Have you ever watched Home Alone 2? If not, the family takes a Christmas vacation to Florida expecting sunshine and the beach and instead gets rain all day everyday. While at the same time, Kevin is enjoying a little snowy holiday of his own in New York. Don’t get separated from your kids on a trip! What is important is to be able to turn a terrible circumstance, like rain all day on a vacation, into a positive experience! I have come up with a few terrible scenarios that you could happen when going on vacation. The following sections offer ideas on how to overcome a bad vacation experience and turn it into wonderful and memorable trip. 

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Rain Rain Go Away! 

Since I started out with the rain scenario, I will run with it. Rain forecasted for every day on your vacation is not ideal, especially if you were planning to sunbathe and play in the ocean all day. But don’t let a little rain ruin your vacation!

I remember one day while we were vacationing in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We had planned a trip to Red Frog beach which is on a different island from where we were staying. Not knowing what the weather would be, we booked the trip ahead of time for that day. When we woke up, it was raining heavily. 

Now, in Bocas del Toro, rain is fairly common. It can rain for a short time and then stop or it could last all day. We didn’t know how the weather would turn out, but we decided to embrace the situation and head for the beach.

When we got there, we saw a little restaurant. We took shelter there and enjoyed a nice breakfast, some hot coffee, and played a couple games Uno. It was relaxing! The weather then started to clear up and we headed out to play in the water. Sometimes you have to take the risk and still go to the beach. Even if it hadn’t stopped raining, we would have tried to make the most of it! 

Now, not everyone will want to head to the beach while it is raining and I get that. Here are a few ways to turn the terrible rain scenario into a positive vacation experience. 

Rainy Day Activity Ideas

1. First buy a poncho or umbrella and get out there! Rain won’t hurt you. Sure, it doesn’t feel as nice as the sun on your face, but it shouldn’t stop your adventure. With a little bit of gear, you can stay relatively dry and still have fun. 
2. Change your expectations and think positively. This is sometimes the hardest part. When you expect one thing on a vacation and it turns out to be impossible, it can be hard not to be negative. BUT where it might not be ideal, it is better to embrace a situation than be stuck thinking, “I should be doing…”
3. Research some fun indoor activities that the family will enjoy! While many people instantly think of museums for their rainy day activities (Some options being art, immersive, science, and history…), there are so many other options to search as well. Here are 20 alternative and unique indoor activity options to choose from so you don’t have a bad vacation:
   • Indoor mini golf – We always love a good game of mini golf. It’s a bonus when you can find one inside on a rainy day.
   • Shopping – Buy some souvenirs or just go window shopping
   • Game cafe – These cafes have 100s of games to choose from while enjoying a drink or even some treats. Can’t find one? Go to a toy store and buy a favorite game or two and go to a cafe. Enjoy a cup of coffee and play games together!
   • Bowling – Beat your high score.
   • Go see the latest movie at the movie theater
   • Cat cafe – Who can resist a cute little kitty cat.
   • Food experience – Learn to cook something new or sample the local cuisine.
   • Sing some karaoke 
   • Visit an escape room
   • Go to an indoor skating rink – It could be ice skating or roller skating (Seriously! Roller skating rinks are still a thing. Check out this cool place in Amsterdam: https://wondrexperience.com/ams/roller-dreams/)
   • Indoor trampoline park – The kids will love you.
   • Go to a spa – Yes to a relaxing massage!
   • Indoor climbing gym – Can you make it to the top?
   • Indoor playground – Great especially for the really young kiddos.
   • Splash around at an indoor pool – What kid doesn’t like swimming?
   • Go to an arcade – Play some games and become a kid again.
   • Drive go karts – There are definitely indoor go kart tracks. Have a race!
   • Go to a local theater and see a play – It may be hard to find one in your own language, but it is possible. Or embrace not understanding every word. 
   • See if there are any concerts happening in the area.
   • Watch a dance show like Flamenco or Tango.
4. Accept the weather and go for a walk or a hike in the rain. If it’s still warm outside, swim in the ocean. Afterwards, take a shower and get a cup of warm tea and you will warm right up! It might even end up being more adventurous and memorable. You may even have the place all to yourself! 

Your Lodging Is Dirty Or Not What You Expected

Where you stay can have a huge influence on if you view your vacation as a good vacation or a bad vacation. Before booking your lodging, make sure you read the reviews. This will help you minimize the chances of booking a place that isn’t up to your standards. Remember even if it’s only one or two complaints, there is a fair chance it really is an issue. So many people have a tendency to be extra nice in their reviews, so pay extra attention to the ones who point out some faults in a rational tone. Also it is a good idea to book a place with a good cancellation policy in case something goes wrong and you need to cancel. 

Airbnb Complaints

If you arrive at your Airbnb and it isn’t like the description, it’s not clean or sanitary, or an amenity is broken, you have rights to protect yourself. There is a list of “Reservation Issues” that Airbnb will help you address on their webpage. Their policies for helping you rebook or get a refund for your stay are clearly stated too. 

If something is clearly wrong and you think that it could be resolved by the host, it is important to reach out to the host first, not Airbnb support. Airbnb likes it when guests do this first and if the host isn’t willing to help, they will be more likely to help you find a resolution quickly. If you don’t hear back from the host in an hour, reach out to Airbnb support to assist you. 

