What did you goofballs forget this time?

Never put anything in a seat back pocket of you want to see it again. Plus it’s filthy in there!

My husband once left a safari-type khaki jacket in the overhead bin on a flight home. I had gifted it to him only a few weeks earlier. I have to watch him all the time!

Hey Mike,

As usual, "your light-hearted topics" :)

In all my trips, I have never forgotten anything -- whether it be from home or traveling.

I'm a very organized and careful packer. Before I leave, I make a list and check off as I pack.

I also use yellow post-its for the appliances, heat, etc. in home -- for example, one gets stuck to the stove with the word "OFF" -- so as I look around the home before I leave, I can see the stickys and "feel confident" that I didn't leave anything electrical on or whatever.

For my return to home, I pack up the day or night before. But, being organized, lol, I actually "pack as I go" during my holiday. So, souvenirs and the like are packed securely and accordingly. So far, all my things and (checked bag) have made it safely home and in tact. Although I don't leave stuff all around, when leaving, I double check the hotel room. I think out of habit, lol.

It's sort of related (to not forget anything) --- in my hotel, I am also very organized. After showering, dressing, hair and makeup, lol, I put everything away. I feel it makes the Housekeeping's job easier. They have free roam to clean and vacuum, etc. without having to navigate personal belongings. But, that's just me, I've always been that way.

eta: oh yeah, I don't put anything in the seat pockets. My coat is folded, put into a new trash bag and put on top of my carry on in the OH. Actually, lol, one FA thought it was a good idea for most bulky coats.

Besides protection from germs, it's also for the coat to be able to slide onto my carry on so it's not spilling onto or taking up room for other passengers' bags. I'm petite, about 5'4", so I can't reach deep. But, passengers, tall guys have stepped in to help; which I really appreciated.

I like to brush my teeth and rinse prior to an early a.m. landing at Heathrow because I dislike that nasty feeling in my mouth, and it just makes me feel a bit more refreshed and ... better.

Same here - but I hate to expose my toothbrush to the petri dish that is an airplane bathroom. So, I always keep a supply of the Colgate Wisp disposable toothbrushes in my purse - at home and abroad! You don't even have to rinse.

https://smile.amazon.com/Colgate-Wisp-Toothbrush-Guaranteed-Toothbrushes/dp/B00LM1DW38/ref=pd_cp_194_2?pd_rd_w=bH14N&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=SGBME5Z3S15DJP8HE96G&pd_rd_r=09844788-5ebb-11e9-a56a-39d659a90f68&pd_rd_wg=lFqMp&pd_rd_i=B00LM1DW38&psc=1&refRID=SGBME5Z3S15DJP8HE96G

I'm very careful about checking and triple checking whenever we get off the airplane or leave the hotel.

The worst we 'almost' did was our first trip - in Rome at the train stn waiting for the train when they announced a track change - off we went, leaving our computer bag sitting on a bench - luckily, we noticed within a minute and the train stn wasn't very busy, so it was still sitting there.

landing at Heathrow because I dislike that nasty feeling in my mouth, and it just makes me feel a bit more refreshed and ... better.

Agreed. I have my tooth brush, toothpaste, floss, and little mouthwash in my carry tote. I also carry gum. After eating, I go and brush. And, since I have a longer layover at Heathrow, I go to the Ladies' Room to freshen up, etc. I usually wear my hair in a clip or ponytail on the plane going abroad. It saves a woman from "bad hair." lol!

BMWBGV, not too long ago there was a tip going around the internet (and in a thread or two here) from a frequent traveler or flight attendant or someone. Her trick was to leave one shoe in the hotel safe with her valuables so that she could not forget to check the safe.

Stan, that's funny! However, I'd probably forget the shoe as well....

My relative forgot his passport in the seat pocket. He was old enough to know better but never listens to the FA instructions and had it out to fill out landing card. Of course he didn't realize it until they were half way to customs. The whole family then had to run back to the gate and explain to the gate personnel their problem. Luckily, he kept his boarding pass so one of the crew found it easily.

I always double check seat pocket, underneath seats and around the seat itself. Knock on wood, I've never lost anything.

On a recent trip I lost my Bose headphones. Probably left them in seatpocket on airplane.

On our last trip to London, found a 50 pound note in our safe. Appreciated the welcoming gift.

I remember having to purchase a tooth brush in Vienna having failed to pack one of the dozen my dentist gave me. Rushing out the door for a Christmas flight to Paris, I left my winter jacket at home - was in the mid 70’s in Florida and had snow in the Bastille. Left a charging cable for an iPhone in Evora. That’s when lightning connectors were new and not easy to find. So in about 20 trips, I’ve been lucky!

