FuryFluffy

>> Sorrento

What happened there, Fra_Diavolo?

sassy27

I didn't see my mistake listed so here you go.

If using an ATM always cover the key pad when entering your pin. Both my and my mom's accounts got hacked at the Edinburgh airport before leaving the secure baggage claim area. We arrived 10 hours late due to airline problems and quickly had to get to our rental flat. I thought ok best to use the ATM there and we weren't thinking. They got thousands of dollars before I noticed it. They got my brother's too but they couldn't take out cash as he covered his pin entry but his loss was a lot less than both me and my mom's.

I reported it to the airport who passed it on to the police. They asked how did I know what machine? Well, I had our bank statements and that was the only ATM machine we had in common. So if traveling with someone else, don't ever use the same ATM machine if you can help it.

nukesafe

My biggest mistake was falling off a moving Italian train. Many years ago I was sailing our 45' boat back from Cyprus, mostly alone or with pickup crews, and had tied up in Fiumicino (the seaport, not the airport). I was getting really tired of handling the heavy vessel by myself and decided to go into Rome to see if I could shanghai a crew. I thought sitting on the Spanish Steps would get the necessary mix of wanderers. I printed a sign on the back of a chart and, after inquiring which stop to get off to reach the steps, took the train to Rome.

I could not see the station signs clearly from my seat, so at each stop I would get up and walk to where I could read the signs. At last the proper station appeared, but having left my sign on the seat I walked back to fetch it before leaving the train. Italian commuter trains have very short stops, I found out, and they start very smoothly. Imagine my surprise when I took that step off the train, only to find the thing was in motion and picking up speed. With one foot in the air I had no choice but to complete my exit, and went a$$ over teakettle tumbling down the platform. I ended in a bruised and scraped heap, just having missed a steel pillar that would have separated me into component parts.

Instantly I was surrounded by kind and solicitous Italians, all screaming, talking and waving their arms. They picked me up dusted me off and undoubtedly said really harsh things about stupid young Americans who jumped off moving trains.

I was not seriously hurt, other than my pride, and was able to hobble to the Spanish Steps and meet a nice Australian/Dutch backpacker couple who would be delighted to crew for me as far as Cannes as long as I fed them.

IMDonehere

Almost every mistake invovles a rental car.

The time we almost went off a mountain in the Dolomies when I could not find reverse.

There is a road near Ephesus, Turkey, that was so narrow, I could not make the turn to get to the final 500 ft to the hotel. The road was so bad, people walked into the hotel and were ashen.

The car where I could only find the switch for one head light.

The time a relative put 70 lbs of pulpo in the trunk and the all the plastic bags broke.

The time I put a dent in the car but was in the same place as a previous dent, so they never found it.

I got a speeding ticket in Italy and had to pay on the spot. I also got a parking ticket in Siena, that I never paid.

I got two tickets in the Netherlands and I thought I was doing the right thing.

The time I rented a car for two blocks in London and could figure out how drive on the wrong side of the road.

The time I returned the car at the train station at Anterp and locked ourselves in the area where the cars were parked.

FuryFluffy

nukesafe: that's an unusual story ^^

Leely2

Not getting a GPS with the rental car in Sicily. Driving into the center of Agrigento on a Saturday night looking for an ATM.

Masterphil

I leased a car in Paris. The first thing I had to do was fill up the tank with gas.

I pulled into a large 12 aisle gas station to a pump that said "carte" on it. I put the nozzle in the car and used my credit card for the gas. Nothing happened! i ran down to the complete otherside of the gas station to tell the attendant that my pump wasnt working. He spoke no English and I spoke 3 years worth of HS French. He informed me that "carte" was meant for holders of the company gas card not credit cards. For a credit card, I had to move to a different pump. I ran back to my car and started backing up to get to a new pump. I heard a loud bang and my wife said I ran over something! I got out to look and realized I forgot to take the nozzle out of the car. It broke, as did the fuel cover door on the back of the car. I made my way to the next pump and bought gas with my credit card. I then made my way back to the attendant to tell him about the broken nozzle. To my surprise, he said no problem and asked how was my car?!

Less than 10 minutes after leasing the car, I was now frazzled and had to drive to Epernay or Beaune (I cant remember which trip this was) as our first stop.

The trip got much easier after that day!

Pegontheroad

These are all great. I don't think I have any truly disastrous stories, but there was the time I was going to Amsterdam and somehow got sort of stuck in the no-man's-land between Germany and the Netherlands. It was a question of insurance, but it was so long ago that I don't remember the details.

It took so long to get away from the no-man's-land and into Amsterdam that we couldn't find a hotel. We went to a police station and asked for help.

