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Article created by: Simona Kinderytė

Everyone does their vacations differently, some focus on meticulously planned days with strict itineraries, others like to lounge around at an all-inclusive. But no matter how you prefer to spend your time off work, basically everyone can agree that broken phones, bones, missed flights and closed attractions are not part of the fun.

So in an attempt to create a sort of reverse FOMO, we’ve gathered pictures from folks whose vacations didn’t go their way at all. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section down below.

#1

Our Dog Chewed My Wife’s Passport 12 Hours Before Our International Flight

Worn and torn US passport held in hand, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

We were packing for our family trip to Jamaica, and I heard my wife scream upstairs. She just tells me, “I’m not going to Jamaica,” and shows me her passport. Only the main page shown is torn. Nothing else. (The image depicted is after she tried taping it back together.) She dropped it on the bed for a second, and the dog got to it. And she is normally not destructive like that, but despite how annoyed we were, we couldn’t blame her.

After reality had sunk in, I hopped on a call with a passport department inquiring about an emergency passport. They apparently only give them out if there is a death in the family, etc. They searched for appointments nearby, and the only one on the East Coast was in Buffalo, NY, at 8 am the following day. So we changed my wife’s flight, and sent her tour to Buffalo, and got her a 10:45 am flight out from Buffalo to Orlando, then to Jamaica, hoping that it would work. They don’t guarantee that you will get it the same day, but the reviews for the location were surprisingly positive, so we were hopeful. She shows up an hour early, is first in line, and they tell her they can get it the same day, but won’t start printing passports till 10 am. The manager came out and told my wife she should probably change her flight because he can’t guarantee that she will get it in time for the 10:45 flight.

She comes back around 10, sits right, and the woman at the front desk gives a friendly wink to my wife. At 10:15, the manager tells my wife’s passport is printing. Around 10:20-10:25, they hand it to her and she hits the find driver button on the Uber app. She gets picked up and takes the 15-minute ride to the airport. The Uber driver told her he’s driven MANY people who flew from out of state to Buffalo for a same-day passport, and he believed she could make it. Well, she did. Boarding got delayed, but she made it with like 10 minutes to spare and arrived in Jamaica only 3 hours after we did.

It was beyond exhausting!

TLDR: dog chews wife’s passport 12 before flight. Wife flies to Buffalo for the only available appointment, gets her passport the same day, and barely makes her flight to eventually meet us in Jamaica, only a few hours after our arrival.

IDontFeel24YearsOld Report

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    #2

    A Nice Gentleman Asked If He Could Take Our Picture For Us, We Got This

    Family vacation photo on a dock with a warped wooden surface causing a distorted and unexpected effect.

    ryan_dad_of_3 Report

    #3

    Buddy Came Back From Vacation And Realized He Was Missing A Headphone So He Checked It’s Location

    Map showing North and South America with two AirPods location markers over travel spots, illustrating vacation photos concept.

    lordfukwad Report

    #4

    This Letter I Get From My Neighbors On The First Day Of Summer Vacation

    Handwritten note about no dogs allowed in the sea near houses, a vacation photo that didn’t turn out as expected.

    In Cyprus, there is a new law where all non-private beaches are government-owned, and dogs are allowed to walk there.

    The beach in front of our summer house is one of those beaches, but unfortunately, our elderly neighbors don’t seem to bother to look at the law when it’s not convenient for them.

    I bring them at 6 am, and I always clean after them, so they are bothering absolutely nobody. Just a bunch of old people with nothing better to do in their lives, so they control others.

    Needless to say, I’ll continue taking them to the beach, and if they actually follow through with their threats, I’d love to see them fined for wasting police resources.

    Dark_Wolf04 Report

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    #5

    Came Home From Vacation To Find Our Fish Tank Leaked Into My Floor While We Were Gone

    Ceiling with water leaks and stains in an indoor room, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    Metroid413 Report

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    #6

    A Tire Came Flying Out Of Nowhere While Driving To Our Vacation Destination

    C*****d car windshield viewed from inside the vehicle, an unexpected vacation photo moment showing damage on road trip.

