WHEN TRAVEL GOES WRONG: Best Funny & Humorous Travel Stories

In BLOG, FUN CORNER by Clelia Mattana88 Comments

DO YOU WANT TO READ SOME AWESOME FUNNY TRAVEL STORIES? 

Then, my friend, you are in the right place because not only you’ll read some truly funny stories here, but I am actually The REAL MASTER OF DISASTER! They should give me an Oscar for  “Best Funny travel story” category. Yes, I’m that bad! 

 

But as someone wise once said:

 

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” 

  Mark Twain

 

A  good funny travel story is usually the result of something that has gone (terribly)wrong. So there shouldn’t be anything to laugh about right? Except for the fact that you not only survived the accident but now you’re actually secretly proud to tell your friends all about your funny story over and over. I know I’m right…Confess! πŸ˜€

Those “Huh oh” moments can be quite unpleasant experiences, but you instantly know that they will make to the collection of excellent and interesting humorous stories for years to come! Heck, you might even score a date or two if you find an ironic person (Just saying!)

 

I love funny travel stories so much! They show the less glamorous part of traveling and are an important part of travel itself. They represent the challenge, the adventure, the thrill. The real deal, not those perfect Instagram shots we ALL know are staged. DUH!

 

 

Travel-horror-stories-funny-travel-stories Basically, everything a real traveler is looking for when venturing outside his/her comfort zone. And as already mentioned I know a thing or two about it. So much so that after 8 years of adventures, my friends are literally begging me to write a book with a collection of the best funny stories I have!

So to quiet them down a bit I started to write a few humorous stories on FB and now I’m trying to collect them all and transfer my funny moments (disasters) while traveling in here too. 

I just added the infamous one I had this year (2019 as we speak) when I first arrived in Australia for the first time πŸ˜€

 

 

 



But back to this article: I had a mission!

funny-horror-travel-stories-dont-panic-sign

 

To search and collect all the funny or at least humorous stories related to travel around the web and put them together in a top ten post, easy right? Not quite!

 

To reach my goal I started extensive researches on blogs and various websites. I even searched the most remote pages of Google to spot them and it wasn’t as easy as I thought!

 

But, at least, what I found and selected in the end, is definitely worth reading! Someof the ones I’ve discovered are incredibly funny and humorous stories, others are creepy or beautifully written, whilst some others are quite spicy (stay away if you are a prude).

 

No matter how different they are, they all have one thing in common: They made me laugh or chuckle a bit. And in any case, if something goes REALLY WRONG, there are legal ways and consultancies services you can count on (which is a release! phewwww).

 

BEFORE GETTING TO THE FUN STUFF, A SERIOUS NOTE:

FUNNY-TRAVE-STORIES-CLELIA-SCARED-INSTECTS 

As a Master of Disaster other than the funny ones, I have so many horror stories to tell! I got injured and sick during my trips and they stole my possessions during a bus ride in Thailand once (including 1000 euros cash).

 

So a word of advice is in order: be extra careful when you choose the travel insurance for your trip! (Click here to see what I use , they literally saved my life and finances more than once).

 

I never go without it and even if in some of these funny stories it might not be necessary, trust me that in other cases… it most certainly is!



SO BACK TO THE FUNNY STORIES FINALLY!

clelia-funny-amstrdam

Yeah, that would be me, with a whole tomato in my mouth in a pub in Amsterdam. WHY? There is no why, I simply like being silly πŸ™‚

 

For each story, I will insert a quick excerpt to give you a glimpse of what the fuss is all about, and I’ll put the relevant link to the article if you want to read the filthy details πŸ™‚

 

BONUS MATERIAL:

Scroll till the end to find an article that seriously cracked me up! It’s not technically a story, but it’s definitely travel related!


