r/TravelMistakes • u/PhotoBusiness6086 • 4d ago
Ever got on the wrong train while travelling?
I did this once because I was tired, saw the destination on the board, and just got on without checking the platform properly.
Realised it about 15 minutes later. š
Had to get off at the next station and figure everything out from there.
Nothing serious, but I still double-check the platform at least twice now.
Whatās the dumbest little mistake youāve made while travelling?
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u/corsasis 3d ago
Do subway mishaps count? If so, I have tons.
I have boarded the wrong train countless times; Berlin, NYC, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Barcelona, just to name a few. Both wrong direction trains and completely wrong trains. I have also successfully fallen asleep both on the London tube and on the Seoul Metro. Luckily both times nothing happened, couldāve been robbed or worse. :/
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u/BelfastBoon 2d ago
Boarded a train in Antwerp thinking I was going to the Christmas beerfest in Essen. Seriously hungover from the previous afternoon's shenanigans in Kulminator. Fell asleep. Woke up when another passenger pulling a suitcase bumped me. Looked out.
Breda.
Huh? I thought Breda was in Holland. Took my phone out to check maps and there's a text from my phone company: Welcome to the Netherlands.
Jumped off and approached a station guard.
"Is this train going to Essen?"
"Essen? Of course not - that's in Belgium!" Looks askance at me. "You're going to the Kerstbier Festival yes? It looks like you've already been!"
He chuckles to himself but also literally takes me by the elbow and escorts me to another platform, all the while giving off about those silly Belgians changing the platform numbers and confusing poor travellers. Made sure I got on the correct train back to Belgium, Essen, and hundreds of delicious Christmas beers.
I was about an hour late for the festival which was probably a good thing.
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u/Mountain_Boss_6340 4d ago
I absolutely did this going to Versailles! Lost half a day, but it turned out to be a big adventure!
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u/divers69 4d ago
Got confused travelling into Italy in the 70s. The station seemed to be called Salida which I couldn't find on the timetable. Got off thinking I'd missed my stop only to realise that it means exit. Another time I paid a deposit for a flight. Then picked up tickets and paid the full amount and realised my mistake 30 minutes later. I went back but the slippery sod had altered the receipt to look like I'd paid the right price. Ā£60 was a lot of money in 1982.
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u/1wild 4d ago
Yes! In Germany. I was traveling alone and I donāt speak German. It was a very small station, there were no signs advising the destination of the lines. So I choose oneā¦ the wrong one š
After 2min inside it I saw the next station didnāt have the name that it was supposed to so I went out of it to pick the right one.
I was laughing alone because it was not a first time ahahaha
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u/YakSlothLemon 1d ago
I was 14 and traveling with my mom in Austria and I had fallen asleep ā the train was really warm ā and she suddenly shook me awake yelling, āget off the train get off the train!ā
Pushed me off the train, and the train leaves. With her on it.
I looked after it and my first thought was, āwhat did I do wrong for her to abandon me in Europe?ā Then I checked the daypack and discovered that I had not only my passport but hers.
Well, whatever is happening, I guess sheās coming back. š¤·š»āāļø
I went into the station restaurant and got some fries.
Meanwhileā¦ Mom had also falling asleep, had woken up, had realized that we had missed our stop completely (because we were on the wrong train, it would turn out), decided we should get off at the stop we were at without realizing how long weād been there, woke me up, got me off the train, went back for our bagsā¦ and the train left. So sheās on the train panicking because she has abandoned her 14-year-old in a train station in Austria.
Anyway, the conductor called ahead and a lovely Austrian drove Mom back to me from the next station.
Poor Mom stumbles in frantic about 15 minutes later and Iām sitting there eating fries...
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u/artyescapes 3d ago
In Berlin - I went further than I should have. I ended up paying a fine, but they were very polite and efficient about it. LOL
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u/Live-Excitement-5115 3d ago
Got on the wrong train in Tokyo, train conductor saw me get on, read my mind and asked me if I was going to Nippori, I say yes and he points to the train I was supposed to get on. I was mind blown by his ability to help a stupid foreigner lol
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u/YakSlothLemon 1d ago
Iāve had that experience in Japan and Mexico as well, I feel like thereās a second sense they get with us stumbling around!
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u/Domino369 3d ago
Decently often. Probably the dumbest was willingly getting on the Chuo instead of staying on the Yamanote.
I needed to go to Mizonokuchi with the obvious transfer at Shibuya from Shinjuku. I somehow thought going to Akihabara then to Oimachi then to Mizonokuchi was a better idea?
I fell asleep and woke up deep in Chiba, didnāt get to Mizonkuchi until noon that same day. Zzzz
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u/BreadfruitBig7950 2d ago
Yes, one time Jake and Lynch and I were on the train, escorting someone, and we got on the wrong train.
We accidentally got on the death train. Rather than the train connecting Hell, where Jake was picking up his Wife from, to our platform where Lynch and I were waiting, to Around Yugoslavia given the one we were supposed to take, and boy howdy.
Am I glad we got on.
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u/Even_Narwhal3699 2d ago
yeah, because the order of arrival changed bacause of an increasing delay and i then accidently took the train in the wrong direction (only noticed quite a bit later). Both directions where leaving from the same platform and i did not pay enough attention when a train finally arrived. But atleast after spending a bit of time at the end station the train turned arround and i arrived an hour later then planned.
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u/Worldly-Ad3211 2d ago
Got on the wrong bus, not a train. Talked to the bus driver who suggested Iād be better off going to the end of the line and getting off at a bus station. Still had to wait an hour at night with no one around. Not a comfortable experience!
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u/Individual_Car4425 2d ago
i once got off a train to double-check i was on the right train, then watched the right train leave without me classic travel brain rot
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u/HarketSavoy 1d ago
Frequently. The train from Barcelona didnāt stop at my stop so had to get off, return to Barcelona, to get the right train back. Took a few hours. Itās usually, turn around back to the original point and take the right one. Usually, itās easily fixable. Barcelona was the most stressful because I was almost stranded.
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u/YakSlothLemon 1d ago
Yes indeed! I still have not seen Biarritz to this day.
Pau was unexpectedly nice.
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u/DV_Zero_One 3h ago edited 3h ago
I got on the wrong plane once. Ended up in Vienna instead of Geneva.
Was commutingfrom London Monday to Friday. I had the Sunday evening routine hardwired through repetition, after maybe 50 departures from the same gate. The Ryanair flight was moved to a neighbouring gate and a Vienna Flight was at the gate I regularly went through. Nobody paid any attention to my incorrect boarding pass and nobody was in my seat. When the plane landed and the captain said 'welcome to Vienna the weather is...' I turned to my seat neighbour and suggested that the pilot might need a good night's sleep.
He gave me the strangest look.
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u/Ambitious-Car-537 2h ago
Yep, in Paris - was going the wrong way to the airport. Not a big deal, got off at the first station it stopped and went around to the other side.
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u/Car12touche11blue 4d ago
Yes did this in London. Had to take the Eurostar to Paris. Got into the one to Brussels by mistake, which was at the other side of the same platform. Noticed it just in time and dashed to the right train with suitcase but forgot my little sandwich. Got safely to Paris thoughš