Girasole- brilliant idea with the sticky notes. How many times have I been halfway to the airport and wondered if everything had been turned off! I also have to be the last one out because my sainted husband is notorious for leaving lights on. One trip we returned and a closet light had beeen left on and it was HOT in there - not sure how close we were to a fire. I wear a neck wallet during transit not because I am afraid of pickpockets but it keeps everything right where I can touch it. Medications go in my purse first and then if I have passport and credit card, I figure I can solve everything else.

On my trips I have never forgotten anything, be it a certain credit card i wanted to bring, toothbrushes, a language dictionary, travelers checks (in those days), my rail pass, wallet, the neck pouch or hidden pocket, the waist belt, cell phone, and so on.

Only in 2001 did I forget one important item...the main pouch of 35 mm film since I was still using the 35 mm camera.

I still had film already packed in but the main pouch I had left at home. So, I ended up spending extra on film after I got over there, in Poland, France, Germany.

Thank you, Patty Steilacoom, WA.

Wow, good thing that hot light did not start a spark. Yikes!

I pack a travel (brush style) curling iron. The one in my bathroom gets used the day of travel, but then I immediately unplug it. Thermostats get turned off. Certain home plugs get unplugged. It's good to have a check list. "You think you'll remember everything." But, then you can drive yourself crazy with the "did I?"

"If" anything, I could always have my parents check out my place. I was never a smoker so I don't have to worry about that. And, I don't light candles right before my trip. lol, overkill? Maybe, ha. But, I like to err on the side of caution. Of course, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can be heard in an emergency. But, who wants to come home to that? ugh!

Girasole never forgetting anything... get outta here.

I'd recommend taking a picture of your car to remember where you parked at the airport. Perhaps even your hotel room number?

Or write it down somewhere and lose that, too.

Anybody else check for their passport and wallet every so often, and get a bit of an adrenaline rush if it's not exactly where you thought it would be?

OMG! Mike, lol! Yeah, I guess I'm detailed oriented.

Adding,

Perhaps even your hotel room number? < Yep!! I loved my hotel room. So, lol! I did take pics. Although, two years in a row, I got the same room! I don't know about future trips, lol.

This past year, a friend drove me to the airport. But, the first year, I did park at Logan. Yes, I remembered where I parked coming off a late night flight ;)

Oh and, I have my PP and slim travel wallet with euros and card in my little cross body under my coat! So, if I need to "escape," lol, I don't have to worry. I can leave the country. Now you know my secrets. So, if I bump into you on the streets of Rome, don't try to pickpocket me, lest you want the dark eye balling of this Italian girl :)

and get a bit of an adrenaline rush

Handsome, Italian men walking around at lunchtime; in their slim Italian suits and custom leather shoes.

Back in December I connected in Paris after an overnight flight from SFO. I rarely check bags, but did this trip due to stocking up on stuff to bring back to Italy with me. Got off the plane, used the restroom, hung up my winter coat on hook, backpack on floor. Walked out of restroom with backpack, and by the time I realized I’d left my coat behind, I’d already passed through immigration and security for flight to Milan. Tried retracing my steps, but without a international boarding pass couldn’t get back into international flight area. On hindsite, I’d always attached my coat to the strap in top if my roller bag. Checking my bag broke my experienced routine.

Fortunately, in the checked duffel bag were all our ski clothing and accessories, so had a ski jacket to wear. Finding a woman’s XL winter jacket in Italy would have been a challenge, especially in our small town.

At the risk of jinxing myself.. Ive never forgotten anything.. ever.. I dont understand not checking the hotel safe, bathroom , and under the beds.. etc..

NO, wait, I did forget something once, it was a plastic folder with our itinerary and all hotel and train confirmations .. but thanks to my compulsive need to be thoroughly organized with travel it was ok as i had duplicate copies of all papers in suitcase.
Left it on counter at airport in Dublin where you stop before going through security to make sure all your liquids are in a baggie or to throw out your water bottles .

My husband’s boss recently booked a trip to Mexico with a large group of family members. He and his wife drove to an airport three hours away to meet the rest of the group. When they got there he realized he forgot the passports on his kitchen counter. He and his wife missed the trip entirely. There were no flights the next day, and by the time they could have got to Mexico, they would have had to turn around and come home.

