11 Well-Planned Journeys That Ended in Unexpected Chaos

You pack your bags, map the route, and expect smooth sailing. These 11 travelers thought the same—they had everything under control... until life stepped in. Turns out that journeys aren’t always about the destination—they are about the disasters you never saw coming.

• I was sitting behind this cute toddler and her dad on one flight, and while we were landing, she wouldn’t sit down. She was turned around in her seat, staring at me. Her dad was calmly telling her to sit down while we landed, and she looked me straight in the eyes and went, “I can’t, I’m pooping.” © lovinmamaearth / Reddit

• We were staying in a luxury suite that had a personal room attendant, whom we met briefly when we arrived that afternoon. We were in a hurry to get out and explore, so we ditched our belongings in the room and headed out sightseeing.
  When we returned late that evening, we were shocked to find that our luggage had been unpacked for us. Our toiletries were in the bathroom, neatly placed on his and hers trays; our clothes were hung, and shoes carefully lined up... and then the kicker:
  MY LINGERIE WAS SPLAYED OUT ON THE BED, ANGLED TOWARD THE DOOR, WITH A TRAIL OF ROSE PETALS LEADING UP TO AND SURROUNDING IT—A PLATE OF CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES AND A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE NEARBY.
  I had a few pieces of lingerie in my bag, so this one had been chosen. And the room attendant must not have noticed, but it had (I’m rocking in fetal position as I write this)... already been used. I. Was. Mortified. Needless to say, I could not look our male room attendant in the eye for the remainder of the stay. © pharmdoll / Reddit

• I was souvenir shopping in Florence and was walking through a store. About halfway in, there was a guy who gave me a weird kind of vibe. I couldn’t exactly figure out what it was, but we both kept getting in each other’s way when trying to pass each other.
  After a few seconds, the store owner in English said, “Watch out for the mirror.” I left immediately. © EmotionalAccounting / Reddit

• I was dining alone at a fancy hotel restaurant, with luxury napkins and a candle on the table, in Bristol, when I noticed a man glancing at me from another table. He was handsome, and after a few looks, he waved at me.
  I was like, “Oh, wow, maybe he likes me or recognizes me?” But then, all of a sudden, he called out to me, “Miss! Your menu is on fire!” Unbeknownst to me, while I had been checking out this guy, I had dropped my hold of the menu, and the top end of it had dipped into the candle and set alight.
  I’m panicking and trying to put this small fire out. Redirected my gaze back to the handsome guy. Alas, he was gone. Never did see him again, but hope he got a laugh out of my ditziness.

• I was in Japan a few years ago with a friend of mine. We checked into the hotel and went to a little restaurant for food. They’d put out a perfectly square piece of tofu to snack on, although at that moment we had no idea what it was.
  We figured it must be soap to clean our hands before eating, which seemed logical, so at the same time we picked up the tofu and started smushing it into our hands. All the staff and other customers just looked at us, horrified. After a few seconds, we figured it wasn’t soap! © MiserableScot / Reddit

• I was in Berlin, feeling a little self-conscious about standing out as a solo female traveler. I look vaguely northern European and was trying to blend in and not call attention to myself.
  After a long day of exploring, I just wanted some food quickly and without much fuss. I found a pizza place where I could order at the counter and grabbed a paper menu to look over the options. The #9 has veggies, pepperoni, the works, and looks delicious. The guy behind the counter looks at me expectantly and says something in German, which I’m hoping means, “What do you want?” I’m still playing it cool and casually say, “9,” with a smile.
  The guy looks super confused and asks for clarification. Again, I just say, “nine,” thinking that maybe he didn’t hear me before. He again looks super confused, and I just gesture to the menu and repeat again, “Nine.” More confusion, and he looks at me like I have two heads.
  Finally, it clicks. I’m in Germany, and “nine” in English sounds a lot like “nein” in German. I’ve just been happily saying “no” to this guy and his questions. I realize my mistake, apologize in English, and use full sentences to complete the rest of the transaction. © Emergency_Kitten7 / Reddit

• I was in Milan a few years ago, traveling solo as an early 40s male. I used the toilet at a restaurant and couldn’t figure out how to flush. There was a cord hanging from the ceiling, and having been to countries where that’s how you flush, I pulled it.
  Turns out it was the emergency help cord, an alarm went off, and staff entered the toilet. Mortifying. The flush button was on the wall, completely disconnected from the toilet. Not sure how it worked, but it was NOT the ceiling pull cord. © mgfreema / Reddit

• There was this kid behind me that kept telling her dad she lost her tooth, and the dad was disgruntledly trying to find it, and some guy nearby said, “Hey kid, I hear if you lose your tooth on a plane, the tooth fairy gives you 50 bucks,” to which the dad replied, “Hey, look, sweetie, the tooth fairy decided to sit next to us on the plane!” © monkeysolo****0 / Reddit

• I was flying alone, and this little girl (maybe 5) wandered down the aisle and said hello. I asked where her parents were, and she said they had died, and a police officer was flying with her to take her to her aunt. My brain was not able to conjure any response at all apart from “Errr.... sorry.”
  She asked if she could look out my window, so I moved over to the aisle seat and let her, continuously looking for a cop that she might be traveling with. She then told me how her parents were driving back from a party last week, and their car got pushed off the road by a truck into a tree. She was quietly crying while telling me this story.
  Suddenly, I hear, “Oh, there you are” from the aisle. There’s a woman standing there. The girl says, “Hello, mommy,” and leaves with her. © Soopercow / Reddit

• I was really young at this age, around 5, and I would always wander off. I was that type of kid. I walked off. I got lost in the airport and couldn’t find my way back. I was walking forever, and it felt like it was never-ending.
  I passed a bar but saw a man who looked scarily like my dad. It was a complete match. He saw me, panicked, and ran off. I found a guard, and they helped me back.
  Who was this man who ran off? And why was he scared? I asked my dad about it on the flight, and he simply said, “I was here the whole time with your mom.”
  Every time I walk past that bar, I remember this man. Who was he? © blockii- / Reddit

• I was in a tiny town deep in the Pyrenees in France, just after coming to the country. I was running to catch a train and could hear it coming, but I couldn’t figure out where the station was (pre-smartphones), and I started panicking. I saw an older couple walking towards me, but all of the French I knew flew out of my head because I was in such a tizzy.
  So, basically, I ran up to this nice couple and yelled, “Ooh ay el choo-choo” while making the “pull the cord” motion. This nice couple pointed me in the right direction, but they were doubled over laughing the entire time. © its_car_ramrod / Reddit

Wait until you see what happens when the chaos comes home. From strange text threads to shocking search histories, these partners thought they knew who they were traveling through life with—until a screen revealed the truth.
Up next: 13 Shocking Things People Found on Their Partner’s Gadgets That They Weren’t Ready For