Travel Disasters: What to Do When Things Go Wrong

My honeymoon in Menorca taught me an expensive lesson about when to cut your losses. We’d booked this charming 11-room boutique hotel with incredible reviews, the kind of intimate, rustic luxury property you dream about. We arrived in August during peak season, settled into our second-floor room, and immediately noticed the AC was struggling in the heat.

We lowered the temperature and headed to dinner. When we returned, there was a literal puddle spreading across the floor from the leaking AC unit. We alerted the front desk, and they promised to fix it in the morning but explained they were completely sold out with no other rooms available.

Here’s where I made my mistake. We decided to tough it out. We spent our days at the beach and pool, took cold showers, and strategically positioned our luggage away from the leaks whenever we ran the AC. I meticulously documented everything, thinking this would guarantee us a refund later.

Wrong. The hotel refused any compensation. We filed a chargeback with our credit card, but we lost because technically the hotel had provided us a room and their services. The bank didn’t care that those services included sleeping in a sauna with a makeshift indoor water feature.

My hard-earned advice? If something major is broken, don’t stay. Document the issue, check out immediately, and find alternative accommodations. Yes, it’s disruptive and stressful, but staying means you’re accepting the situation, which kills your leverage for any refund.

For important trips, consider booking larger hotels where they can actually move you to another room if issues arise. Small boutique properties often lack that flexibility during high season, no matter how gorgeous they are.

Adaptability is wonderful for minor hiccups. But for major problems affecting your basic comfort? Leave. Your trip and your wallet will thank you.

I was flying from London to Bangkok with a layover in Hong Kong. My first flight was delayed leaving London by 3 hours while we were stuck on the plane, on the tarmac waiting to take off. I should have missed my connecting flight in Hong Kong, but after arriving and finding my gate, my second flight was delayed almost every 40 minutes, for 10 hours. This 12 hours worth of delays from two flights caused me to miss my first day in Thailand, and I even missed my first half-day at the expensive multi-day tour I had booked and my first night’s accommodation.

Luckily I had travel insurance so I was eventually compensated for the trouble, but because I hadn’t expected 12 hours worth of delays, I didn’t have any changes of clothes in my carry on, which meant it was hard to freshen up at any point throughout my journey. I had to sleep on the floor of the airport since each delay was only for 40 minutes at a time so I couldn’t find a hotel and return to the gate later. This experience made me realize how important it is to have at least 1 spare change of clothes (including underwear) in my carry on, as well as some wet wipes, a toothbrush, and any other basic hygiene products so if I get delayed or can’t make it to my accommodation on time, I still have the ability to feel clean while I wait. I have made packing these essentials a priority ever since!

One of the most memorable travel mishaps I’ve had was while walking the Camino de Santiago.

I was hiking alone, following the trail, when I suddenly realized I had taken a wrong turn. My phone had no signal, the sun was beginning to set, and there was no one else around.

At first, I felt a wave of panic. It’s an unsettling feeling to be lost in an unfamiliar place without the safety net of technology. But I reminded myself that this was part of the journey.

I walked on until I found a small village and decided to ask the locals for help. My Spanish wasn’t perfect at the time, but I managed to explain my situation. They pointed me back towards the right path with such warmth and kindness that my fear quickly gave way to gratitude.

The lesson I took from this moment? You don’t need perfect language skills to connect with people. Courage, openness, and a willingness to ask for help go a long way.

My advice for other travelers:

Don’t rely only on your phone; carry a paper map or guide as backup.

Trust that most people are willing to help if you just ask.

And remember, moments of uncertainty often lead to the most meaningful encounters.

That “wrong turn” ended up being one of the best parts of my Camino, because it reminded me that getting lost is sometimes the only way to truly find connection.

Last year, I was supposed to go to Paris, but two days before my flight, the airline canceled it due to a problem with the plane. At first, I panicked because everything was booked, but I called the airline right away. They didn’t answer, so I contacted them on Twitter to help me secure new flights a day later that had a layover.

I also had to modify my hotel booking and canceled some excursions I’d scheduled.

It was all imperfect, but I learned to keep a cool head and be adaptable when things don’t go as planned. And my advice would be to back up, yet have patience and create solutions as you go.

Probably one of the most challenging travel experiences I had was on a trip to New York City. After waiting at the baggage claim, I found out that my luggage was lost, along with the outfit I would wear and all of my presentation materials. I just pictured myself standing in the client’s office, thinking, how am I supposed to go to this meeting tomorrow now? Hungry, tired, and with an empty feeling.

Well, after a brief “pity” session, I went to a local store and got a cheap outfit near my hotel and spent the evening at a cafe rewriting every note from memory. The next day, I threw the slides away and told the story straight from the heart. It ended up better than the most polished deck I could have imagined.

Message: Always have plan number one in your suitcase, but also have confidence in yourself. Sometimes, only a messy and unscripted version is the best and the right one.