    Everyone is fine, but day one of vacation is not going as planned. Tire came out of absolutely nowhere and completely shattered my windshield. Picking pieces of glass out of my eyebrows, even. Everyone is okay, luckily (one of the kids even slept through it), but it sucks having to spend hundreds on a new windshield and a hotel room for the night. Luckily, someone can replace it tomorrow.

    give_me_two_beers Report

    #7

    We Were On Our Way To Arizona For A Family Trip And Then

    Silver Toyota Tacoma truck with a severely bent front wheel parked on a city street, a vacation photo fail.

    BearWar Report

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    #8

    TSA Definitely Went Through Our Bag, And Did Not Put The Cap Back On My Bottle Of Allergy Pills

    White pills scattered inside a suitcase among clothes, illustrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    blankblinkblank Report

    #9

    Our Peaceful Beach Vacation

    Beach bulldozer working near ocean waves at night and day time, part of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    Beach reclamation in progress. Heavy equipment is running right outside our windows 24 hours a day.

    stoned_brad Report

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    #10

    Road Trip Misadventure

    Tweet from user sutterfrau describing a family vacation fail after climbing into the wrong van and being left behind unexpectedly.

    livelove_elbow Report

    #11

    I Broke Both My Ankles And A Wrist On Day 1 Of The Family Vacation. I Was Supposed To Go On A Trip With Friends In Less Than A Month

    Two legs with one wrapped in a bandage and the other in a black ankle brace, showing vacation photos that didn’t turn out.

    I stepped backwards and tripped. That was honestly it. Pretzeled in the worst way possible.

    ManiacallyReddit Report

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    #12

    Found This Camera In My Vacation Rental

    Pantry shelves stocked with drinks, snacks, spices, and a microwave, illustrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    400cc Report

    #13

    Day Before Our 1st Vacation

    Person with an orange arm cast in a medical setting showing one bent finger in a vacation photo fail scenario.

    In 17 years, we never took a family vacation except to visit family. Mid-divorce, and I am taking the kids by myself for our first overnight at a waterslide resort (a surprise for the kids - booked for tomorrow). My ex called me this afternoon - my teen daughter dislocated her elbow on a hike. Cast from fingers to armpit. No waterslide resort for us.

    Wendlynnn Report

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    #14

    On A Family Trip And This Is The Cabin We Are Sharing With 11 People

    Cozy wooden vacation cabin interior with cluttered table, bunk beds, and scattered luggage, showing vacation photos that didn’t turn out.

    It can’t be more than 500 sqft.

    jellocore Report

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    #15

    Booked An Airbnb For Vacation. This Is The View From The Shower. There Is No Way To Cover It Up

    Skylight window reflecting an outdoor building seen from inside with a shower curtain in foreground vacation photos.

    Ingtar2 Report

    #16

    When You Plan An Entire Family Trip Around Seeing The Fabled Copper Complaint, And It’s Not There

    Babylonian artifact labeled removed for study in a museum showcase, part of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    AngloSaxonP Report

    #17

    What Was Supposed To Be A Nice Vacation Turned Into Me Developing A Chlorine Rash After Swimming

    Red irritated skin patches on arm showing unexpected vacation photo mishap with skin reaction.

    I’m home now, but this is day 3, and it just keeps spreading. Awesome.

    survivorsavedmylife Report

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    #18

    All My Family Trip Photos And Videos Gone

    Broken red 1TB microSD card held in palm, a vacation photo storage fail from unexpected damage.

    James--Trickington Report

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    #19

    Three Days Into My First Trip To Argentina To Spend Time With My Step-Daughter And Husband's Family And I've Come Down With The Flu And Can't Leave The Hotel

    Hand holding a digital thermometer showing a low temperature, part of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    kittykat47 Report

    #20

    I Tried Whataburger For The First Time In 20 Years, While In Vacation. Are They Punishing Me?

