If you’re lucky enough to be a seasoned traveler, you probably have a lifetime’s worth of amazing memories collected from around the world. Conversely, we’ve also all had our fair share of vacation nightmares that nearly spoil our desire to ever set foot outside our homes again. Here are 12 major travel fails we hope you NEVER have.
Related: 11 beaches that probably aren’t for you
Seeing a Broadwayshow…
$200 to snore for two hours? No thank you. Sure the Great White Way occasionally pumps out groundbreaking new works like Hamilton and the Book of Mormon, but spoiler alert, all they do in Cats is meow for two hours. #HellNo
Photo: Times Square
Visiting the Great Wall of China…
Sure it’s more than 5,000 miles long, 2,000 years old and took 14 centuries to complete, but it’s a wall, people. This just sounds like a recipe for a long walk ending with achy feet. Maybe if there was a moving walkway, we’d reconsider. #YearOfTheNOPE
Great Wall of China
Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge…
Yes, it’s an engineering masterstroke and an essential photo op for every visitor to the city, but in the case of the windswept Golden Gate, orange isn’t the new black, it’s the new blecch! #LAisBetter
Photo: San Francisco
Kissing in the rain in Paris…
There’s something to be said about the City of Lights with its cafe culture, boulevards and glorious monuments. But if you think a film-worthy kiss in a downpour in this city spells romance, just think of your soggy hair and potential case of mono that might follow. #NonMerci
Photo: Paris
Exploring the Grand Canyon…
It’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world and contains rock dating back 1.8 billion years, but at nearly 2,000 square miles you’d think the Grand Canyon would contain at least one golf course or a Chipotle. #ThanksObama
Photo: Grand Canyon
Visiting the Taj Mahal in India…
Yes, this nearly 400-year-old ivory white marble mausoleum is positively enchanting, but newsflash: The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City is practically the same thing and they have slot machines. #GamblingProblems
Photo: Taj Mahal
Spending a week in Hawaii…
Okay, this earthly paradise does boast lush jungles, gorgeous beaches and floral tropical breezes, but if high tide or volcanic ash doesn’t kill you, all that aloha spirit just might. There is such a thing as too nice, isn’t there? #TotalVacationFail
Photo: Hawaii
Exploring the Roman ruins…
The Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum all point to a city that revolutionized the modern world, but if we wanted to see a city in ruins we’d visit Gary, Indiana. #BadPasta
Photo: Roman ruins
Diving the Great Barrier Reef…
Tropical fish, sea turtles, giant clams and manta rays; you can see them all in this endangered underwater wonderland. Newsflash: You can also just watch Finding Nemo and not worry about getting your hair wet. #NoThanks
Photo: Great Barrier Reef
Visiting Rio de Janeiro…
The people here are among the most beautiful on earth and Rio’s monuments are nothing short of enchanting. But with all that heat and year-round sunshine, who wants to take a chance with the sunburn of a lifetime? #OUCH!
Photo: Rio de Janeiro
Marveling at the mystery of Stonehenge…
This prehistoric monument has been fascinating anthropologists and visitors for years. LOL, guess some people find a bunch of rock slabs that look like they were constructed by Fred Flintstone interesting. #YabbaDabbaDon’t
Stonehenge
Safari in Africa…
Nothing on earth quite matches the experience of coming face to face with a pride of lions or an open-mouthed hippo in a protected area like the Serengeti. But your local zoo also has exotic animals and it’s a way shorter travel time. Think about it. #CaptivityFurrever
