Things To Do In The Event These 8 Travel Nightmares Come True

File a police report immediately within the first 24 hours. Then locate the nearest embassy or consulate in the country you're visiting and schedule an emergency appointment if possible. Explain your situation and provide a copy of the police report as proof. Make sure to be prepared with all the relevant documentation for verification purposes so that you can apply for a temporary passport!

Losing sight of your child is undoubtedly a terrifying ordeal. Although this may seem impossible, try your best to remain calm. The immediate step is to enlist the help of the relevant and capable authorities such as the police or security personnel.

Finding help from the right people is important, especially if they have dealt with similar situations in the past as they will be able to help you better and will also be more understanding.

Aside from enlisting the help of the authorities, you can also share a photo of your child (better if it was taken on that day). Include the photo with your contact details as well as ways to reach the police or any relevant personnel in the vicinity where your child got lost. This could be the concierge of a mall, a security guard or a restaurant manager - basically anyone and everyone who could assist you with the process. This is so people will know who to look out for and will be able to identify the physical characteristics of your child, the clothes that he/she is wearing, and who to get in touch with.

The last thing you need after a long day of travelling is having to deal with a terrible hotel room, especially if the room is different from what you were promised.

First, try talking it over with the front desk staff, and negotiate for a better room. Approach the situation calmly and refrain from being rude or making any threats to the hotel staff. Explain to them how your expectations weren't met, and show them the comparison between your room and the one advertised.

Consult higher-level management if necessary and work out a refund if you can’t get a different room. If you used a third-party reservation site, contact them and find out if they can help to cancel your stay, refund your money and get you a better alternative.

Your first course of action should be to cancel all your cards and to terminate your phone line. Next, report the incident to the local police to get a statement. Although your stolen belongings are as good as gone and the chances of getting them back are slim to none, keep the police report as proof for when you file for insurance claims. You never know, the authorities might be able to locate it, even after you've left the country.

One of the available, albeit more costly options, is to get a cash advance on your credit card, if you have one. However, don’t neglect the fine print and be sure to go over the policies set by the credit card company.

Alternatively, another secure method is to have someone wire money bank-to-bank or through an international wire transfer service. If a trusted family member or a friend has your account information, you could ask them to make an emergency deposit if necessary.

Depending on location (and sometimes luck), some backpacker hostels will strike you a deal and allow for an exchange of labour for free stay.

Dealing with a crashed rented car is not too different from when you crash a regular car, except that you have to deal with a few additional steps. If ever you find yourself in this situation, stay calm and make sure that the scene and everyone involved is safe. Next, exchange contact and insurance information with the parties involved, like you would in a normal accident. Take photos of the damage and if you can, don’t mention that it’s a rented car to avoid others from trying to take advantage of your situation.

Now comes the tedious bit, which is paperwork. Call your car rental company ASAP to notify them about the accident. Ask them how you should proceed as different companies have different guidelines. Next, call your own insurance company to inform them about the accident as well. Figure out what they would need from you, and whose responsibility it is to file the accident report with the local police. Of course, be sure to go through the fine print of both your insurance plan and the one provided by the rental company.

You arrived late, or maybe you got the time wrong and now you’ve missed your flight. Be prepared as this little mishap will cost you some extra cash. Avoid stressing yourself out too much and manage your expectations. You might not get booked onto the next flight immediately but in any case, do stand by for any extra seat opening up at the last minute.

Some airlines have also been using Twitter and other social media platforms to connect with their customers. Try corresponding with them on different channels, and you just might increase your chances of jumping onto the next soonest flight!

Whether it's because you missed your flight or it got delayed, getting stuck in an airport is unpleasant as it gets. You may want to break things and get your rage on, but keep calm. This is the perfect time to channel your inner Gandhi. There are a number of things you can do to make the most of this dire situation.

Find the airport's terminal bar and get acquainted with fellow travelers who are stuck in the same situation as you. If you have some extra money to spend, it doesn't hurt to pay the fee to enter airline lounges. You could also take this opportunity to write down your travels, read a book, catch up on TV series or get some sleep. Basically, just get creative!