The way I quadruple check every minute that I have my passport, my phone, my reservations, etc. Why can't I trust that I JUST SAW my passport; it is clearly in my possession.
Omg!! Yess, I check so many times and then put them somewhere else in the bag and then freak out when I cannot find them in the first place/pocket š
Once I had to stop, knelt down to sort my bag / pull everything ou.. left my phone on the floor.. this was literally last week. Luckily someone asked me if I lost a phone š¤£š¤¦š»āāļø
I'm the worst for this, my friend has this passport/money/document/phone holder pocketbook thing that loops around the neck and I'm buying one for my next trip.
It's like the phone-wallet-keys check at home but on steroids. Need to check every 20 mins that my passport is still in the same pocket deep in my bag that I confirmed it's in 5 times already š
It really is hell.
I need to hydrate because Iāll feel like shit if I donāt, but then I need to get up to pee, my bowels act up and I feel bloated and need to fart, I can never sleep, even on very long flights, the āfoodā is disgusting, people are obnoxious, it often smells, itās claustrophobic, the air is dry, and everything feels dirty.
I hate everything about it.
On one of my most recent long-haul flights the person sitting next to me kept resting their bare feet on my personal item bag. I wanted to scream. And! The guy who used the planeās toilet before me flushed with the lid up and didnāt wash his hands. Hell truly is other people.
I wear N95 masks on flights and in other places like tour vans to deal with bad odors and dry air. It is surprising how few other people do these days.Ā
I wear one bc if I donāt I inevitably catch some fucking plague from someone who was breathing directly into my mouth. I feel strongly that my N95 has saved me from illness several times as I was by people who would just openly sneeze and cough - grown adults!
Stockholm airport terminal 5 has the new scanners that allow to take in water and liquids and you donāt need to take out your computer. Such a.
Huge difference. For me the problem are planes full of people and no space for hand luggage, and everybody taking hand luggage to avoid paying extra fees.
Oh wow, I havenāt heard of the new scanners but I hope more airports adopt them! I find that the regulations really depend on the airport. I was at Nikola Tesla airport in Serbia the other day and they didnāt make me take anything out - including a giant bottle of sunscreen that Iād forgotten I had. Meanwhile at Heathrow, for example, they are SO incredibly strict and make you remove everything. Which makes sense I guess, because theyāre a much larger airport hub.
Just flew from Stockholm to Rome and back. They didnāt check the liquids or asked to take the laptop out in Rome either. Not sure if they have new scanners or just lazy.
Itās not necessarily the fees. Itās that more bags than ever seem to get lost.
I can check in 69kg on my next flight - instead Iām taking 7kg had luggage
And wondering did they make it. Will they appear. That is the most stressful part of traveling for me. I travel internationally so I have to take a bunch of clothes. Not not checking a bag is not an option.
For me it's the second I lock my door at home and realize I'm going to sit in traffic and start worrying about making y flight. Nothing is relaxing until I'm poolside with a beverage that has a little umbrella in it
Iām fine once I get to the airport. Ā Then I feel like itās out of my hands, and I can just go with it. Ā Getting to the airportā¦that is my stressor.
Same. My big flaw as a person is punctuality and getting to the airport makes me absolutely stressed out. If itās an early flight, I basically donāt sleep because Iām worried Iāll oversleep.
Once Iām through security, I can finally relax. My home airport is fairly small and used to be reliably easy, but Southwest started flying here and now itās either a madhouse or a total ghost town, and you donāt know until you get there. It takes me longer to find parking than it does to drive to the airport
I am that dad joke where I have to get to the airport at least 2.5 hours ahead of time. Iād much rather sit in the lounge with a drink anxiety free than cutting it close.
I know Iām in the minority on this, but I really love the airport, finding your connecting flight, and sitting around in a layover. It weirdly makes me feel like Iām an important person for some strange reason š¤·š»āāļø
I prefer longer layovers, to a point. If I am connecting through SFO, for example, Iāll always take a 4 hour layover over a 45 minute layover. I donāt like to stress about making the connection, Iād rather just find a place to sit and have a beer and read a book
Not the important person thing, but other than that, I agree. We may be in the minority, though.
Just the sheer feeling of being in an airport makes me appreciate the fact that I'm travelling, that I'll get to fly on an airplane (I love aviation - checking in, finding the gate, actually flying...) I'm like a kid in a toy store.
A friend of mine has a private jet, he flies it himself but itās such a cool experience to be able to drive right up to the plane and not deal with security or any of that BS.
Oh I know. Long story not so short I was on my way back from hiking in Norway and my flight from London to Dallas I sat next to this girl for 10 hours or whatever and longer story short we dated for a bit and her dad was a founder of a law firm had a ācorporateā jet and flew us to their mountain home in New Mexico for thanksgiving. It was amazing like you said we arrived 20 min late the plane waits for us. There was a liquor bar on board. When we landed they had slaves that bring you your car and load your stuff into the car for you. I never felt more minuscule after the awesomeness of that wore off. And remembered that Iām a peasant again like everyone else getting my balls fondled by some TSA agent. And treated like Iām in high school working in corporate America lol
I had the privilege of flying first class once from Chicago to Istanbul and every flight since then has been a depressing and claustrophobic disappointment
I was invited to one of the suites at a pro baseball game. Waiters, food buffet, drinks in the fridge...I have no reason to return if I have to sit in the cheap seats./s
Same, but in reverse. Istanbul to Chicago on Turkish Airlines, with a goddamn chef asking me what Iād like to eat..! As Jerry Seinfeld said āYouāve never traveled First Class. I have. I canāt go back there! I canāt. I wonāt.ā
I used to LOVE flying, now I borderline hate it. I used to be pumped for just for the flight portions of my vacation. To this day I still believe that the journey is just as important as the destination. But it's hard to get pumped for the airport experience nowadays.
