Escape Hunter Planning 20 Annoying Things That Keep Happening When I Travel

20 Annoying Things That Keep Happening When I Travel

If 'travel' rings all fun and joy to you, then you haven't traveled enough!
Utterly annoying things can be a slap in the face and it's worse when they're recurring... again and again and again. Wrecking your nerves.
"Every rose has its thorns", they say... So, which are the "thorns" or traveling?

As much as I adore traveling, several annoying things keep ocurring again and again and again...
The endless cycle never seems to stop... you can prepare for them, but they will keep slapping you from time to time.

Sounds familiar, does it ring a bell in your mind?

Some of the most annoying things that happen during my trips and quite they're nerve-wrecking:

#1 No public toilets in the area

In the middle of your experience of a lifetime, nature calls...
You're bursting and there's not a single loo around!

"Is there a McDonald's around?" or should you blast-off for the first bush?

#2 Hotel noise totally short-circuits me

You have a flight to catch the next day or you just jet-lagged in and the Tower of Babel is on the loose: hotel staff can't hold the blabby back, noisy young students hotel-partying, door-slamming, screaming students... it's especially annoying during the night.

#3 Having to get up early to have my hotel breakfast

Just traveled a lot of jet-lagged in and I'm forced to get up to catch that interval when they serve breakfast. I'm all rusty and my batteries are too low.
What's worse: the cycle repeats itself over and over again every morning.

#4 Cleaning staff sounding the alarm again!

Either still in bed taking a long-needed rest or, in the middle of the shower and the cleaning lady just knocks twice (symbolically) before crashing through the door like a Soviet tank!

If you have a "do not disturb" label-hanger provided by the hotel, then use it.

#5 Impossible to use hotel room TV normally

Hotel TV's almost never work. But, why do they bother keeping them, if they're mere dust collectors?

Most hotel TV sets I've seen were bogus mock-ups. Either didn't work at all, lacked the remote or they only had a few local channels in a language I could not understand.

#6 No electricity socket close enough

You have to run across the room to plug a charger or water heater in. And, if you need to plug in 2-3 things, but there's a single socket, then it's doom and gloom...

#7 Bad weather ruins the experience

If the weather hits, sadly you can't do much about it. And it's a photographer's nightmare too.
You have the choice to remain inside your hotel or kill time at a local bar or restaurant. Or, go to a museum, if the weather allows

#8 Local communication problems, linguistic barriers

You can try 5 languages and locals have no clue about what you're talking about.
Deaf people would understand you better and you feel like you're lost on a foreign planet.
It's always good to learn a few very important basic phrases...

#9 Calling home is impossible

Modern technology lets you down again. No WiFi connections, your roaming service is good for nothing and you can't send a single life signal back home.
Your loved ones are imagining nightmare-scenarios about you getting lost in the jungle or being eaten by a monster.

Head for the restaurants, the big malls - many have WiFi. Or, if your machine has died on you, then head for the internet shops or even the electonics shops (sometimes the computers there have WiFi installed).

#10 Lethargic waiting at the airport

Regardless whether departing or arriving - airports tend to consume precious hours of our trips and there's really not much to do about it.

Read a good book, play a PC/mobile game, eat and drink, window shop or chat with fellow travelers.

#11 Flight delays

Low cost airlines are more prone to this...
It gets worse if you have a connecting flight.
Therefore, it's best to take possible delays into calculation and imagine the risk involved prior to booking.

#12 Flight cancellation nightmare

It's very risky to book flights separately. In this situation there will almost never be any compensation available for your and your trip can be ruined.

Always have a "plan B getaway plan" to avoid remaining stranded. Getting out can be a rigmarole.

#13 Cabin noise, vehicle noise

I've traveled with "Gossip Airlines" and I've ridden "human farm" buses. Pure torture.
Someone once told me: "God's zoo is huge indeed, but the fence is too low"
By the time you arrive at your destination, you'll feel drained.

Engine noise, slammin doors and squeaking rail track noises just add to the "fun".

#14 Bank card rejections

Having at least 2 cards is good, but 3 would be nice. Rejections are frequent in foreing countries.
Cash is still the best, you know how reliable modern technology is.

#15 Attractions under restoration

You want to visit a magical palace and admire the details of its fine architecture, but it's undergoing restoration. But, the problem can be avoided, if you check the attraction's official site.

#16 Laundry washing time!

On most of my trips I need to wash obsessively like a raccoon. I set myself a time interval (generally in the evening) when I do my laundry work.
It's not the washing and drying, perhaps even ironing process that bothers me. It's the precious time it consumes.

#17 Ironing clothes

Ever went to a business meeting? Conferences?

Well, business attire is generally required. And getting the "wrinkles" out of your shirt can be a headache (I usually bring a portable ironing machine).

#18 Hotel either lacks WiFi or connection is poor

Some of the shiniest hotels I've stayed at had issues with the internet connection.

How hard is it for them to set up and maintain a speedy WiFi connection? Running a hotel is a far more complex job, but obviously WiFi is not a priority to most hotels.

#19 No comfy couch to lie down on

You can forget your comfy couch that you have back home...
Now you can understand why cats and dogs too, love comfy sofas! And, how good was it back home when you were not traveling, right?

#20 Recharging batteries again and again and again...

At least one charging session per day.
First my netbook, then I recharge at least 2 DSLR camera batteries, I recharge my smartphone...

Even with 2 plugs, it takes more than 2 hours to do this. If I can recharge overnight, it's best.

If you don't charge everything the night before, then you will consume up to 2-4 precious hours of your next day. But, if for some reason you have to return home to recharge something... it's such a drag.

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