    Close-up of a poorly assembled fast food burger on yellow wrapper, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected

    Additional_Goose_763 Report

    #21

    Husband Lost His iPhone On Vacation. We Used Find My From My Phone And Tracked It To Its Last Location. Found It Run Over

    Black smartphone lying c*****d on rough asphalt at night with an illuminated smartwatch showing 12:10 nearby, vacation photos fail.

    He had it on him when we were out and about, but didn’t notice it was missing until late at night. We were playing switch with the family back at the rental, so he wasn’t thinking much about it. Decided to track its location and saw it was at the boardwalk we were at. Went back and looked for about 20 minutes in the parking lot. Found it smashed to bits! Had to go to the Verizon store the next day. At least we know what happened to it.

    ChickenLuna Report

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    #22

    Somebody's Vacation Is Ruined

    View from inside a dark parking garage looking out onto a ramp with a fallen suitcase blocking the way, a vacation photo fail.

    Sea_Squirrel1987 Report

    #23

    Leaving For Vacation Today And Put The Oven To Self-Clean. The Middle Panel Decided It Didn’t Want To Live Anymore

    Broken oven door glass in a vacation rental kitchen, an unexpected mishap captured in vacation photos.

    scubahana Report

    #24

    “Lost” Luggage Has Been In This Location For The Past Week…. And There’s Nothing We Can Do About It

    Map view of Terminal T4 showing Alsa and Monbus bus ticket location and an unexpected animated character icon on the screen.

    On a trip with my family, our bags have been at the Madrid airport for the past week. We’ve called the airline twice a day, and all they say is that there’s nothing more that they can do.

    DarwinF1nch Report

    #25

    Adventure Vacations

    Car parked on street with shattered window glass scattered inside and outside, a vacation photo fail captured unexpectedly.

    On vacation with my little kids. Long travel across Europe and at night stopped for a night in a hotel in Lille near the train station. Before I went to bed, I considered myself lucky to have found free parking. In the morning, a broken passenger window in our car, and the resulting shenanigans with insurance and police. First time in France in 15 years, and I expected to practice my rusty French on different subjects.

    Nothing was stolen, as nothing was inside that was worth it. Just have to deal with the aftermath of the damage.

    falkenfink Report

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    #26

    Two Hours Into My Road Trip In The Middle Of Nowhere I Opened My Case To This

    Hand holding an empty wireless earbuds case in a car, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

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    #27

    I Feel So Stupid. Forgot To Have Wifey Put Sunscreen On My Back

    Man with sunburn and hat standing in pool with distorted water effect in a vacation photo that didn’t turn out as expected

    ruined_s2k Report

    #28

    The View From My Bedroom In My Caribbean Vacation Rental, Where I've Been Stuck Literally All Week With The Flu

    Balcony view of the beach and ocean through a sliding glass door during a vacation with an unexpected photo angle.

    Agent-Foxtrot Report

    #29

    Came Back To This After Vacation

    Large tree fallen in front of a house showing an unexpected vacation photo moment with uprooted roots and trunk.

    We knew our neighborhood had some bad storms while we were away. As we turn onto our street, we see this.

    Think it can't get worse? They had just listed the home for sale about a week earlier.

    dnr4wlvs Report

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    #30

    First Day Of Vacation And This Happens…

    Broken eyeglasses with a detached arm resting on a quilted surface, illustrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    I’m in a small town and can’t get them repaired u til I go home in a week… Super glue and tape it is then.

    MCGamer1234 Report

    #31

    Airline Canceled Our Trip Unwarned Because We Had A Cat

    Gray and white cat inside a pet carrier, illustrating one of the unexpected moments in vacation photos.

    We were returning from a 2-month vacation and everything was planned to go fine, we had a connecting flight, it was gonna be a long trip, but when we arrive the airline says that they cannot permit the cat to enter since the plane is rented and doesn't allow pets, they also refuse to issue a refund despite it being thier fault and we weren't warned, we had come here with the same airline, and they didn't give us an issue about it, now we are stuck here for a while with high airline costs and the cat can't go back for a while since his entry and exit permit ends today.

    cooljhon2009 Report

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    #32

    When You're On Vacation And Learn Your Flatmate Isn’t Reliable To Take Care Of Your Cat

    Funny vacation photo fail with unexpected text message conversation about cat food and vitamin deficiency.