My sister once flew home from a visit with me without her suitcase. We each thought the other had put it in the car. Thankfully she had her id in her purse when we got to the airport so she could get home. I mailed her important stuff to her and kept the rest until her next visit.

My husband wonders why I make lists, create a bin of travel related stuff, create a binder of important documents, pack and re-pack a month in advance, re-check my lists the night before, and put the suitcases in front of the door the night before. This is why!

Nice backup plan, Pat.

We've had two problems going paperless. Once, my wife's phone with the key info just died. On another occasion, doing what I do best, I dropped my phone.

My daughter keeps reminding me it's 2019. She's paperless. Good luck.

Hey!! Who are you calling a goof ball?

"...paperless...." That's one option, but I still put everything I need to know apart from the necessary, if needed, print outs, on 3x5 cards and never forgot to bring or lost them either...it doesn't happen.

Yes to the adrenaline rush of checking for the passport for the 50th time and not finding it in its "proper" spot. I give myself a stern admonishment for putting it in the"wrong" place.

Love the tips! Shoe in the safe. Good one. Sticky notes around the house. Like it.

I travel nearly (not 100%) paperless with documents in dropbox. My backup is a 2nd, older phone.

… that only helps if I actually look at my documents. On one (domestic) trip I forgot that (many months prior) I had broken my normal routine of flying out of Oakland and had booked out of San Francisco instead. Showed up at Oakland AND made it through security. Was bewildered when I couldn't find my San Francisco flight on the Oakland boards. Fortunately it was Southwest, so the cost of my mistake wasn't too painful.

Travel4fun- the reason I said “with a credit card and passport (ID) you can solve most problems” is because when we took my daughter to college orientation we left my suitcase at home. It was a 4 day thing and I had nothing. I suspect my OCD travel prep comes from that.

I can face a foreign country on little to no sleep as long as I have freshly brushed teeth & that’s no lie. I’m now preparing to pack for my trip in 2 weeks and pulled out my master packing list—it’s ensured I never forget anything important. Things will be added to the stack, clothes selected and rejected, some if not all will get packed, and on departure day I will run down the list one more time, just in case—it’s always worked for me. I never place anything in drawers in hotels and tend to have a system that works to keep track of important stuff whilst traveling.

Four years ago, leaving for one month on the Camino in Spain, I forgot my iPhone on the kitchen table, so was without a phone for the whole month. Interesting experience and though I was fine without it, husband wanted me to get in touch with him each evening, so had to ask other people if I could use their phone to write an email.

When my step-father died, rushed off to Ohio the next day. Thought I had everything packed to wear for the funeral, but when it was time to get dressed, realized I had brought 2 left shoes. They looked the same, so easy mistake. Squished into a pair from my mother.

This is the worst I have heard.....friends booked a trip to San Juan, Costa Rica. Or, so they thought. They actually booked to San Juan, Puerto Rico and didn’t realize till too close to departure. So that is where they went. Totally different destination than they thought. Really. How do u do that?

Not us but our former exchange family was halfway from their home on Lake Constance to the Zurich airport when they realized that the folder with all four of their passports was on their dining room table. He jumped off the train at the next stop and started the journey back to pick up the missing passports. He got back to the airport with just minutes to spare. That was 5 years and they are still talking about it and a bit traumatized.

We’ve never done anything quite so heart stopping but that doesn’t stop me from having nightmares about going to our airport and realizing we’ve left the passports at home. I think if we had credit cards, ATM cards and passports we could keep going and get by fairly well.

I have lost my passport twice. First time was on a plane, getting off in Phoenix and luckily checked just after getting off the plane. The crew let me back on eventually and was happily re-united. The other time, I went to the washroom at the ferry terminal for the Sidney, BC- Anacortes WA ferry and left my purse hanging on the back of the door. An hour later, as we were about to board, I realized and luckily it was still there. Too much heart racing. We leave next week for 3 weeks in Italy and I will be vigilant!

Of course, I also forgot my passport at home, a 5 hour drive and one ferry ride from the Canada/US border. As I got to the window, I opened the passport I brought and realized that not only was it expired, it was my husband's. The border guy thought it was hilarious. Got into the US and back into Canada several weeks later with no problem, just embarrassment.

I think I better let my husband manage the passports...

