We don’t plan them, but they do happen frequently, sometimes beyond our
control. Some vacations aren’t as good as they are made out to be,
maybe it’s a case of misleading advertising or maybe as a tourist you
are taken advantage of by the locals. If you’re planning a road trip,
the worst part could be the traffic jams, sometimes left stuck in
traffic for hours with no explanation of why traffic was backed up. On
top of a traffic jam, maybe you will find that your accommodation
reservation has expired and was given to the next person in line. Or
maybe your luggage arrived from the airport a day or two after you
did? In any case, it’s hard to pinpoint the worst vacation
destinations without taking into consideration all the things that can
happen. Most disappointing vacations can usually be prevented using
some simple precautions.
In order to prevent one bad vacation turning into two, let me give you
a list of the top five BAD vacation destinations and why they were
rated just that.
1. Many of America’s popular vacation destinations are being choked by
unhealthy smog levels. Continued exposure to ozone smog is a powerful
lung irritant that has a cumulative impact on the body. It’s especially
dangerous to children, elderly people or those suffering from asthma
and other lung diseases.
Although there is no escaping air pollution in most of the United
States, you can at least avoid the vacation destinations that have the
highest ozone smog in the U.S.: Cape Cod National Sea Shore, Boston,
Maine’s Acadia National Park, Philadelphia, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Washington D.C., Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore, Indianapolis, and Lake Michigan, Pennsylvania
(including the Amish farmland and the city of Lancaster).
Take this into consideration before traveling to any of these
destinations, especially if you are traveling with children, the
elderly or those with asthma.
2. Intercontinental Hotel and Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Beware: The bed bugs really do bite!
3. New Orleans, Louisiana. Even before the terrible tragedy of
Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has been one of the hottest spots in the
country, despite the fact that they have one of the country’s highest
crime and murder rates.
4. When looking at the brochures for the Nickelodeon Family Suites in
Orlando, Florida, you may think they look beautiful and fun to stay in.
But once you actually get there, expect it to take a few hours away
from your vacation time when you are trying to check in. The check-in
lines are usually extremely long and by the time you get up to the desk
to speak with a desk clerk, your room may not even be ready. Then by
the time you get to the room, some appliances are defective and the
cleaning service doesn’t even dust and may miss cleaning several
things. The pool is over crowded with hardly any room to sit and there
is no changing room. The pool side bathroom becomes crowded with people
trying to change into their bathing suits, for lack of another place to
change. I’ve seen better accommodations at a Motel 6.
5. Iraq. Self-explanatory
You can travel to the most wonderful vacation destination in the world
and have things go wrong. It could be poor customer service, mediocre
cleaning services, surcharges and creepy crawlies in your bed. Your
worst vacation, can be another persons’ best and while everything may
not run as smoothly as planned, here are a few tips to help you avoid
being a victim: Stay away from travel offers that sound too good to be
true, especially if you have been solicited by phone or mail. Never
give out your credit card or bank account information over the phone
unless you initiate the transaction and are confident about the company
you are doing business with. Get complete details in writing about your
vacation arrangements prior to making a payment. These details should
include the total cost, including taxes, service fees, surcharges, port
charges including the terms and conditions, restrictions and
cancellation penalties. Walk away from high pressure sales people that
won’t allow you time to evaluate an offer. Be cautious of companies
that require you to wait 60 days to take your trip or require you to
select various dates of departure.
Researched, Supplied and Written by Lee Asher of TravelBug DownUnder
A Comprehensive Guide to Visiting and Traveling Within Australia.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