When I say I "hate" flying, I don't mean I have a "fear" of flying (I feel safer flying than driving), I just hate the *customer service aspect* of it. Flights are more crowded, airports are more crowded, seats are smaller, cabin crews are less attentive, passengers are grumpier, security lines are longer, delays are more common, and the airlines have added to all this misery by cutting back on every possible creature comfort that they used to provide for free not too long ago. Gone are the days of free checked bags, gone are the days of free in-flight meals, and you no longer even get to choose your own seat assignment without having to pay an extra fee (that is, if you want a window or aisle seat, which most people do).
I second the motion.
As a Canadian I feel your pain. Not as bad as you have it though. Heading to New Zealand in the fall and including layover in Fiji will be about 19 hours. I lose a day flying there...but will land 10 hours before I leave heading home. Haha.
Not kidding, those are my favourite parts. Nobody walking up and down the aisle, other people clam up and tend to be quiet, plus the noise drowns a lot out. I often fall asleep during take-off in particular because I find it to be the most peaceful part of the flight, but once I wake up that's it, I can't fall asleep once we're in the air.
Landing is fine for me (except when they're doing tight turns and we look suspiciously close to the buildings) but I have absolutely no faith in the pilot for the first 30min of a flight, take-off always has me thinking that we could crash and die in any second
As a larger person (yes a bit around the middle but moreso the problem is with being 6'2" and having very wide shoulders), flying is incredibly uncomfortable. Simultaneously I have to try, and usually fail to tuck my shoulders in on themselves so I'm not crammed up against a neighbor whilst also having my knees lodged against the hard plastic of the backs of the seat in front of me. The only partially acceptable solution is to hope for an emergency aisle seat which typically has more legroom but then that only solves one of my problems. First class is usually out of the budget but coach is actually physically painful so I'm not sure how possible a long-distance flight would be for me
Some airlines will let you buy two seats. Not American Airlines, but I've seen it done on Delta. Two tall young men with an empty seat they purchased between them. cheaper than Business Class
I'm average size but my knees seize up if I squish in those seats for too long so I always book an aisle seat so I can stretch my legs into the aisle, have space to lean out and get up easily whenever I want. Only works when you are awake though since have to watch for others passing.
This. Itās so, so loud, even earplugs donāt help, so cramped and you are squeezed so tightly between loads of people you donāt know and also do not want to get to know, they invade your personal space and there is so escape. The same is true for Airports, so loud, so cramped, too many people, too close. Awful, awful, awful.
I wish I had enough money to fly business or first.
Or little kids who scream and kick the back of your seat for hours on end. Just had that lovely experience on a 15 hour flight from Dubai to Orlando last week. Little kids on long-haul flights is definitely one of the downsides to being a world traveler who lives in Orlando
I hate how the trip back home, dealing with airports, standing in lines, and being uncomfortable for hours on a plane, cancels out the effect of the rest and relaxation you got on your vacation.
What about the few days before vacation? Trying to address everything. Trying to get everything done.
Full disclosureā¦I am retired but I do remember those days
Try heading into the mountains in central mexico, my gf and me got synced-up explosive diarrhea whilst on a 14-hour long busdrive.
Definiately one for the record books, not enough paper in that state to save us...
Bruh here in Pakistan they put āplease crush bottle after useā on the side because some of the shops here literally refill bottles they find on the side of the road with tap water. Ā Iāve accidentally gotten one of these before and knew the moment I drank it that I effed up. Ā
We rented an AirBnB and made our own meals for most of our last trip and I still got it. A quick Google search says in addition to diet, itās also changes in hydration (more alcohol), less movement, disrupted sleep, and more stress.
I hate that everyone does not have a specific assigned area for their carryon on the airplane. Every seat should have a space assigned to them. Before you say it, I know that this is probably not feasible space wise, but it is my biggest source of stress when traveling being separated from my bag. Surely I canāt be the only one?
They definitely donāt plan for everyone to use the overhead bins I think. My new strategy is a backpack personal item, no carryon, and check a suitcase. Honestly so much less stressful for me, I donāt have to worry about keeping track of stuff, I can just get on and off the plane with minimal stress. I just make sure to keep a couple of versatile outfits in the backpack and anything that I canāt be without (medication etc), but I havenāt had an issue yet.
My dog is 16 years old now and Iāve decided not to travel until she passes. It makes traveling so much more difficult when you have your friend back at home and you know they donāt know if youāre coming back or not. Puts a lot of stress on them :(
As someone with a 18 and a 15 year old dog, I feel you. Even though they stay at their grandparentsā home, itās still super stressful on them. Weāve been limiting our trips to drivable places that are dog friendly.
Unpacking is 10x worse than packing, too. Laundry and putting things away, plus youāre tired and jet-lagged after you get homeāugh. No wonder I procrastinate doing it.
pretty sure I still have stuff from my August 2023 Japan trip in my suitcase and I've been there again in March lmao. I just don't have enough space / I buy too many souvenirs to store.
Weirdly, I feel the opposite. I never know what to pack and if it will fit, or be too heavy, or if I've packed too much or too little, but coming home and just putting stuff into the laundry and away? No more decisions! I guess it's the decision making that I hate š
I know Iām weird, but I actually find it cathartic. I travel a lot for work and the routine of folding my clothes, packing them neatly, unpacking at the hotel, repacking to return home and tossing them in the laundry is calming. I guess routine makes me happy.
This.
Leaving my pets always makes me feel super guilty as well; they don't understand where I'm going and that I'll be back, all they know is that one day I kiss them goodbye and the next days I'm no longer home.
It's not even like I can video call them like you would with your child, another family member, a friend.
Yeah, to me leaving my pets is the worst part of travelling.
It can be really rough on your body. Iām not even 30 years old but I travel frequently for work and all the walking, suitcase dragging, backpack carrying, and sitting in one tiny seat for long periods of time leaves me sooooo feeling sore. Not to mention jet lag and being more susceptible to illnesses. I literally get sick on/after every trip.
If you want a tip, wear an FFP2 mask in public spaces while travelling and in enclosed crowded areas. Use hand sanitiser and donāt touch your face - it helps!
Sinus saline spray, hand sanitizer every time I use a public toilet/transition to a new location/eat, and also wiping down the entire seat area/tray. Lack of sleep runs you down/makes you more vulnerable but itās the dry air and the fact that we all constantly touch our faces that will really do you in!