One time for a business meeting I somehow forgot my purse at home. I realized it when I entered the park & fly lot at the airport. Somehow, the travel gods were with me as I managed to make it home and back to the airport (somehow dodging the usual morning commute traffic) and made the flight by the skin of my teeth. Yeah for carry on only and a Nexus card for expedited security. (Not sure how I missed it as it was in the same place it is every day. I am fairly habitual.)
Otherwise, it was glasses and a novel in a seat pocket, which I realized in the San Antonio airport after departing. That was just the start of experiencing the friendliest folks (with a few rotten apples in the barrel) I have ever met.
Lastly was a water bottle on the plane that got hidden by the heavy winter coat that I was using as a pillow.
Most googball moment was forgetting to close the hatch on the station wagon for a family camping trip. We entertained the neighbours as the pillows and odds and ends dropped out the back as we started down the block. Given that the driver also didn't see the hatch wasn't closed; I refuse to take full responsibility......

@emma - EEK!

diveloonie, here's a quote from Dumb and Dumber:

"Some people just weren't cut out for life on the road."

My worst was my first trip with a Smartphone. In an effort to reduce my carry on load I put every reservation, confirmation, ticket etc. in the phone. No more camera, travel alarm clock or GPS because my phone will do all of that for me. I arrived in Paris, trained downtown and walked to my hostel. I get to the hostel and realize I've lost my phone. I looked through my stuff then went down and asked at the desk. It had dropped out of my back pocket in the toilet off the lobby. Fortunately someone turned it in and I was able to retrieve it.

I've left a few toiletries, travel towels and phone chargers behind over the years. Nothing I couldn't replace.

Not quite "forgot", but . . . .
My wife and I get off the plane and arrive at immigration. She opens her handbag, takes out our two passports, hands mine to me and walks forward to the immigration officer, giving him her passport.
I open my passport, and discover it is hers! The immigration officer then opens "her" passport and sees a male photo.
I wave at him from behind my wife holding up her real passport, he sees me and starts laughing (as am I) hands the passport back to me wife and waves us both through.

I then had to explain to me wife why both the immigration officer and myself were laughing.

After that we put coloured stickers on our passports.

My worst mess-up was on one trip to Germany in summer, when I left my sun hat at home, bought a replacement at the railway station, and then left that on a tram only two days later.

Years ago, about to fly home from Switzerland with business buddies, we're in Zurich airport when buddy #1 realizes that her passport's in her about-to-be-checked bag. So, unlock bag, open it up on the floor, start to rummage, & look up at the two uniformed soldiers With Machine Guns politely saying please stand up now... Maybe that was the year I started reeeally making a list & checking it twice.

Not me but someone else...We were flying from Venice to London and I wanted to use the computer at the airport while waiting at our gate (this was in '08, before we had a laptop or ipad and airports still had things like computer kiosks). The person using the computer before me left a binder on the floor. I didn't notice it until it was time to start boarding the plane, so I picked it up and gave it to the people at the boarding desk. I peeked inside and it looked like all of someone's travel plans. I didn't notice if she had gotten on our plane (I would have taken it on otherwise and asked the FA to announce that it had been found), but I did notice that she had a silver hardside wheelie bag. When we got off in London, there ahead of us was the girl with the silver suitcase - I said - were you at the computer blahblah - yes - you left your black binder...she looked like she was going to barf so it must have been impt.

I guess the worst mistake for me was also on that trip - we had a relatively new digital camera and I didn't look at what batteries it took before we left - I just thought it took AAA - so I packed a bunch of AAA. At the Coliseum in Rome - batteries going dead. Pull out my AAA, open the battery door - AA. I swear I spent a good $50 on batteries on that trip. I also learned the father away you get from a tourist sight, the cheaper the batteries are.

I left my magnetic iPhone holder attached to the rental car air vent in Nuremberg. Didnt realize it was missing until I got to my car at SFO.

I bought a nice painting in Florence, leaned it up against the train wall & me. Did not want to take a chance with it in the overhead. Got to Venice and when my friend & I checked into our B&B he asked, Wheres the painting? I was not a happy camper.

my husband brought two brand new Columbia shirts - one black one white - he left the only worn once black shirt hanging to dry in the shower in Beaune. I hope it fit someone!

Twice my ex-husband forgot some pretty important things (this may be indicative of why we are no longer married). The first time we were traveling to visit my parents for Christmas. I had spent hours the night before wrapping and packing two huge suitcases worth of presents to take with us, and left them in the middle of the family room floor where I thought they were highly visible. The morning we were leaving was a madhouse (our son was only a year old so trying to get him and all his baby things packed was a real chore), and I didn't have time to double check everything before we left. Imagine my surprise when we arrive at the airport and I realize that hubby didn't put either of those two big suitcases in the trunk. I spent the first half of our vacation replacing all those presents so that Christmas morning wouldn't be a total bust. The second time he forgot to pack dress pants when we were traveling for my grandfather's funeral - and he had to be a pallbearer. We had no time to buy a replacement since this was discovered just minutes before we had to leave for the service, so he ended up wearing an extra pair of my father's pants, which were approximately 3 inches too short and absolutely skin tight on him. Ugh.