 

1| 24 HOURS TO GET TO MELBOURNE (AND ALMOST SLEEP UNDER A BRIDGE)

 

Category: Funny Stories

“I had dreamed of that moment for hours… That fantastic moment where I was given the key to my room and I would have seen the most precious thing in the world: A BED. What I see instead is a sofa in the living room of an unknown house, located in between the entrance door and the kitchen door. I swear I was about to faint. “

 

Travel-horror-stories-funny-travel-stories

This is a new series of my blog. Given that my friends and followers on Fb love the live chronicles of my horror-funny travel stories I decided to start posting them here.

In this occasion… well, this is how the land of Kangaroos welcomed me on my first night Down Undernight, after 24 hours in the air, lost in space-time and angry like a stray cat πŸ˜€

Source Keep Calm And Travel: Humorous Stories turned into horror ones: Me, David & The Taxi Driver

 


1| ALMOST KILLED BY A TURKISH HAIRDRESSER IN GERMANY

 

Category: funny stories

“The hairdresser proceeded to shave around the perimeter of my hairline, focusing mostly on the back of my neck. He moved the razor in quick little strokes, handling its edge with feline grace. I made the mistake of picturing how easily he could take my eye out, or how quickly he might give me a Sweeney Todd, and it was then my complexion faded from ‘Eggshell Uncomfortable’ to ‘Chartreuse Sputum.’”

turkish-barber-funny-germany-hairdresser-axe

This is an absolutely brilliant story, reporting how a simple question about politics can change the course of a simple hair cut from magic to tragic.

Will our hero succumb under the claws of the Turkish hairdresser?

SOURCE: Oh God My Wife is German


 

2 |THE MYSTERIOUS EUROPEAN SHOWER 

 

Category: Humorous Stories

“There were no knobs or handles of any kind that I could turn to get the water running. There was this little console inside, which I tried to use. At first, it seemed self-explanatory. It had dials for water temperature and water pressure, and a start/stop button! Plus, it was all in English! Surely I could figure this out, right?”

 

The mysterious shower

The mysterious shower

A very Funny insight on how an innocent European shower can become a mysterious sinister object for the poor American Tourist.Will Geraldine figure out how to handle a “highly technological” European Shower? Click on the link below!

This is a must-read tale from a  super talented writer. Geraldine would be able to make you laugh even by writing on how she drinks her coffee!

Source: Everywhereist



 

 

3| CULINARY EXPERIMENTS

 

Category: Funny/Quirky stories

“While in Vang Vieng, Laos, two other travelers and I decided to visit the local market one evening. The idea was that we would each purchase some kind of food item to bring back to the guesthouse and share with the group for a nice local dinner”

 

Vang-Vieng-Laos

The post I’m linking to is a collection of stories from Derek Baron. He decided to put together a list of the dumbest things he did during his 14 years of extensive traveling.

The result is a quite hilarious post where, among other funny experiences, Derek tells us how he decided to eat a Rat, in an attempt to try the local cousin. How did the experiment go? Read on to discover it!

Source: Wandering Earl


 

 

4| THAI MASSAGE OR THAI TORTURE?

 

Category: Humorous stories

Her black eyes examined me closely, wrinkles forming in her chestnut brown facial skin as she visually assessed me prior to my massage. “You big boy. I think you need two hours.” “No, I’m good with one.”

 

Would you like a massage??!

Would you like a massage??!

Beware of who you put your trust in. A relaxation massage turned into a Karate match against an old Thai lady. Who is going to be the winner?

Source: One dad one kid


 

 

5 |CHASED DOWN A MOUNTAIN BY SOME LOCAL WOMEN

 

Category: Humorous Stories

“Wow, these people are so friendly!” I thought to myself. This is exactly the kind of cultural encounter every traveler hopes for – walking down a mountain en route to a rural village, water buffaloes munching away on shrubs, women from a local hill tribe joining for a walk. Why this is the kind of stuff makes the feature story on the National Geographic! Right?

