ft101

Go the the European section here on FT and ask for help from a local.

DeepUnderground

Lately, I have repeatedly booked hotels for dates in the current month even though I meant to book 2 or 3 months out. I seem to do this after reviewing pricing and locations for several hotels for the proper dates and then messing it up to rush the booking. So far, I've been able to catch it and change it without fees each time. For example, I had a booking in lake tahoe that was meant to be for months from now that just recently popped up in my reminders for this weekend. Oops.

B747forever

2 weeks ago I was supposed to fly ARN-SVO-MSQ on Aeroflot and returning MSQ-ARN on Belavia. It never crossed my mind to check the visa requirements for the ARN-SVO-MSQ segments as I figured it would count as an international connection (Sweden- Belarus via Moscow). So I check in online, go through passport control at ARN and line up for boarding. Unfortunately, the gate agent denied me boarding as you apparently need a transit visa when flying to Minsk via Moscow as the flight leaves from the domestic terminal. I felt extremely stupid for making that mistake.

Fizzer

Update. Having been told by DHL that it would take 3 working days to get my laptop to me in Canada, with all the forms they kept emailing and the delays caused by time zones ( and a Greek holiday) I was notified on May 30 that it had been picked up. I watched with excitement as it traveled through Bergamo, Italy, Leipzig, Germany, East Midlands UK, Heathrow UK, all within a 24 hour period. Then it arrived in Calgary where it has now sat for 6 days awaiting customs clearance. I called 2 days ago and was told customs can take 3-5 days. I called again today, as it is 5 days, to find that it has been seized by customs, apparently because I don't have a registered import licenece or something. I would know if I could speak to a person but 4 phone calls,( involving lengthy phone menus) later, I h got to leave a message. The message says that they check voice mails daily and will get back to me at their convenience.
Yes I know it was my stupid fault but this is beyond frustrating.

Anthony555

In Germany we paid a ticket for a train in Berlin and we were fined ... Because tickets there are paid for in one specific direction of traffic! nonsense

threeoh

Yeah the BVG tickets are one-way tickets good for up to 2 horus, not a 2-hour pass. You cannot travel towards your origin.

I know someone who got out of this by saying they had gone one stop too far and were just riding back to their intended destination. If you still have an appeal opportunity you could try that...

safari ari

Similar (train) story in Greece when you take the train from the airport to the city. Basically bought our tickets, but didn't know that you had to validate them before you got on at these posts, not like a US metro where you have turnstiles, so unbeknownst to us Greek rail police told us we were going to be fined 200€ in cash on the spot, for not validating it. One of the people in my party went off on them, mind you this was at the peak of the economic downturn for them, and basically said they shouldn't be harassing tourists, who obviously bought tickets and didn't know better, from coming to their country and trying to support their economy. They ended up giving us a warning, still a funny moment though.

Mwenenzi

And were they going to give you an official receipt on the spot with all their names/numbers/rank???

milepig

I find that after a long flight I can complete simple tasks but anything that involves math is challenging.I'd landed in Costa Rica late at night after a misconnect and then delay getting out of EWR. Got cash from the ATM, got my cab and when I got to the hotel my brain decided I needed to convert the amount on the meter into Costa Rican currency. Much hilarity ensued and I had to get the hotel doorman to give the driver the correct amount.

My funny train story, that at least didn't involve missing a flight, was when I was staying at the FRA airport Hilton. I was in town for dinner, and tried to take the train late in the evening. I found the platform, walked down it and got on the train on the wrong side. I think I probably fell asleep even before we left the station and woke up some time later thinking "I've been on this train longer than I should have been." When the train arrived at the next station I realized I'd gone at least 50 kilometers in the wrong direction. A quick conversatation with the conductor confirmed that the only solution was to take a train (the last train from that station that night) all the way back to Frankfurt and start again. She scribbled something on my ticket that probably said "This American idiot boarded the wrong train" and said that would take care of it if I was asked to present my ticket. No one did, so I was relieved of that embarrassment, at least.

spd476

I have a similar train story from Naples. About 10 years ago my wife and I took a day trip from Rome to see Pompeii. We bought round trip tickets for the commuter train in Naples to Pompeii. When we returned to Naples, there were people checking tickets at the exit. They let my wife through but stopped me. He said something about my ticket being invalid. Then he opens up a note pad to a blank page with 37 and change Euros handwritten and tried to get me to pay. I protested, played dumb, etc. and he let me through after a couple of minutes.

In the meantime, I notice a couple of other obvious tourists paying. Then an Italian family, I'm assuming locals, start arguing with the people checking tickets. I don't speak Italian but the feeling I got was "How dare you try this with us". It just felt like a scam. The ticket checkers didn't have any official looking clothes on and the handwritten "fine" seems shady.

Then we bought subway tickets to go to the archaeological museum. We validate them and head out. We get stopped by a police officer in uniform who asks to see our tickets. He told us they weren't validated and starts writing a ticket. Eventually he realizes they are stamped and lets us go. Leaving Naples, the ticket machines at the train station wouldn't take any of my credit cards. Luckily I had enough cash to buy tickets back to Rome. Overall it just soured our opinions on Naples. We felt like we were getting shaken down.

mahlerfan

After a long flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to Muscat, Oman, several years ago, I stupidly left my wallet on the counter at the gift shop at the Muscat Airport during a transit stop. I didn't realize it until after I boarded a flight to Dubai. Thankfully, the Fly Dubai crew had someone go to the gift shop to retrieve my wallet with everything intact, otherwise I would have been left with no money or credit cards 12,000 miles from home..

safari ari

I have found this issue with many Italian train station ticket machines, usually for us Americans you need a CC that is a chip + pin which most aren't and I found you have to go to the ticket counter and sometimes they can do it, otherwise, hope you have enough cash on hand.

milepig

I've never had a problem using a credit card at the counter. This of course assumes 1) there IS a counter, 2) that it is open. I also hate the pay the service fee. Luckily, for more and more destinations one can book online before the trip and just print out tickets

Doesn't work for things like Naples to Pompeii where the desk is downstairs and around a corner in a neglected-looking section of the station, and the "service" desk is staffed by people who give you the evil eye with an attitude "well, you're a stupid American and I hate to stoop so low as to help you but if you insist I will sell you a ticket." Not a pleasant experience.

CMK10

Woke up at 4:15 this morning, showered and dressed for work. It wasn't until I was at RDU that I realized I never put my belt on. Thankfully the USCIS office in Arlington is right across from a Target but man that was dumb.

Mwenenzi

You seem to have a lot of posts in this thread

I always full prepare the night before for early morning starts.