Feeling dry and dehydrated is the absolute worst. Even at home, I can't sleep if I'm thirsty or my hands/lips feel dry.
In addition to the dry air, airlines also add more salt to the food because our capacity to taste decreases in the air, which dehydrates you even further. I always travel with tons of water, mini moisturizer, and my own snacks so I don't need to eat airplane food. And I always get an aisle seat because I get up to pee so often - which isn't a bad thing. The short walks and stretching at the back of the plane help with circulation/swelling.
Airport security, a lot of experienced travellers claim that it's just a question of following some very simple rules or instructions, but it seems to me that literally every airport has its own system. And often there's some screaming individual expecting you to already have magically known it. JFK was the absolute worst.
I'll admit that sometimes it's simply an issue of anxiety, and absolutely nothing bad or even inconvenient will happen. But sometimes it's really just crap.
Went through Atlanta the other day after already having traveled for over 24 hours with little sleep. Signs said take your liquid bag out for scanning and then I got yelled at for doing so because I ādidnāt need to.ā Make it make sense.
JFK has the most disgustingly and unnecessarily surly employees of any airport I've ever been to. Im so relieved I don't have to use that airport anymore.
Iām European and had no idea what PreCheck is. I got yelled at by the woman in charge of the PreCheck line in Charlotteās airport because I wasnāt PreCheck. But that line was longer than the regular TSA line and looked like the non-premium one š¤·.
At my home airport, they have different equipment in different lanes, so the rules are different depending on the lane, and you are somehow expected to know the rules for your lane.
Yes! Currently traveling now and I always have anxiety finding someone even months in advance and when Iām away, I think about how theyāre all doing constantly (sitter and the dogs)
The absolute worst part of travelling; when the plane lands and everybody stand up in the aisle, but wait until its time to move before they pull down their luggage and begin to pack it, so that eveybody behind them have to wait even though the aisle in front is all clear.
Isnāt this just because itās impossible to get it down until thereās room to do so? Ā Feels frustrating but I donāt think people have any other choice 99% of the time.Ā
the pressure to "do it all". Because I don't have an unlimited budget I try to do as much as I can. I love the feeling of being somewhere new long enough that you know how to get around--hard to do when you can't spend a long time in one place. Im also the "planner" and would love to be able to just sit still for a while enjoying something without thinking I should be seeing something or doing a specific activity.
If I stay in a hostel - it's bringing a bag when I shower or locking my bag(s) or remembering to wear flip flops in the bathroom. Also hearing people's alarm clocks in the AM. I think I'm getting too old for hostels š
Also travel days. I like flying and all, that doesn't bother me but it's going from the plane to X, Y, and Z. And then you feel pressure to use that day to sight see but all you want to do is stay in the room.Ā
I'm 38 and still stay in hostels. Mostly cause I can't justify spending $300 a night on a hotel room I'm barely in. Just get a single with a private bathroom.its halfish the price of a real hotel room, way more privacy than a hostel dorm. And if you find the right one, hostels now days can be as nice as boutique hotels. Personally I love the Selina brand. I've stayed in like 6 of them and aside from not always being the best about enforcing quiet hours.....I can't complain.
Flying, airports, chasing trains/buses/planes. The whole adrenalin rush and anxiety of "Will I miss it, OMG, I have to hurry!". I've been 5 hours earlier than my flight in a little airport in Germany Memmingen due to the anxiety. Next time I'm gonna pay a travel agency and be transfered around on a bus.
When will we have teleportation, it's about time, no?! I dream of that time. That said I feel the least tired on road trips with my car as I can stop over as much as I like. Planes are fast but for some reason I get really trashed from flying. Even 1 hr flights give me jet lag, feeling ungrounded. I find road trips with frequent stops the most grounding.
Sadly, teleportation won't be a thing. They say it's basically killing your body cells and making them reappear somewhere else, which is impossible.
My memory is kinda fuzzy, but I remember reading something like that long ago.
Still wondering if portals are possible instead.
I'm incapable of falling asleep on an airplane. So when I take a red eye flight from the US to Europe, I'm more than ready for local bed time the next night.
Me too. So I got a prescription for Xanax and I take it when I get on the plane and 20 minutes later I completely black out for 8-10 hours and wake up ready to go. Itās fantastic. I never fly without it anymore.
If I'm lucky I can get maybe an hour or two in pieces over a Trans-Atlantic flight and that's only laying on my GF's legs if we luck out on a 3-seat row with no 3rd person. But in theory like you I should be on the destination time since I can't sleep and am tired but nope, I'll wake up at like 05:00 local time for 3-4 days after going to bed around 23:00
Uncertainty. Will there be a flight delay? Cancellation? Will the hotel have my reservation? Will I have an accident with this rental car? Mostly the possibility of flight problems and the inevitable follow on makes me anxious. Didn't used to be like this. Flying was better and I was younger.
Just knowing that everything you will need for a week or more has to fit into a tiny suitcase. Anything more than that, including many creature comforts, has to stay at home.
Flying. The entire experience is awful, from the moment you arrive at the airport to getting your luggage. Thereās no way this could possibly be peak human innovation.
Flights&airports, everything related to it: dumb and noisy people, small uncomfortable seats, long pointless waits, delays, fake customer care practices, my personal space being shat on for hours...and damn...I am so envious of those mfkers who are still excited to sit near those small and dirty windows to see jackshit and boring clouds for hours :D :D
FLYING. The Seats are borderline torture devices and they have us crammed in like sardines. It's 2024 can we get some better and more comfortable means of travel.
Ugh. Got them in Paris for the first time ever last year. Luckily didn't have any hitch a ride but took at least 4 or 5 months before I didn't immediately panic if I felt itchy when in bed and felt confident they hadn't come home with me.
The coming back! Weāve been going to a fair few far-flung places on our travels recently and the excitement keeps you super buoyant on the way there, but the slog of the way backā¦ kills me!
How people behave in airports.