 

8814442117_a63b3fab7d_z

We’ve all been there: captured by the innocent smiles and kindness of the locals in a foreign land… Be careful when putting your pink glasses on, as you will also probably need a good pair of shoes to run away as fast as possible! Click below to read Audrey’s escape plan!

Source: That Backpacker


 

6 |DEATH ON THE BOAT

 

Category: Black humor / quirky Stories

“I immediately felt my chest tighten and my heart began to race as my mind replayed the events of the past few days – had I been using insect repellent? Had I been covered up? Had I been bitten? I was suddenly convinced that I was about to die too”

Smiles before the nightmare begins

Lauren Smiling before the nightmare begins

What would you do if you find yourself trapped on a slow boat with a poor dead body lying next to you? This is obviously not a funny story, but a rather creepy adventure on the Mekong river. Lauren has an entire anthology of weird and funny-tragic stories on her website.

clelia-book-how-not-to-travel-the-world

There I am, bumming at the airport before my flight and reading Lauren’s book!

A must-read! And now she has a book! Well actually I also have her book because her stories are just super fun, I totally recommend it, check it out in here!

Source: Never ending Foot Steps


 

 

7 |”MONKEY BUSINESS”. ON A CHICKEN BUS…

 

Category: Spicy Travel Stories

“As the bus ride progressed and the chicken bus going like crazy everyone sliding back and forth in every direction I noticed something weird. I kept feeling his leg purposely touching my leg so I, of course, started making my leg touch his as well”

P1010091-1

Warning: Spicy Adventure ahead! πŸ™‚ Some travel bloggers are quite adventurous and brave enough to tell us all about their hot encounters…

This story is probably one of the most popular spicy tales of the past few years. No need to get embarrassed tough. I actually admire those people who can be very open about their life, and the story is pretty hilarious! want to know more? Put the kids to sleep first πŸ™‚

Source: Breakaway Backpacker

 


 

8| FLATTERY GOES A LONG WAY

 

Category: Funny Stories

“Hello! You are beautiful,” he began. While my first reaction was to keep on walking, I stopped to listen anyway. Because you have to admit, the man had a valid point.

 

IMG_47111

 

Honestly? I didn’t know which post to choose from Sally’s dozen funny stories! She just drags you into her clumsy funny world so easily!

This time, she writes about how flattery seems to be her weak point. Apparently, she can’t resist a compliment and she was convinced to join a group of Chinese tourists, that treats her like the star of the hour!

Do you want to know how she ended dressed like a local on a rice terrace? Click on the link to read about her adventure!

Source: Unbrave Girl


9| FUNNY STORIES: OUTRAGEOUS PICTURES

 

Category: Visual Funny stories

Instead, I’ve decided to share some of the more quirky, bizarre, outrageous, outlandish, humorous, funny, ridiculous, absurd & truly off-the-charts moments I’ve experienced while traveling over the years, as summarized in a photo essay.

Indian-Man-Cleaning-Genitals

Indian-Man-Cleaning-Genitals

In a post about funny/weird stories, I couldn’t certainly forget to add a photographic essay on some funny/irreverent pictures from around the world! Get ready to chuckle! πŸ™‚

Source: Nomadic Samuel


 

10 |SPANKED AT A FISH MARKET

 

Category: Funny /spicy /Humorous stories

“It was hot. Korean summer hot. Melting makeup hot. Seriously, summer in Korea gets up into the 30s and feels like plus 40s with 100% humidity and not a drop of rain. I had undone the top of my shirt to let a little air in and I suppose I should mention my breasts”

Busan 101 - Bridge

This is a funny short travel story on how you need to be extra careful whilst traveling in a different cultural environment. Especially in terms of clothing! πŸ™‚

Source: The Escapism Artist



BONUS MATERIAL:

THE MOST HILARIOUS LIST OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

flight-attendant-funny-quotes

1) “Flight attendant on a Virgin Australia flight “And today we have someone who is celebrating their 21st birthday, please stand up xxxxxxx……Fancy that, 21 and never been in a Virgin.”

