Worst Travel Experiences

I doubt you are alone.

Anyone been on a Hovercraft?

I did it once, from France to England in one of those big one's that carry loads of cars, very fast and very "bumpy", very uncomfortable. They even call it a "flight".

I once went from Portsmouth to Le Havre on a cross-Channel ferry on a school trip to Paris in a force 8 gale. The end result was very similar to Timmer's story about the ship smelling of puke... except that some of the puke was mine, and I had unfortunately (but completely accidentally) managed to... um... coat the back of some unsuspecting passenger's legs with it. He was wearing pants with turn-ups, and it was all pooling in them... ewww.

I'm trying to think if Southall and I had any bad travel experiences on our legendary Tour Round California in 2001. The only thing I remember is being stuck on the Bill Bixby Memorial Bridge up the coast between Los Angeles and Monterey. Oh, and being forced to drive into an 18-lane toll plaza on the Oakland Bay Bridge!

My worst travel experience was just this summer when I arrived in Japan. After getting off the plane, I had to go through immigration. When I got my card to fill out, and filled out everything except the address I would be staying at. Since my brother lives in Japan and was going to pick me up at the airport I didn't really have a reason to know his address, so I just left that area blank.

When I got up to the immigration counter (after waiting in line 30min or so), the immigration officer told me the address section had to be filled out and said I should speak to the information officer. The information officer then directed me to a pay phone. Luckily I had some Yen with me that I got in the States, and I decided to call my brother's cellphone. The pay phone was rather confusing with several different buttons and directions, all in Japanese of course. I finally started to dial and got an error message I didn't understand (I later found out I was dialing the Japanese country code plus my brother's cell number since that's the number that was programmed in my cell for calling when I'm home in the States).

It took me some time to explain to the information officer my problem with the phone because of the language barrier, but he eventually understood and took my immigration card and asked me wait. I watched him walk across the room and go into a little windowed office where he conversed with 5-6 other officers for around 5 minutes. I was just a tiny bit panicky at this point wondering how in the hell I was going to get into the country, not to mention I was exhausted from an 18 hour flight since I can't sleep on planes.

He finally came back with my card. In the address portion, he had put in the name of a local hotel. He told me no need to go to the hotel, but it'll get me past the immigration officer! He took me all the way up to the front of the immigration line, smiled and told me to have a nice stay! To which I smiled as well, bowed, and gave a very grateful arigato gozaimasu.

The rest of my stay in Japan was amazing and is a country I would recommend everyone visit!

David,

When it comes to the bit where it says 'Adress' do what I do....

LIE!

Sounds like Mr. Customs used common sense

Yes but not since I was about 10! I wasn't afraid of heights at the time so loved it but am afraid of them now.

I'm still hoping to go on an Alpine driving holiday (was meant to go this year but that didn't work out, and next year hopefully I'll be getting married and honeymooning in sunny climes) and recreating the same cable car trips I did as a boy - I remember going up Titlis in Switzerland and various mountains around Chamonix in France. Stunning.

Oh, and James, it was Blofeld's hideaway from On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Quite possibly the best views you'll get anywhere in the alps ( depending on weather or not being a peak climbing mountaineer ), the 360% views of the Eiger and so many more huge peaks is stunning, a MUST IMO but be careful on the seriously overinflated beer prices in the restaurant.

I am back in Cyprus my friend, thank you! Indeed the travel experience was the exact opposite to "worst", more to come soon! I'll be in Greece next Monday, i had a great time in Italy, which btw must be one of the most interesting countries i've ever visited.

Yes! But not on the scale that you'll be used to. I've been in a 2-man box when I was in Davos, Switzerland and took a trip to the top of a nearby hill. And then again from Weggis (again Switzerland) up the Rigi.

Neither of the rides I mention are big in the sense that you've experienced. I'm really just trying to get involved in a conversation and recounting my only experiences in cable cars. The Davos cable car was really just a short hop to the top of the mountain that defined the valley. The fact that it was just a 2-man cable car was the worrying thing.

Which one? Switzerland or Skye 2009?

I've been on so many!!

I've never been in a cable car in my life! We don't really have them here in Norway, despite all the mountains.

I went to the Schilthorn as well, when I was little. At a certain point the train car was broken and all passengers had to walk back down - rather steep walk if I can trust my blurry memories - back to the village. Blofeld had nothing to do with it though!

Yes, but not for many years. It would have been in the Alps (French and Swiss) on my trips as a child. Really hoping to go there next year.