In 1998, I came home from a late night flight from Montreal to Atlanta. I went to my car parked at the airport and put my luggage in the trunk of the car and drove out of the airport and at the place to pay for parking, I reached in my purse for my money. NO Wallet! I immediately realized that I had left my open wallet at the kiosk where you pay for the luggage carts. I had enough cash to pay for my parking and so I left and doubled back to the airport.
I went to the curbside SkyCap station, jumped out of my car, grabbed the agent's lapels, gave him my passport and told him to go "look for my wallet where I had left it at the luggage kiosk". It is midnight on a Sunday night, hardly anyone in the airport. I sat in my car waiting for the SkyCap to come back and mentally detailing the credit cards I had lost, my license, etc.

He came back with my wallet and said someone had turned it in to Lost and Found! I gave him a $20 dollar bill and thanked him profusely. All my credit cards and other personal information were still there.
This all happened before 9/11.

On a flight to Moscow, I left my money belt in the lav. Some nice soul turned it in & a FA announced it. I didn't even realize I left it.

I haven’t left anything on a plane or in a hotel. I did leave three bags of trash in my trunk. I meant to drop them off at the trash dumpster on the way to the airport. Totally forgot. I came home from a week in Amsterdam over Thanksgiving to a car I could smell from 5 rows away in airport parking!

My husband left his expensive prescription glasses with the nifty little clip-on sunglasses in the leased vehicle when he turned it in at the Nice airport. Since we were staying several days in the area, he tried tracking them down. No dice—lost forever. Luckily, this was his spare.

I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached. I do lots of business trips, and have forgotten the usual (shaver, shaving cream, toothbrush, toothpaste) at home.
During my trips, I mostly lost/forgot some small things (scarf, cap, cellphone charger, powerbank); plus, I hate to admit, an entire suitcase. Was travelling with backpack and suitcase, was distracted by a phone call, and because I did have my backpack, leaving a train without the suitcase did not feel wrong. I realized my mistake within about a minute, but the train had already departed. Luckily, the information counter at the station had the means to phone the conductor on the train, who made sure the suitcase was mailed back to me.

What I do now is prioritize. When packing at home, the essential items go first. I like to bring my headphones, but they are not essential - so they go last. Toothpaste can be bought at airports or train stations. Good hotels also provide toothbrushes and toothpaste at the reception. So it's low priority as well.

When leaving a train, I now triple-check, making sure there is nothing near my seat that belongs to me, and checking the essentials: Right number of bags? Wallet? Keys? Ticket? Cellphone? When I put my wallet into a different pocket than the usual one, or have less luggage than usual, I frequently experience moments of distress before realizing that nothing is wrong.

I left my journal on an ATT Kings bus coming back from King's Canyon in Australia. Don't know why I didn't put it back in my day bag when done writing. Don't know why I didn't see it when I stood up to depart. Talked to the driver of another bus later, shortly after realizing the journal was gone. I had conversations with drivers and a woman in the office, and they managed to find the journal and send it on to my next hotel. I got off my bus there at midnight, where there was a hotel greeter getting us all to our rooms, and he was holding a large envelope with my journal. I just about hugged him. As I said to the lady in the office, it had no monetary value, but as a record of terrific trip, it was beyond any price in dollars.

In our long history of home exchanging, we've had two families forget clothing at our house at the end of the exchange recently. With both families as soon as I discovered the clothing I emailed and asked them if they’d like for me to donate the item(s) or ship it back to them. Both men asked to have their things shipped and offered to pay the cost. I couldn’t understand why the jeans guy would want to pay so much to have one pair of heavy jeans mailed back until I looked at the label and realized they were Alexander McQueen jeans. The second guy had left 2 dresser drawers full of shorts, T-shirt’s and some underwear. I was a bit surprised about him wanting these items back. They looked well worn...

Note to self and others, check drawers and closets thoroughly when packing to leave.

EDIT: Shipped jeans to Ealing, UK. Shipped used old clothes to Bern, CH.

I was a bit surprised about him wanting these items back. They looked
well worn...

LOL. Some guys hate shopping that much.

Unless my wife buys me clothes I'd probably wear what I have forever.