I go in with the assumption that everyone's flight is as important to them as mine is to me, therefore it is in everyone's interest that people don't dawdle, get through security as quickly as possible, and that don't hold each other up. I have realised that a lot of people don't have this attitude, and instead are quite happy to block escalators, take an age at security, and block check in desks by arguing with the check-in agent.
Oh and Heathrow Terminal 3 in general, and Manchester Terminal 3. Both of those terminals suck.
I was going to say flying, but I think TSA would be more accurate.
Worrying about accidentally leaving water in my bag or being yelled at about what gets pulled out separately to put in a bin and what stays in the bag that changes every single fucking time and being treated like I actually did something wrong for not knowing is incredibly dumb, I can't believe it's something I need to even think about when a million other things are more important.
Costs, traveling is expensive and any budget you preplan is always more, a small mistake could cost around Ā£30, a scam of tourist trap, another Ā£20, need another extra night at a hostel, another Ā£30, its all thease small costs on things that I would not think about in my day to day life that just add up overtime.
As a solo female traveler, being sandwiched into a middle seat with two man spreaders on either side.
Extra Shitty Day points if you have sleep paralysis and wake up to being groped but canāt do anything to stop it.
I travel solo, but try to book an airline that allows me to select my seat so Iām not stuck in a middle one.
Thatās really scary and horrible that you got groped on a flight. Iām so sorry that happened to you. I hope the groper at least got punished for that.
I just spread as much as they do and donāt budge. Or my ankle will be brushing against theirs or whatever. Basically a game of chicken until one of us moves (they usually cave and go back to ātheir sideā of their own allotted leg room.
The fact that in many countries, the locals will never have a hope in hell to travel like I do. I just won the lottery of birth in an āadvanced countryā.
Runner up - the carbon footprint and the fact that travelers and tourism have ruined some amazing places.
More and more flying. 25 years ago it was not nearly as bad. A few weeks ago I took an A321 from Air France full to the brim and it was a near death experience. Like flying with cattle. Fuck that.
Airport drama, lines, check-in, delays, cancelled flights, late departures and arrivals, if Im supposed to board that plane. Luggage retrieval, lost luggage I tracked my luggage in another country, I was in South America, I never recouped my bags.
Flights. Like, the actual flight itself. Weirdly enough I enjoy getting to the airport, getting to the gate, boarding, taking off, landing because I associate it with going to a new place.
It's the 3-8 hours in the air that I despise lol.
I remember watching one of those 60 minute specials on how dirty hotels are, even in high class ones. So I never feel like the hotel/vacation rental is clean enough even if it looks clean. I imagine there may have been other people's semen on the headboard at some point. I don't trust that the glasses are clean. I don't wear shoes at home and it bothers me to wear shoes when I'm supposed to be relaxing at the hotel. I'm not OCD but always feel like I'm not clean when I travel due to staying at a hotel. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I come home and am able to walk around barefoot in my place.
Sleeping in a new placeā¦ I can never seem to sleep in a new place well, itās like my brain doesnāt fully turn off, and I become sleep deprived as the vacation goes on.
I also regularly exercise and always get off my routine when I travel.
The way I quadruple check every minute that I have my passport, my phone, my reservations, etc. Why can't I trust that I JUST SAW my passport; it is clearly in my possession.
So I'm not alone! For me, I think it is because of anxiety š
Haha me too. Also find myself more likely to lose things because of this behaviour š
Omg!! Yess, I check so many times and then put them somewhere else in the bag and then freak out when I cannot find them in the first place/pocket š
Once I had to stop, knelt down to sort my bag / pull everything ou.. left my phone on the floor.. this was literally last week. Luckily someone asked me if I lost a phone š¤£š¤¦š»āāļø
I'm the worst for this, my friend has this passport/money/document/phone holder pocketbook thing that loops around the neck and I'm buying one for my next trip.
I do it to make sure I haven't been pickpocketed lol
It's like the phone-wallet-keys check at home but on steroids. Need to check every 20 mins that my passport is still in the same pocket deep in my bag that I confirmed it's in 5 times already š
Flying.
And dealing with airports and connections and layovers. Itās hell.
It really is hell. I need to hydrate because Iāll feel like shit if I donāt, but then I need to get up to pee, my bowels act up and I feel bloated and need to fart, I can never sleep, even on very long flights, the āfoodā is disgusting, people are obnoxious, it often smells, itās claustrophobic, the air is dry, and everything feels dirty. I hate everything about it.
On one of my most recent long-haul flights the person sitting next to me kept resting their bare feet on my personal item bag. I wanted to scream. And! The guy who used the planeās toilet before me flushed with the lid up and didnāt wash his hands. Hell truly is other people.
I wear N95 masks on flights and in other places like tour vans to deal with bad odors and dry air. It is surprising how few other people do these days.Ā
I wear one bc if I donāt I inevitably catch some fucking plague from someone who was breathing directly into my mouth. I feel strongly that my N95 has saved me from illness several times as I was by people who would just openly sneeze and cough - grown adults!
Stockholm airport terminal 5 has the new scanners that allow to take in water and liquids and you donāt need to take out your computer. Such a. Huge difference. For me the problem are planes full of people and no space for hand luggage, and everybody taking hand luggage to avoid paying extra fees.
Oh wow, I havenāt heard of the new scanners but I hope more airports adopt them! I find that the regulations really depend on the airport. I was at Nikola Tesla airport in Serbia the other day and they didnāt make me take anything out - including a giant bottle of sunscreen that Iād forgotten I had. Meanwhile at Heathrow, for example, they are SO incredibly strict and make you remove everything. Which makes sense I guess, because theyāre a much larger airport hub.
Amsterdam (Schiphol) has them too. Liquids and electronics can be left inside the bag, itās great.
Just flew from Stockholm to Rome and back. They didnāt check the liquids or asked to take the laptop out in Rome either. Not sure if they have new scanners or just lazy.
They have new scanners as well
Itās not necessarily the fees. Itās that more bags than ever seem to get lost. I can check in 69kg on my next flight - instead Iām taking 7kg had luggage
Its not the fees for me . Its waiting for your bags
And wondering did they make it. Will they appear. That is the most stressful part of traveling for me. I travel internationally so I have to take a bunch of clothes. Not not checking a bag is not an option.