2) “Please feel free to leave behind any of your items in the overhead compartment; I’m having a yard sale this weekend.”

3) “Hi, I’m Captain Amanda Smith. Yes, I’m a female pilot and as a benefit, if we get lost on the way I won’t be afraid to stop and ask for directions.”

4)On an early morning flight, “I noticed a few ladies who forgot to put on their makeup this morning. I’ll be dimming the lights for your convenience.”

5)“How about that landing? Not bad for his first day.”

Do you want to read more?! Check out the full article, to die for!

Flights and Frustration

line

So here they are, the 10 of the funniest/weirdest travel stories I found on the web and let me tell you, It’s been a real challenge to find them!

Why is that? don’t people write enough about their weird adventures? am I a bad researcher or it’s just Google trying to hide them really well??

Whatever the reason, it’s a pity because these are the kind of stories that transform the average traveler in a real Indiana Jones!



If you have a very funny or humorous Travel story to share, please leave a comment with your link or a quick recap! I’d love to discover other Crazy adventurers out there! Come out from your shell and share your stories with us! 

Cheers!

Comments

  1. Superb and valuable knowledge information because of useful updated for me, thank you so much for share this wonderful article.

  2. this is freaking funny but this is common hacks everyone faces
    thanks for this interesting article.

  3. Wow, wonderful weblog format! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The total look of your site is magnificent, let alone the content material!

    1. Thanks Sonia, I’ve been blogging for 7 years and it’s not easy at all especially considering that English is not my native language, but I try my best πŸ™‚

  4. A Great Info about to travel and so Funny. Happy to share this info to my friends which are very useful. Thanks for sharing

  5. It is truly a great and useful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Such a Great Information about to Travel I really liked your article, your article is very frightened me in the learning process and provide additional knowledge to me, maybe I can learn more from you, I will wait for your next article, I’ve really enjoyed reading it throughout. Thanks for Sharing.

    1. Thank you for your kind words! here is always something new to learn when traveling, even for veterans πŸ™‚

  7. This was an awesome post. it inspires me to send it my mother whenever I decide to travel overseas alone. She freaks out everytime.

    1. hahahah I’m 41 and my mother still freaks out! No matter that I left my parents house at 19, we are always kids for them πŸ™‚

  8. This makes my day. I enjoy every single story in this post.

    ADMIN NOTE: Please don’t include any link to commercial websites in the comment section as they will be removed. Thank you!

    1. Hey Vincent, thanks for your comment! I’m sure you’ll have plenty of travel story, everyone has them and they are the best part of the trip πŸ˜€

  9. Your post had gave me ideas that how to share funny video. Thanks for sharing

  10. The index is really helpful. I love how you edit the post Glad you find the information useful. Thank you very much for share this great helpful information with us.

    1. Uhmm there is no index? maybe you should read the article first πŸ˜‰

  11. I’d love to travel too! Thanks for sharing your experience.

  12. Dear Lord! 4 years since the post was published but the comments just keep coming and for a good reason! Thanks for putting together this list and interesting read! The accident on the boat is truly a creepy experience!

  13. Love this blog…the main reason being is as travelers we ALL have something happen during our adventures. Regardless if they are truly bad or bizarre my thoughts on these events turn out to be some of our biggest highlights! These are the stories we will find ourselves repeating to eager ears back home and on the road, if you visit Vietnam, you will get it !

