A Google search will yield a treasure trove of ridiculous travel complaints, and you’ll see that some people are determined to be miserable no matter what.
If you work in the travel industry, you have to bite your tongue when faced with such complaints and bold faced audacity, because professionalism dictates it. But when you’ve put down that phone or signed out of your work emails, it’s the kind of thing you vent about to your friends. And laugh. Either laugh or go crazy.
Here are eleven ridiculous travel complaints people have made prior to or during travel.
1. No air conditioning in my accommodation? I'll die.
Eh, no you won’t. Humans made do without it for many years.
If you’re going to Europe, you should know that air conditioning isn’t as common as it is in The United States. It’s seen as an energy waster, though with the heat waves in recent years, Europeans have found inventive ways to keep cool.
Some apartments and villas may have air conditioning in the common areas or at least the bedrooms. But farmhouses, country homes, and castles which are hundreds of years old probably won’t, because it’s very expensive to have it installed.
Turn on your fan, walk around the property naked, or jump in the swimming pool if there is one.
2. I'm the guest in your home, but I don't like your decor
Imagine going to somebody’s home and presuming to tell them how to decorate it.
Now, imagine going to an apartment in Rome, the seat of the Catholic faith, and insisting that the owner remove the cross he has hanging on the wall, because you’re of a different faith.
Best of luck navigating just about all of Italy with this mindset. You’re going to see plenty of odes to Catholicism.
If you’re that pressed about it, maybe an apartment or villa isn’t for you. Consider a hotel, they are generally more secular.
3. I went to a restaurant in the Caribbean, and my food is taking too long to come
See now, here’s the thing about the Caribbean. Generally, the way of life is slower, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
If the thought of having to wait longer for your food to arrive is too much to bear, plan ahead.
Bring a snack. Or just, you know, wait. The food is likely going to be worth it.
4. There are no laundry facilities in my apartment, and there should be, because I have them at home
Dryers damage your clothes, so you’ll see some people wash them by hand and hang them out on the line the old-fashioned way. Sure, it takes a little longer, but they should be ready to wear the next day.
If you don’t want to do this, Google can help you find the closest laundromat.
5. The Siestas Should Be Banned!
Thomas Cook Holidays, a British travel company, received the following complaint:
“It’s lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during ‘siesta’ time – this should be banned.”
The siesta banned in Spain of all places? Bye.
6. Having two "toilets" right next to each other is weird!
Somebody went on vacation, saw a bathroom similar to the above, and complained that having two “toilets” next to each other with no wall separating them wasn’t “romantic.”
If the structure on the right looks anything like a toilet to you, that’s concerning. It’s a bidet.
And also, why does your bathroom have to be romantic, when there are other rooms better suited for that?
7. I want my restaurant reservation way ahead of when they are accepted
In 2016, a woman hounded her travel agent to get her a reservation at the Hôtel Costes restaurant in Paris. This was two weeks before the client wanted to dine.
The agent told her that the restaurant wouldn’t accept reservations more than 48 hours in advance.
Incensed, the client demanded that the agent call the restaurant directly and make the reservation. As if the agent had some kind of magical pull that would sway the restaurant to change its policy. The agent firmly, but politely, declined.
And so, the client learned something she was never taught. Patience.
8. I demand that my booking be changed immediately if not sooner
Under normal circumstances, this could be accommodated easily.
But COVID-19 threw off everything, and property owners around the world were scrambling to make up for the income lost due to people not being able to travel as planned.
A client called and emailed their agent repeatedly, asking “can we change our villa reservation?” over and over, as if this would expedite the desired answer.
It didn’t matter that the agent didn’t own or even manage the property. The client just wanted what they wanted. Period.
In the end, the owner capitulated, just to get them off his back.
9. There was too much sand at the beach!
The actual complaint was, “the beach was too sandy, and we had to clean everything when we returned to our room.”
Wonder if they had the same response when they found out that the ocean had salt? And fish?
10. Nobody told us there would be construction close to our apartment
When you’re booking a city apartment through a travel agent or with the owner directly, you can ask them to keep you posted on outside construction plans.
But city life = potential noise. So if drilling and hammering happens on the street, those who approved it might not alert those living in the neighborhood. Noise ordinance and construction laws differ from place to place.
11. People should cover up at the beach!
Many beaches are clothed, a fair amount are topless, and others allow for total nudity. It’s up to you to research based on your comfort level.
One woman was furious about her husband’s roving eye while they were on the beach, and thought that women should tip-toe around her insecurities.
“Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned!” she complained. “The holiday was ruined, as my husband spent all day looking at other women.”
Maybe take that up with him, sis.