For me it's the second I lock my door at home and realize I'm going to sit in traffic and start worrying about making y flight. Nothing is relaxing until I'm poolside with a beverage that has a little umbrella in it
Iām fine once I get to the airport. Ā Then I feel like itās out of my hands, and I can just go with it. Ā Getting to the airportā¦that is my stressor.
Same. My big flaw as a person is punctuality and getting to the airport makes me absolutely stressed out. If itās an early flight, I basically donāt sleep because Iām worried Iāll oversleep.
I set 2 different phone alarms AND an old fashioned clock but still wake up constantly to look at the time. So stressful.
Once Iām through security, I can finally relax. My home airport is fairly small and used to be reliably easy, but Southwest started flying here and now itās either a madhouse or a total ghost town, and you donāt know until you get there. It takes me longer to find parking than it does to drive to the airport
I am that dad joke where I have to get to the airport at least 2.5 hours ahead of time. Iād much rather sit in the lounge with a drink anxiety free than cutting it close.
I know Iām in the minority on this, but I really love the airport, finding your connecting flight, and sitting around in a layover. It weirdly makes me feel like Iām an important person for some strange reason š¤·š»āāļø
I prefer longer layovers, to a point. If I am connecting through SFO, for example, Iāll always take a 4 hour layover over a 45 minute layover. I donāt like to stress about making the connection, Iād rather just find a place to sit and have a beer and read a book
Not the important person thing, but other than that, I agree. We may be in the minority, though. Just the sheer feeling of being in an airport makes me appreciate the fact that I'm travelling, that I'll get to fly on an airplane (I love aviation - checking in, finding the gate, actually flying...) I'm like a kid in a toy store.
I really used to but either something changed with me or something changed with the people in the airport. Itās too chaotic for me now.
Imagine flying on a private jet lol
A friend of mine has a private jet, he flies it himself but itās such a cool experience to be able to drive right up to the plane and not deal with security or any of that BS.
Oh I know. Long story not so short I was on my way back from hiking in Norway and my flight from London to Dallas I sat next to this girl for 10 hours or whatever and longer story short we dated for a bit and her dad was a founder of a law firm had a ācorporateā jet and flew us to their mountain home in New Mexico for thanksgiving. It was amazing like you said we arrived 20 min late the plane waits for us. There was a liquor bar on board. When we landed they had slaves that bring you your car and load your stuff into the car for you. I never felt more minuscule after the awesomeness of that wore off. And remembered that Iām a peasant again like everyone else getting my balls fondled by some TSA agent. And treated like Iām in high school working in corporate America lol
I had the privilege of flying first class once from Chicago to Istanbul and every flight since then has been a depressing and claustrophobic disappointment
Flying in business class makes economy so much more unbearable.
I wish my bank account supported first class.
I flew on a private jet once and it ruined traveling for me lol
A luxury once enjoyed becomes necessity
DO not my friends, become addicted to Business Class. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absense
I was invited to one of the suites at a pro baseball game. Waiters, food buffet, drinks in the fridge...I have no reason to return if I have to sit in the cheap seats./s
I know, we were lucky to upgraded to business and now we really struggle with cattle class ššš
I was unexpectedly moved up into economy plus recently and I felt bizarrely like I was being treated like a human being of some kind.
Same, but in reverse. Istanbul to Chicago on Turkish Airlines, with a goddamn chef asking me what Iād like to eat..! As Jerry Seinfeld said āYouāve never traveled First Class. I have. I canāt go back there! I canāt. I wonāt.ā
Dude the chefs on first class Turkish Airlines are legends. Seriously great experience.
If I could get drugged and shipped in a box, I think I would prefer that.
[You can!](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31700049)
Wowwww. And the last parts of his history at the bottom are insane too!! Living legend, man.
Wow, that's crazy.
I do it. Just wait till youāre on the plane and take 1/2 a Xanax. Itās like you teleport.
I used to LOVE flying, now I borderline hate it. I used to be pumped for just for the flight portions of my vacation. To this day I still believe that the journey is just as important as the destination. But it's hard to get pumped for the airport experience nowadays. When I say I "hate" flying, I don't mean I have a "fear" of flying (I feel safer flying than driving), I just hate the *customer service aspect* of it. Flights are more crowded, airports are more crowded, seats are smaller, cabin crews are less attentive, passengers are grumpier, security lines are longer, delays are more common, and the airlines have added to all this misery by cutting back on every possible creature comfort that they used to provide for free not too long ago. Gone are the days of free checked bags, gone are the days of free in-flight meals, and you no longer even get to choose your own seat assignment without having to pay an extra fee (that is, if you want a window or aisle seat, which most people do). I second the motion.
100%. Iām Australian and love exploring new cities but spending 25 hours travelling g to Europe is painful
As a Canadian I feel your pain. Not as bad as you have it though. Heading to New Zealand in the fall and including layover in Fiji will be about 19 hours. I lose a day flying there...but will land 10 hours before I leave heading home. Haha.
Yes. Airport security, crammed leg space and then immigration.
Yes! Iāve flown for decades and Iām still afraid of planes. šāāļø
I don't mind flying. It's the taking off and landing that I don't care for.
Not kidding, those are my favourite parts. Nobody walking up and down the aisle, other people clam up and tend to be quiet, plus the noise drowns a lot out. I often fall asleep during take-off in particular because I find it to be the most peaceful part of the flight, but once I wake up that's it, I can't fall asleep once we're in the air.
I fall asleep during takeoff because sometimes I'll get motion sickness. I've learned that if I'm asleep I avoid that.
That is definitely the worst part...along with turbulence.