The policeman led us to absolutely the worst bed-and-breakfast on the planet. There was cat hair all over the room, and when our hostess answered the door she was wearing a fur coat and had bare feet with very dirty toenails. However, the breakfast was good--no cat hair in it. We didn't want to waste any part of our day looking for another hotel, so we stayed there another night.

That reminds me that one of my travel companions on that trip was a girl/woman who got very drunk in Spain in this "bull-fighting school." After drinking a lot of wine in this "bota bottle," where you don't have glasses, but you just aim the spout at your mouth, she decided she wanted to fight one of the bulls.(Old bulls, tired bulls, dispirited bulls). She chose the only bull that wasn't being tormented by other drunks, but it paid no attention to her, so she started chasing it. It turned around and accidentally knocked her down, splitting her upper lip.

The proprietors of the place were very distressed. They put a butterfly bandage on the wound. THEN SHE WANTED TO GO OUT AND FIGHT THE BULL AGAIN. I could have killed her! In the days after that we had to find a doc every day to change her dressing. I knew about four words of Spanish at the time, so I would ask some passer-by "Donde está un medico?'" The passer-by would answer me, but since I didn't understand Spanish, I would just go in the direction they pointed and go there, asking someone else the same question.

At another time--it was probably prior to the bull-fighting episode--she got drunk in a sidewalk cafe and made a real spectacle staring fixedly at another woman in the cafe. Finally she got up and went to the table of the woman and said she'd been staring because the woman was so attractive.

My younger sister couldn't stand Judy, so I was always trying to keep the peace between the two of them.

allisonm

In London DH used his debit card to get some cash but the machine kept his card. We spent the next day arguing with people in a couple different branches of the bank with no success. Luckily I had my card. The original bank manager said it was because the card hadn't been signed. So, be sure your cards are signed.

On a trip to Ireland we had to stay a couple of extra days when the volcano was erupting in Iceland. I had only brought enough prescription pmeds for the days we had planned. So, take extra meds.

Coming home on another trip from Ireland I forgot to put on my airsick patch in advance of the flight. I felt horrible for the whole flight and finally barfed about 20 minutes before we landed. So, remember your patch or have back up Dramamine.

I guess these are more travel related than Europe related, but apply everywhere.

marvelousmouse

I didn't research hostels well enough- had neglected to check to make sure the ones I picked had laundry. It turned out ok, but it was a stupid oversight on my part, and if I had packed light like I usually do, it would have been problematic.

Underestimating jet lag was another problem. Apparently I have no problem with 6 hours time difference but 9 knocks me flat.

I had three nights in the smaller places and 6 nights for the cities. I needed more like 4 nights in the smaller places and a minimum of 8 nights in the major cities. My parents had warned me...but I had not believed them lol. There is so much to just soak in and enjoy in even tiny towns. And so much nearby. I didn't get to do some day trips that I had been really excited about because it would have meant skipping stuff in my primary destinations.

Most serious mistake was doing Paris and Rome back to back. Don't do that! Do some countryside or beaches before and after Rome. Rome takes a LOT of energy and effort to get around and to sightsee.

Fra_Diavolo

>>>>> Sorrento

What happened there, Fra_Diavolo?<<<

Nothing in particular. We were hesitant to stay in Naples in those days (big mistake) and Sorrento was full of package tour groups chasing down fish and chips . . .

Now we stay in Naples.

cheska15

The great stories here remind us all that things happen and no one has said "that spoilt the trip'. I have a friend who finds the hardest part of travelling is letting go. She is not interested in travelling any more because she is not able to control everything.
Not me, as soon as I am on that plane I am in holiday mode and especially when that first glass of wine or prosecco is in my hand and whatever the day brings is how it goes.

bvlenci

You people will scare the poor couple off the trip! Really most of these things are very unlikely to happen.

This (and packing light) is the best advice I see above. <i> [Avoid] Cramming your itinerary with must visits, must see, must do etc. Don't forget to breathe. </i>

I usually skip at least one major "must-see" on my first visit to a new place. That gives me a great incentive to return.

"Remember to breathe" also means not scheduling tours for everything you want to see. If you schedule a tour of Pompeii and it's raining cats and dogs that day, you really have no flexibility to do the trip another time. And if you have tours every day, you have to possibility to just do something different, maybe return to a charming little street you didn't have time to explore fully when you first saw it.

Remember that most things can be enjoyed without an organized tour. A good guide book, and maybe some mp3 audio tours (often free on the internet) will be plenty for most sights.