    420jakeinfinance69 Report

    #33

    I Was Supposed To Go On A Family Vacation Tomorrow. I Even Had My Suitcase Packed

    Two rapid test kits on a counter showing faint lines, illustrating unexpected vacation photo moments.

    Daenys_TheDreamer Report

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    #34

    Day One: Two Broken Ankles

    Person in wheelchair with both ankles bandaged during a family vacation, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    eelwood48 Report

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    #35

    Was A Little Tired On A Family Trip So My Father Took Over. This Is My Car Not Even An Hour Later

    Damaged car at night after an accident, illustrating one of the vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    Kannahayabusa12 Report

    #36

    This Just Happened To Our Caravan 500m From Our Destination For The Day

    Close-up of a broken car wheel and detached tire, demonstrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    We are on our way home from a nice vacation in Greece, and right when we wanted to stop for the night at the border to Germany, bam...

    Individualofnouse Report

    #37

    Come To Visit My Friends From Abroad To Find A Broken Red Wine In The Baggage

    Clothes stained with red pigment and a trash bag filled with garbage, illustrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    I came to visit my friends for a couple of weeks. It was a long journey, a train and two flights, but when I checked into a hotel, went up to my room, and opened my luggage, I found one of my three bottles of wine broken. It was in a bubble wrap, which didn't help... And the wine had completely soaked my clothes that I got for the trip. At least (I hope so) I didn't ruin anyone else's luggage. Hell of a start for a vacation.

    erizoy Report

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    #38

    The Reality Of The Parks: It’s Not About The Perfect Photos

    Family on vacation posing with stroller and baby, surrounded by other tourists and greenery in a casual outdoor setting.

    A 45-minute line to meet Moana (she’s a huge fan), breastfeeding my baby while sweating, my husband fanning me so the baby would fall asleep - all for the big moment… And then our toddler didn’t even want the photo. The real magic of Disney - hahaha, just drama! But we had an amazing trip!

    Karla Vargas Report

    #39

    While My Family And I Were On A Beach Trip (Back During Early November), Our Back Deck Collapsed

    Broken deck with fallen patio furniture and damaged area below, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    The wood was rotting, evidently, and became too weak and fell out of the frame.

    Dr-Ludwig07 Report

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    #40

    The Day Before My Vacation, And I Cut Through My Client's Internett Cable

    Close-up of a broken pipe inside a wall, illustrating unexpected accidents in vacation photos not turning out as expected.

    I'm an HVAC technician and was installing a split. He wanted it very close to the corner, and I was prepared to hit a little bit of the stud, but then I would angle it away from the stud to go to the outside unit. I was thinking that it could be electric cables behind it, and I should have brought my cable scanner. The client told me that he was very sure it's nothing behind right there, except for the stud.

    Lesson learned - do not trust clients and double-check.

    BulldogKongen Report

    #41

    Came Home From Vacation To A Full Blown Car Accident In My Driveway

    Black SUV stuck in a ditch with people nearby, illustrating a vacation photo that didn’t turn out as expected.

    We were given zero information regarding what happened. Everyone was okay. One chain link fence down, otherwise no damage, thankfully.

    Objective-Middle-676 Report

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    #42

    Checked Into The Hotel, Forgot The Luggage

    Tweet showing a family vacation fail about losing a suitcase after a long drive, illustrating vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    borndabronx Report

    #43

    Meeting Family After A Long Trip And Asking Someone To Take Your Photo, Only To Not Include The Giant Monument You’re Standing In Front Of

    Group of people posing for vacation photo in front of a mountain, an example of vacation photos that didn’t turn out as expected.

    yourstrulyjarjar Report

    #44

    Just Went To Thailand For The Holiday, Just Found This In My Hotel Room Above The Bed. Bring A Black Light Next Time

    Close-up of wooden floor panels with an unexpected glossy patch in a vacation photo mishap.

    XMenPerseus56 Report

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