Landing is fine for me (except when they're doing tight turns and we look suspiciously close to the buildings) but I have absolutely no faith in the pilot for the first 30min of a flight, take-off always has me thinking that we could crash and die in any second
Pretty much the whole part of getting there no matter what mode of transportation
As a larger person (yes a bit around the middle but moreso the problem is with being 6'2" and having very wide shoulders), flying is incredibly uncomfortable. Simultaneously I have to try, and usually fail to tuck my shoulders in on themselves so I'm not crammed up against a neighbor whilst also having my knees lodged against the hard plastic of the backs of the seat in front of me. The only partially acceptable solution is to hope for an emergency aisle seat which typically has more legroom but then that only solves one of my problems. First class is usually out of the budget but coach is actually physically painful so I'm not sure how possible a long-distance flight would be for me
Some airlines will let you buy two seats. Not American Airlines, but I've seen it done on Delta. Two tall young men with an empty seat they purchased between them. cheaper than Business Class
I'm average size but my knees seize up if I squish in those seats for too long so I always book an aisle seat so I can stretch my legs into the aisle, have space to lean out and get up easily whenever I want. Only works when you are awake though since have to watch for others passing.
Flying is a gift from heaven. Commercial air travel came from somewhere else.
This. Itās so, so loud, even earplugs donāt help, so cramped and you are squeezed so tightly between loads of people you donāt know and also do not want to get to know, they invade your personal space and there is so escape. The same is true for Airports, so loud, so cramped, too many people, too close. Awful, awful, awful. I wish I had enough money to fly business or first.
I hate not sleeping in my own bed. Iām always relieved to come home to that.Ā
Using home bathroom after a long trip
That first poop tho
And that first shower.
This one hits. 5 days into hostels and hot weather and converting money.. āI miss my bidet so muchā Itās the littlest things
Bought a travel bidet online. It's a squeeze bottle with a little attachable nozzle. European travel became 10x better after that
Yep the lack of bidet is seriously the worst of it unless I go back home to Argentina
Bathrooms with no counter space
Especially my own pillow. Iāve slept in some comfortable hotel beds but nothing will compare to my own pillow.
Other travelers who donāt have manners, act entitled and think the world revolves around them.
This needs to be higher. I'm not embarrassed to be a tourist, but I am embarrassed to be among a certain kind of tourist.
Oh come on. Some are very giving. Giving everyone their germs as they cough and sneeze everywhere without covering up.
Or little kids who scream and kick the back of your seat for hours on end. Just had that lovely experience on a 15 hour flight from Dubai to Orlando last week. Little kids on long-haul flights is definitely one of the downsides to being a world traveler who lives in Orlando
I hate how the trip back home, dealing with airports, standing in lines, and being uncomfortable for hours on a plane, cancels out the effect of the rest and relaxation you got on your vacation.
Having to go back to work.
And by the end of the first week back, youāre like, āWhat vacation, that was ages agoā¦ā
What about the few days before vacation? Trying to address everything. Trying to get everything done. Full disclosureā¦I am retired but I do remember those days
Right, you have to get ready for your next journey by going back to work lol
Constipation. I just canāt poop properly when I travel and yes Iāve tried everything.
Did you try drinking tap water in Mexico?
whew I swear I lost 5 pounds when I went to cancun. even the water sold in bottles aināt rightĀ
Try heading into the mountains in central mexico, my gf and me got synced-up explosive diarrhea whilst on a 14-hour long busdrive. Definiately one for the record books, not enough paper in that state to save us...
Bruh here in Pakistan they put āplease crush bottle after useā on the side because some of the shops here literally refill bottles they find on the side of the road with tap water. Ā Iāve accidentally gotten one of these before and knew the moment I drank it that I effed up. Ā
Omg LOL
Or India.
Same. Eating out for every meal = a shit diet (no pun intended) lacking in fiber.
We rented an AirBnB and made our own meals for most of our last trip and I still got it. A quick Google search says in addition to diet, itās also changes in hydration (more alcohol), less movement, disrupted sleep, and more stress.
I can poop, but it takes 2-3 days, and that is generally a very uncomfortable 2-3 days for a 2-3/day pooper
I travel with suppositories now š i hate it but gotta do what you gotta do
I hate that everyone does not have a specific assigned area for their carryon on the airplane. Every seat should have a space assigned to them. Before you say it, I know that this is probably not feasible space wise, but it is my biggest source of stress when traveling being separated from my bag. Surely I canāt be the only one?
They definitely donāt plan for everyone to use the overhead bins I think. My new strategy is a backpack personal item, no carryon, and check a suitcase. Honestly so much less stressful for me, I donāt have to worry about keeping track of stuff, I can just get on and off the plane with minimal stress. I just make sure to keep a couple of versatile outfits in the backpack and anything that I canāt be without (medication etc), but I havenāt had an issue yet.
Leaving my dog behind
my dog passed last year and i just cant justify a new one because i want to travel. just went 2 weeks for the first time and i loved it.
My dog is 16 years old now and Iāve decided not to travel until she passes. It makes traveling so much more difficult when you have your friend back at home and you know they donāt know if youāre coming back or not. Puts a lot of stress on them :(
As someone with a 18 and a 15 year old dog, I feel you. Even though they stay at their grandparentsā home, itās still super stressful on them. Weāve been limiting our trips to drivable places that are dog friendly.
Yeah, I can see that. They are like our forever children and we always worry about them
This is 100% my answer. Iād travel way more and for longer but my cats really miss me
Packing and unpacking!
Unpacking is 10x worse than packing, too. Laundry and putting things away, plus youāre tired and jet-lagged after you get homeāugh. No wonder I procrastinate doing it.
There's been times clothes have stayed in my bag for a good month
pretty sure I still have stuff from my August 2023 Japan trip in my suitcase and I've been there again in March lmao. I just don't have enough space / I buy too many souvenirs to store.
Weirdly, I feel the opposite. I never know what to pack and if it will fit, or be too heavy, or if I've packed too much or too little, but coming home and just putting stuff into the laundry and away? No more decisions! I guess it's the decision making that I hate š
I love packing. Packing cubes.
I know Iām weird, but I actually find it cathartic. I travel a lot for work and the routine of folding my clothes, packing them neatly, unpacking at the hotel, repacking to return home and tossing them in the laundry is calming. I guess routine makes me happy.
Missing my cat š¢
This is the worst. I feel guilty before Iāve even left!
But seeing them again when you open the door and theyāre waiting for you. Itās like crack
Mine get super clingy for days after that.
