DL, UA, AA, BA, AS, SPG, MR, IHG, PC
Posts: 862
On a tour bus in Ireland at a brief stop the driver made the following announcement. "If you're not back to the bus in time don't worry, there will be another bus 24 hours from now."
#201
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 969
But I like the Irish way.
#202
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: It's hot here
Posts: 4,285
This is a great thread!
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
I once went on holiday with about 20 or so extended family members to the Scottish Borders. On our way to see Hadrian's Wall, we stopped off at the quaint village of Kelso. It was all expertly planned, and we were to meet back at the tour bus in 15 minutes. Most of us grabbed a quick bite or a pint, and others did some light shopping.
We ended up waiting on the bus for two hours while the driver searched on foot for my aunt and her children. It turns out they decided to have a six-course Chinese meal, in Scotland.
We never did see Hadrian's Wall, but we did come up with new clever lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song.
#204
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Personally I prefer not to mislead people but instead to treat them like adults. Including, adults who can be left behind. "DW and I are going hiking Friday morning," I announced on a Wednesday to a group of friends at a house party several months ago. "Who wants to come? We'll be leaving the house at 7am." About a dozen people expressed interest. "OK, great," I said, "But we're leaving promptly at 7." Half the hands went down. I checked against Thursday evening.... "Leaving tomorrow promptly at 7. I'll knock on your door at 6:30 if I don't see you up yet, but that's it; we leave on time. Who's in?" By then there was only one taker. And to his credit he was 100% ready to roll at 6:45 while everyone else was sound asleep.
#205
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
#206
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: MidSouth
Programs: AA; Delta GM
Posts: 728
This may not qualify as a horror story, but it's a recent one.
When we went to Ecuador, we did a small group tour. One of our fellow travelers told us at the first dinner that they knew - well - everything. It was like traveling with a walking, talking version of Wikipedia.
Fast forward to another meal where I was describing our previous travels to Italy. It's the country which I have visited the most (outside my own, of course.) I was talking about Rome to another person, and the walking Wiki butts in to tell me where I should go on my next trip. This person had been to Italy once. Twenty years ago. For one week. And yet they expounded on all of the things which I must do, never mind that I'd already said that I'd done those things or something similar.
Thank goodness it was a short tour!
When we went to Ecuador, we did a small group tour. One of our fellow travelers told us at the first dinner that they knew - well - everything. It was like traveling with a walking, talking version of Wikipedia.
Fast forward to another meal where I was describing our previous travels to Italy. It's the country which I have visited the most (outside my own, of course.) I was talking about Rome to another person, and the walking Wiki butts in to tell me where I should go on my next trip. This person had been to Italy once. Twenty years ago. For one week. And yet they expounded on all of the things which I must do, never mind that I'd already said that I'd done those things or something similar.
Thank goodness it was a short tour!
#207
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 411
As soon as you said group tour, that was enough of a nightmare trigger for me. Last tour we did, it was only a full day tour, but it was advertised as a "small group" and we were going to several places that weren't easy to get to on our own. When we got picked up and discovered that 20+ freaking people apparently qualifies as a "small group " tour. The day was so annoying. Tour guide was obnoxious, and a group of young ladies in the group from NJ were very loud and abrasive, never showed up on time once, constantly delaying the tour and forced us to cut short our time at one of the stops. My boyfriend and I got yelled at because we weren't walking exactly with the group "You need to stay with the group!" When we were walking maybe 10 feet behind. Yet the young ladies get a smile and welcome back after waiting for them for 30 minutes. Tour guide even stole food off our table at lunch. The worst was on our drive back, 2.5 hour drive back in traffic, we're all tired and just wanted to maybe nap on the bus the tour guide decided he needed to talk on the PA the ENTIRE WAY BACK, and of course did the plea for tips for the last 10 minutes of the ride. I was so freaking annoyed, vowed never to do any group thing again. Private or bust.
#208
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I am not a tour person either.but in South Africa about 10yrs ago the hotel said they had a great small group tour of Cape Point, Boulders Beach, etc. for an afternoon.The van only had room for four other people so chances of having someone really annoying were low, but of course luck wasn't with me that day. For most of the trip this just-retired couple from California were whinging about how the winelands didn't compare to Napa, how this restaurant that was recommended to them wasn't as good as one of their favourites in California, etc. everything was compared less favourably to something in CA. Those people grew very tiresome.
#209
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I am not a tour person either.but in South Africa about 10yrs ago the hotel said they had a great small group tour of Cape Point, Boulders Beach, etc. for an afternoon.The van only had room for four other people so chances of having someone really annoying were low, but of course luck wasn't with me that day. For most of the trip this just-retired couple from California were whinging about how the winelands didn't compare to Napa, how this restaurant that was recommended to them wasn't as good as one of their favourites in California, etc. everything was compared less favourably to something in CA. Those people grew very tiresome.
#210
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: None
Posts: 20
Went on a weekend trip with friends to NY last year. We basically only had Friday afternoon through early Sunday afternoon. When we got to the hotel, instead of dropping the bags and heading out, two people in the group kept stopping and showing each other YouTube videos. It was almost two hours before we got back out the door of the hotel. They also spent almost an hour in the HBO gift shop debating between which GOT t-shirt to get. Then the next day it was 1:00 before we left the hotel (having not yet eaten that day) because it took them each 2 hours to get ready. I felt myself getting increasingly stressed because I felt we were wasting what little time we had. The combined total of 4 hours to get ready for the day was just something I'd never thought to consider when choosing travel mates.