    1. Hey Hong, you’re so right, these are the stories people want to hear πŸ™‚

  14. I’ve had so many crazy experiences travelling. Once in Cambodia I was caught on a bus where the drivers were smuggling drugs behind my chair! Just last week I was hitch hiking and I got caught up in the middle of a street race on a single motorbike with two other people, two bags and no helmets. You can read about it on my blog

    Admin note: Please avoid linking to articles (even if they can be of good quality, it allows spammers to do the same and it would become a real nightmare). People can already check out your website by clicking on your name in the comment. Thank you for your understanding!
    Clelia

    1. Hey Rishi

      Thanks for adding your own travel nightmares! πŸ™‚

    1. Ah Sophie! I didn’t realize that the European shower could be so complicated πŸ™‚

  15. Hello my name is Daniel I’m a stand-up comedian from Edinburgh Scotland.

    Admin note : I removed the link as I don’t allow them in my comments as per my comment policies. If you want to help another user, please leave your email and ask to be contacted directly.

    Thank you!
    Clelia

  16. Pingback: Travel Tip Tuesday: Avoid Long Trips By Bus – Work

  17. Pingback: Travel Tip Tuesday: Avoid Long Trips By Bus - Fastport Passport Blog

  18. I love the way you interpreted other people’s blogs with yours. Not only it is smart for your website but it gives a link to other website giving that person more followers. My blog is about traveling but in my eyes and the events that have happened to me during vacations.

    1. Hey Tailor, thanks! I actually wasn’t thinking about my own website when I wrote this piece. I just loved the stories and wanted to share them all in one place πŸ™‚

  19. Pingback: What Being a Travel Blogger Really Means (To Me). Lessons From My 4 Favorite Bloggers. - KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL

  20. Between last minute visa cancellation and getting stuck in a cave with a cobra I had my fair share of bad experiences, but I can see that I’m in good company! LOL!

    Oh, and that announcements are hilarious! Ahahah

  21. Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
    Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark
    this web site.

  22. Pingback: Sri Lanka: 8 Days Between Heaven and Hell - KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL

  23. Pingback: When Travel Goes Wrong | Diary Of A Budget Traveller

  24. Pingback: The essence of why we travel in pictures | Travel Eggs App – Your Digital Tour Guide

  25. Even tho I’m European I can totally relate to European shower trouble πŸ˜‰ Love this post!

  26. Funny stories and unforeseen mishaps are always part of traveling. This is what makes it more memorable for us. Despite these, I know we can all say that without these funny stories, your travel wouldn’t be as fun as it was.

  27. I love funny travel stories – and writing about them. My favourite lately was called the Perils of Potties in Japan – or something like that – featuring a hitech toilet that wouldn’t stop spurting water all over the place.

  28. I went on a road trip in Iceland in June and absolutely loved it! I would tell people (and did in a blogpost) to register with a free app that alerts search and rescue people if you vanish. Register at http://www.safetravel.is and download the free 112 Iceland app before you go. It could literally save your life – a lot of people wander off and get themselves in bad situations every year but if you use this they will save you from yourself (for free but a hearty donation should be considered if it’s your own fault!).

  29. Love this blog…the main reason being is as travelers we ALL have something happen during our adventures. Regardless if they are truly bad or bizarre my thoughts on these events turn out to be some of our biggest highlights! These are the stories we will find ourselves repeating to eager ears back home and on the road. Of course they seem devistating as they are happening but we always have to look for the best in these situations and the most positive way out of these awkward moments.
    Cherish them – One Life, One Planet.
    @monkeyslick

  30. Great finds! I love these quirky stories and that could well be me trying to figure out how to use that shower!

    1. Yeah some of them are really brilliant, it surprised me that i couldn’t find more of them on the web!Oh and for the shower…even if i’m european, i struggled with it at first too!

      1. Thanks also for including my funny quotes article, they certainly make flying more enjoyable.

        As for the Thai massage I can certainly vouch for that. I had a one hour head massage and was screaming pain with every touch. I promise you, never, ever again!

        1. hahaha tell me about the Thai Massage, I totally understand why you don’t want to try again! I also had some quite unpleasant experiences…now I only go for a more relaxing oil massage πŸ™‚

  31. Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooollll…when finished barking loudly with laughter, I might share a story or two…

Leave a Comment