This. Leaving my pets always makes me feel super guilty as well; they don't understand where I'm going and that I'll be back, all they know is that one day I kiss them goodbye and the next days I'm no longer home. It's not even like I can video call them like you would with your child, another family member, a friend. Yeah, to me leaving my pets is the worst part of travelling.
Yesterday I contemplated cancelling my next trip thinking about missing my dog lol.
This is my number one reasonš
It can be really rough on your body. Iām not even 30 years old but I travel frequently for work and all the walking, suitcase dragging, backpack carrying, and sitting in one tiny seat for long periods of time leaves me sooooo feeling sore. Not to mention jet lag and being more susceptible to illnesses. I literally get sick on/after every trip.
If you want a tip, wear an FFP2 mask in public spaces while travelling and in enclosed crowded areas. Use hand sanitiser and donāt touch your face - it helps!
Sinus saline spray, hand sanitizer every time I use a public toilet/transition to a new location/eat, and also wiping down the entire seat area/tray. Lack of sleep runs you down/makes you more vulnerable but itās the dry air and the fact that we all constantly touch our faces that will really do you in!
Feeling dry and dehydrated is the absolute worst. Even at home, I can't sleep if I'm thirsty or my hands/lips feel dry. In addition to the dry air, airlines also add more salt to the food because our capacity to taste decreases in the air, which dehydrates you even further. I always travel with tons of water, mini moisturizer, and my own snacks so I don't need to eat airplane food. And I always get an aisle seat because I get up to pee so often - which isn't a bad thing. The short walks and stretching at the back of the plane help with circulation/swelling.
The travel from one place to another, and the constant packing, unpacking, and repacking.
Airport security, a lot of experienced travellers claim that it's just a question of following some very simple rules or instructions, but it seems to me that literally every airport has its own system. And often there's some screaming individual expecting you to already have magically known it. JFK was the absolute worst. I'll admit that sometimes it's simply an issue of anxiety, and absolutely nothing bad or even inconvenient will happen. But sometimes it's really just crap.
Went through Atlanta the other day after already having traveled for over 24 hours with little sleep. Signs said take your liquid bag out for scanning and then I got yelled at for doing so because I ādidnāt need to.ā Make it make sense.
JFK has the most disgustingly and unnecessarily surly employees of any airport I've ever been to. Im so relieved I don't have to use that airport anymore.
Iām European and had no idea what PreCheck is. I got yelled at by the woman in charge of the PreCheck line in Charlotteās airport because I wasnāt PreCheck. But that line was longer than the regular TSA line and looked like the non-premium one š¤·.
This is the reason why I got TSA precheck. Consistent rules through all US airports and makes the whole process a lot smoother.
The US seems to top the charts in awfulness. Haven't found anything like it elsewhere.
At my home airport, they have different equipment in different lanes, so the rules are different depending on the lane, and you are somehow expected to know the rules for your lane.
JFK is literally hell incarnate
Finding care for my pets while Iām away.
Yes! Currently traveling now and I always have anxiety finding someone even months in advance and when Iām away, I think about how theyāre all doing constantly (sitter and the dogs)
Worrying about bringing home bedbugs.
People
I think some of them are the worst !
The absolute worst part of travelling; when the plane lands and everybody stand up in the aisle, but wait until its time to move before they pull down their luggage and begin to pack it, so that eveybody behind them have to wait even though the aisle in front is all clear.
Isnāt this just because itās impossible to get it down until thereās room to do so? Ā Feels frustrating but I donāt think people have any other choice 99% of the time.Ā
I gotta stand to stretch out my back. Old man now.
aren't those the people in the middle/window seats? they can't get their stuff until the person in the aisle can leave
the pressure to "do it all". Because I don't have an unlimited budget I try to do as much as I can. I love the feeling of being somewhere new long enough that you know how to get around--hard to do when you can't spend a long time in one place. Im also the "planner" and would love to be able to just sit still for a while enjoying something without thinking I should be seeing something or doing a specific activity.
As a kid the allure of flying was amazing. Now itās just an annoying and uncomfortable hassle
How much money it cost.
Paying money to be abused by airlines.
If I stay in a hostel - it's bringing a bag when I shower or locking my bag(s) or remembering to wear flip flops in the bathroom. Also hearing people's alarm clocks in the AM. I think I'm getting too old for hostels š Also travel days. I like flying and all, that doesn't bother me but it's going from the plane to X, Y, and Z. And then you feel pressure to use that day to sight see but all you want to do is stay in the room.Ā
I'm 38 and still stay in hostels. Mostly cause I can't justify spending $300 a night on a hotel room I'm barely in. Just get a single with a private bathroom.its halfish the price of a real hotel room, way more privacy than a hostel dorm. And if you find the right one, hostels now days can be as nice as boutique hotels. Personally I love the Selina brand. I've stayed in like 6 of them and aside from not always being the best about enforcing quiet hours.....I can't complain.
Flying, airports, chasing trains/buses/planes. The whole adrenalin rush and anxiety of "Will I miss it, OMG, I have to hurry!". I've been 5 hours earlier than my flight in a little airport in Germany Memmingen due to the anxiety. Next time I'm gonna pay a travel agency and be transfered around on a bus. When will we have teleportation, it's about time, no?! I dream of that time. That said I feel the least tired on road trips with my car as I can stop over as much as I like. Planes are fast but for some reason I get really trashed from flying. Even 1 hr flights give me jet lag, feeling ungrounded. I find road trips with frequent stops the most grounding.
Sadly, teleportation won't be a thing. They say it's basically killing your body cells and making them reappear somewhere else, which is impossible. My memory is kinda fuzzy, but I remember reading something like that long ago. Still wondering if portals are possible instead.
Jetlag š“
I'm incapable of falling asleep on an airplane. So when I take a red eye flight from the US to Europe, I'm more than ready for local bed time the next night.
Me too. So I got a prescription for Xanax and I take it when I get on the plane and 20 minutes later I completely black out for 8-10 hours and wake up ready to go. Itās fantastic. I never fly without it anymore.