It is also a good idea to take pictures or video of the dirty areas or the amenities that are broken. You can send these photos or videos to the host. If Airbnb gets involved, they will see that you tried to solve the problem with the host first and they can see the evidence you provided. 

You may also like: Cut Through the Bullshit: How to Book a Good Airbnb

Hotel Complaints

If you have a problem with your hotel room, call or go to the front desk immediately. Explain the situation and see what they will do to help. All hotels have different policies but they will either offer you a new room or if there aren’t any, they will help address the problem. 

What if it is too loud? Maybe you booked in an area of town that is very loud or possibly the air conditioning unit is too noisy. These are factors that hotels can’t usually change. However, many hotels have good cancellation policies. Research other hotels to see if there are any available in a different area of town and book a room there. Then cancel the rest of the nights of your stay at the loud hotel. You shouldn’t have to pay for the nights you aren’t staying there. 

For all the issues you find at your hotel and Airbnb, please remember that the people working there and the hosts are still humans. Let’s be kind when addressing the situation. 

You may also like: Hotels vs Vacation Rentals: Choose The Best Place To Stay

The Airlines Lost Your Luggage!

You checked your bags and after waiting for all of the luggage to come out, your bag didn’t appear. Oh no!!! First step is to stay calm. This is a frustrating experience, but there are some easy solutions to this problem. 

1. Check in with the airline. There are baggage desks where you can report your bags missing or delayed. Remember those little bag tags you get when you are checking your bags. The airlines will use those to see where your luggage is at. Nowadays you can even use the airlines app to see where your luggage is. If it says that it is at your airport, you may just need to wait a little longer. The agent can also confirm if this is accurate information or not. When we moved to the Netherlands, we had to wait 2 hours for our bags. This is not normal, but thankfully they eventually came down the conveyor. 

2. If it’s not at the airport or it didn’t make the connection, you can file a delayed baggage report. They will take down your address and phone number and will let you know next steps. When the baggage finally arrives, make sure they drop it off to you. You aren’t responsible for going back to the airport and getting it.
   1. When my luggage went missing on my way home from Portugal, the airport dropped it off at my house when it arrived the next day. 
   2. If the luggage is not in their system, the airline will ask for other distinguishing features. Since many bags are similar, it is a good idea to attach a colorful ribbon or sticker that will help the airline distinguish it from other bags.

3. When filing your delayed baggage report, ask the airline what compensation they offer. Every airline is different, but they should do something. 

4. Next, go shopping to get the essentials you need like toiletries and clothing. Keep your receipts. The airline will then reimburse you for the things you bought. If they don’t reimburse you, here are a couple more options:
   1. Check the credit card you used to book your flight to see if they cover baggage delays. For example, if the delay is longer than 6 hours, Our Chase Sapphire Preferred card will reimburse us up to $100 a day for 5 days. 
   2. If you have travel insurance, check with them to see what the benefit covers. The plans will usually have a daily limit that you are allowed to spend and then you can file an insurance claim later when it is convenient for you. 

5. If your luggage is truly lost and doesn’t ever arrive, you will file a new claim for lost instead of delayed baggage. This new claim will have you include everything that is in the luggage and the value of these items. Of course this differs per airline but the compensation will be higher than if a bag is just delayed. 

If you are worried that this will happen to you, many people put Apple AirTags in their luggage for peace of mind. Then they can see throughout the trip where their luggage is and what they can expect when they land. 

Your Destination Doesn’t Live Up To Expectations

When we visited Lisbon, we thought we were going to love it. We had expected it to be oozing with charm. The way people spoke about it, made it sound like this was the place of our dreams. We really thought we would move there. When we arrived, however, it felt different to us. For us, Lisbon didn’t have the appeal that Porto did, and it was so crowded that even the cute little sections were hard for us to enjoy. 

With social media and the internet these days, it can be hard to see past all the glowing reviews and your expectations of a place can get inflated. Lately, I have been trying to set my expectations of a destination lower. This has helped me not feel disappointed in a location because it didn’t live up to the hype. 

But even when you have your expectations in check, sometimes the destination isn’t where you want to be. So, what should you do? Just like the rainy scenario, focus on the positive and be flexible with your plans. 

Search Nearby Day-Trips

If the main location you visit isn’t what you want out of your vacation, maybe look to see if there are some interesting places nearby that you can visit during the day and still stay the night at your hotel. For example, one day we visited Sintra which is about an hour train ride from Lisbon.

You can search on Viator or Get Your Guide for some day-trip ideas or look at the train routes and see if they will take you to an interesting nearby town. Rent a car and go for a hike in the mountains! The possibilities are endless!

Drastically Change Your Plans

Just like the hotel situation, if you can find a new location close by that will help you create positive fun memories, go for it. Maybe it is as simple as going to a nearby city, finding a different hotel with a pool, or lodging near the beach. If you can easily cancel your hotel, this might be a good option for you. 

Summary – Overcome a Bad Vacation

There are many different scenarios that I could have added in this blog. Read about our experience when our rental car broke down in the mountains and how it turned out to be a positive memorable experience.

My biggest piece of advice when traveling is to remember that every problem has a solution and to stay calm. Sometimes the obstacle can feel like the end of the trip, but it doesn’t need to be. Think creatively, be positive and flexible, and work through the solution. This little setback might just be a rough start to a wonderful trip.

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