For avoiding theft, keep your valuables well concealed, keep your eyes open, and try not to look rich.

bilboburgler

oh, being positive, taking old worn out clothes and throw them away after wearing,
1) it makes you look "not rich"
2) no need to find laundry facilities
3) buy new clothes along the way
4) smaller bags

bvlenci

I've never done the "take old clothes" thing. I generally don't throw out my old clothes until they've reached the dust rag state. If nothing else, I use them for gardening.

My sister visited me ten years ago and discarded a lot of things, including some old clothes. I'm still using a night gown she was getting rid of.

Which reminds me: living in Italy, I get a lot of visitors from the US,both friends and relatives. You wouldn't believe the things people have discarded here, not so they could replace them with new purchases, but simply because they were tired of carrying them around. I've been left a garment bag, an overnight bag, a large handbag, a backpack, and many items of clothing, including a rain coat, several shirts, several cardigans, and a pair of sneakers. The things I can't (or don't want to) use, I donate to the local Caritas.

The moral is: Unless you have a sister in Europe on whom you can dump your excess luggage, <b> pack light </b>.

menachem

My one mistake when I accompanied a small group on a visit to "jewish paris". They wanted to do the "observant" thing, although they weren't particularly religious at home. This visit was over shabbat, so they took it upon themselves to arrange shabbat meals on friday night and on shabbat itself. When I heard where they wanted us to end up, I was already sceptical. Cryptic directions got us to a shed of sorts off Rue Richer, where we were lectured to for hours by a crazy person deeply into Kabbalah. Only then could we eat (it was now 11PM). They had weird kabbalistic micro customs for everything. Then they started to "convert" the members of the group, because obviously they had to be brought back into the fold. Also I found a hair in my salmon. I left shortly after midnight, and never made it back for the second shabbat meal the next day. This taught me to avoid "groups" like the plague. Solo travel ever since.

WoinParis

I always discard clothes along the way.
It starting with running shoes. Well run. Well smelled.
Even after I took my shower wearing them my wife gave me the choice. To carry on with my running shoes or with her. The shoes were left in Marsaka, Sicily.

PatrickLondon

"a visit to "jewish paris". "

I occasionally wonder what happened to the somewhat frantic lady in Paris who stopped and asked me where the synagogue was, at about 3 minutes to 6pn on a Friday evening, outside the address she said she had been given, on Rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie - which is a gay bookshop.

nukesafe

I had a lot of dressy sport coats hanging in my closet, left over from when I wore coat and tie to work every day. I usually pack one, or wear it on the plane so I can dress appropriately if we do a splurge meal or go somewhere fancy. When I leave I deposit it, and the tie that went with it, into one of those donation bins in Paris. Gives me more room in my carry on if I buy anything and makes it even lighter if I don't.

I found out I had no need for such things in the small town to which we moved after we retired. In our area of the Northwest "Dress Up" is defined as, "Clean blue jeans". "Formal" is, "Clean blue jeans with no paint spots, big belt buckle optional.".

My hope is that I will outlive the supply of coats for the remaining trips we will take to Paris.

irishface

I have enjoyed reading all the posts! Maitaitom, thanks for "reprinting" the story of the diesel mix up. I remember reading it before, but it is still good enough to make me choke in laughter!

My biggest screw up was the first day of my first trip to Europe. I had arrived in Salzburg at 2 a.m. after 40 hours of travel, and that morning had to report to the school where I would be studying for the next few weeks. I carefully noted the name of the hostel and the bus number into town. The hostel was at the end of the bus line, so I thought, "Piece of cake"! What a country hick I was!

Anyway I stayed in town after a day of activity and met a friend who was staying on the other side of the city. We had supper and a good catch up.

I had carefully noted landmarks and easily found my way back to the bus stop, where I waited, and waited and waited... Finally a woman who had been watching from the stop a few feet away came over and explained that the bus I wanted did not run after 6p.m.

I had no idea of the address of the hostel, but told her that it was at the end of the line near a railroad crossing. I also told her the name of it. She didn't know the hostel, but she did take me to another bus stop and explained that this would take me in my direction for a while and where to get off.

Mind you, this conversation was in German. My skills were not topnotch and I was very tired, but I though I understood her. Anyway I rode to the end of the line with nothing familiar along the way. The driver told me to get out, but sympathized and said to stay on the bus till I recognized something. As I rode along, nothing seemed familiar, but just as I was about to despair, I saw a group of young people coming out of a pub and thought I recognized some from breakfast at the hostel. I jumped off the bus and joined them. It turned out that we were only fifteen minute walk from "home".

Never again have I gone out without a card from the hotel or hostel home base.