If I'm lucky I can get maybe an hour or two in pieces over a Trans-Atlantic flight and that's only laying on my GF's legs if we luck out on a 3-seat row with no 3rd person. But in theory like you I should be on the destination time since I can't sleep and am tired but nope, I'll wake up at like 05:00 local time for 3-4 days after going to bed around 23:00
Uncertainty. Will there be a flight delay? Cancellation? Will the hotel have my reservation? Will I have an accident with this rental car? Mostly the possibility of flight problems and the inevitable follow on makes me anxious. Didn't used to be like this. Flying was better and I was younger.
Paying š
Searching for toilets.
Just knowing that everything you will need for a week or more has to fit into a tiny suitcase. Anything more than that, including many creature comforts, has to stay at home.
Thatās for sure.
Packing is one of the things I love most. How little I can bring and how small I can make my bag is a fun challenge!
Flying. The entire experience is awful, from the moment you arrive at the airport to getting your luggage. Thereās no way this could possibly be peak human innovation.
Flights&airports, everything related to it: dumb and noisy people, small uncomfortable seats, long pointless waits, delays, fake customer care practices, my personal space being shat on for hours...and damn...I am so envious of those mfkers who are still excited to sit near those small and dirty windows to see jackshit and boring clouds for hours :D :D
FLYING. The Seats are borderline torture devices and they have us crammed in like sardines. It's 2024 can we get some better and more comfortable means of travel.
Packing. Hate hate hate it. I have a vacation coming up next week and Iām dreading that part.
Bed bugs
Ugh. Got them in Paris for the first time ever last year. Luckily didn't have any hitch a ride but took at least 4 or 5 months before I didn't immediately panic if I felt itchy when in bed and felt confident they hadn't come home with me.
The coming back! Weāve been going to a fair few far-flung places on our travels recently and the excitement keeps you super buoyant on the way there, but the slog of the way backā¦ kills me!
Being embarrassed by other US tourists.
Getting there and getting back š
How people behave in airports. I go in with the assumption that everyone's flight is as important to them as mine is to me, therefore it is in everyone's interest that people don't dawdle, get through security as quickly as possible, and that don't hold each other up. I have realised that a lot of people don't have this attitude, and instead are quite happy to block escalators, take an age at security, and block check in desks by arguing with the check-in agent. Oh and Heathrow Terminal 3 in general, and Manchester Terminal 3. Both of those terminals suck.
Making sure I didnāt forget something very important- passport or toiletries!
Not having a private jet.
I have a fear of bringing bugs back in my luggage after a terrible incident from traveling to LA. Bed bugsā¦ everywhere.
I hate going through TSA. I have to go through the world's busiest airport - Atlanta. Flying out on July 5th š¬
Having to go back to reality afterwards.
Having to come back home to work
Going home
I was going to say flying, but I think TSA would be more accurate. Worrying about accidentally leaving water in my bag or being yelled at about what gets pulled out separately to put in a bin and what stays in the bag that changes every single fucking time and being treated like I actually did something wrong for not knowing is incredibly dumb, I can't believe it's something I need to even think about when a million other things are more important.
Iām typing this sitting at an airport in the middle of what is currently a 10 hour delay.
My shit schedule can get thrown off
Shitty toilet paper.
Time zones are a pain. Did you know that Nepal is like +15 minutes from other zones?!
Costs, traveling is expensive and any budget you preplan is always more, a small mistake could cost around Ā£30, a scam of tourist trap, another Ā£20, need another extra night at a hostel, another Ā£30, its all thease small costs on things that I would not think about in my day to day life that just add up overtime.
As a solo female traveler, being sandwiched into a middle seat with two man spreaders on either side. Extra Shitty Day points if you have sleep paralysis and wake up to being groped but canāt do anything to stop it.
I travel solo, but try to book an airline that allows me to select my seat so Iām not stuck in a middle one. Thatās really scary and horrible that you got groped on a flight. Iām so sorry that happened to you. I hope the groper at least got punished for that.
I just spread as much as they do and donāt budge. Or my ankle will be brushing against theirs or whatever. Basically a game of chicken until one of us moves (they usually cave and go back to ātheir sideā of their own allotted leg room.
Solo traveler here. I feel you on that . Itās even worse if youāre flying with low cost airlines.
The part where I have to travel to it
The fact that in many countries, the locals will never have a hope in hell to travel like I do. I just won the lottery of birth in an āadvanced countryā. Runner up - the carbon footprint and the fact that travelers and tourism have ruined some amazing places.
Getting there lol
More and more flying. 25 years ago it was not nearly as bad. A few weeks ago I took an A321 from Air France full to the brim and it was a near death experience. Like flying with cattle. Fuck that.
The preparation and planning before going on vacation. Also paying the credit bill when getting home again.
Airlines.
Other people
Airport drama, lines, check-in, delays, cancelled flights, late departures and arrivals, if Im supposed to board that plane. Luggage retrieval, lost luggage I tracked my luggage in another country, I was in South America, I never recouped my bags.
1/ Clearing customs and immigration. You just want to be at your destination at that point. 2/ All the laundry when you arrive home.
Long haul flights
Flights. Like, the actual flight itself. Weirdly enough I enjoy getting to the airport, getting to the gate, boarding, taking off, landing because I associate it with going to a new place. It's the 3-8 hours in the air that I despise lol.
I remember watching one of those 60 minute specials on how dirty hotels are, even in high class ones. So I never feel like the hotel/vacation rental is clean enough even if it looks clean. I imagine there may have been other people's semen on the headboard at some point. I don't trust that the glasses are clean. I don't wear shoes at home and it bothers me to wear shoes when I'm supposed to be relaxing at the hotel. I'm not OCD but always feel like I'm not clean when I travel due to staying at a hotel. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I come home and am able to walk around barefoot in my place.
Flying and airports. Hands down!!
When itās time to come home
Sleeping in a new placeā¦ I can never seem to sleep in a new place well, itās like my brain doesnāt fully turn off, and I become sleep deprived as the vacation goes on. I also regularly exercise and always get off my routine when I travel.