We've had couchsurfers leave some stuff behind - a few left the odd sock. One forgot her jean shorts (she did an impromptu swim and had left them to dry hanging on our watering hose reel and forgot them). One couple left a couple of travel towels - they feel like chamois to me - a microfiber fast drying kinda thing. They had hung them on hangers in the closet to dry - I don't think they are cheap - he had me mail them to Montreal for him (reimbursed me, of course).

I have lost/broken a couple of camera filters and a lens cap that fell into a fast moving stream in Chamonix. No biggies. Years ago, I used to pack for my husband when he went on business trips which were usually very last minute. He always wore dark socks. On one last minute trip that I packed for him, he discovered that I had packed my six year old daughter’s knee socks instead of his socks. His trip was for several days. I think he may have worn my six year old’s socks on that trip.

This is the inverse of Mike's question, yrs ago I was in London with a friend at a low budget bed and breakfast with the bathroom down the hall, and inexplicably no trash can in the room. My friend carefully packed and brought along the couple of pieces of trash I had laying on the table between our bags

Not as big a deal as a cell phone or passport, but on our trip we just returned from last week, we forgot a nice wedge of Cotswolds cheese in our Oxford apartment fridge that we wee planning to enjoy in London. Realized it upon arrival/unpacking in London. We were very sad at the loss of the cheese but we kept calm and carried on ;) Hopefully the cleaning person or next guests enjoyed it!

I've stayed a few times in the last 10 years at B&Bs in London Kings Cross where the room was not en suite. I had to use the WC down the hall. You want en suite, you pay extra. Still, the room included a trash can.

If the trash can had not been there, (maybe the cleaning person forgot to put it back?), I would taken the very little trash I have and dumped it in the can in the WC. It's such a small amount as to be not even noticeable.

Well, my friends, I'm sort of glad this thread was revived.

Yes, I forgot my cell phone during our recent trip to England. Actually, we were on our way to Dulles from Charlottesville, when about 30 minutes from home I realized my phone was not with us. It was OK as we just used my wife's phone, but it irritated her a bit when I "borrowed" her phone to check up on the news and so forth.

Maybe this was a blessing in disguise? If I had my phone I probably couldn't resist checking work related e-mails, and then likely get sidetracked by some non-crisis.

One time while in Osaka, we forgot to get our vacation money from the hotel safe. Yes, all of our vacation money. We were in Kyoto already when my husband asked me about the envelope... We called the hotel and they had it, but we had to go back to Osaka to retrieve it. The train ride from Kyoto to Osaka is about 40 minutes. On the bright side I can say we got our money back, all of it, gotta love honest people; we got to see the Glico running man again, walk through Dotombori again and buy cheesecake from Pablo. But yeah, it wasn't pretty at first. Now I double check everything from drawers to safes and my packing list. My husband checks everything too even if I checked already.

We've developed a couple habits that are helpful, if not guaranteed. At any rate we feel better running through them. After we get in the car and before we leave the drive, we ask each other: Passport? Credit card? Money? Tickets? (Anything else can be replaced if really needed.) I like to touch each one, just to be sure. ;-)

And while in route I "always" put my credit card and passport back in the same pocket of my crossbody minibag immediately when they're handed back to me - except for that one time at Reagan National when I got to chatting with the ticketing agent ......... (Fortunately I had time to go back (to the opposite end of the ticketing lobby, no less) even though I'd gone thru security.) And, yes, BMWBGV, I too get a rush each of the bazillion times I check for them.

In hotel rooms, I try to keep everything within arm's reach of my suitcase. When we are all packed up and ready to go out the door, we each do a "beach check" ala river guides who walk through camp once everything is in the rafts going downriver. More than once we've found cords, socks, toiletries, even a packing cube full of stuff. Whew! I sure like Girasol's sticky note idea and might adapt it for hotel room doors to remind about the safe.

Thanks for the summer reading; at your expense of course, but still highly entertaining! I being perfect have nothing to declare, but hubby forgot custom made Italian sport coat, trousers, and silk shirt in the hotel cupboard. He was so mortified that he refused to contact them about possible shipping and it would have been worth it. I had forgotten this nugget. ;)

I’ll be considering that sticky note routine!

Hickory, whoa, Nelly! Maybe you could call for him? I could see asking my wife to do that: "Honey, this is embarrassing could you call?"

Washington, the state... love that.

In bathrooms airlines and otherwise I've seen underwear and clothing. How does that happen?

Can’t say I’ve ever forgotten anything, but I did travel (or at least try to) with a friend who forgot to check his passport’s expiration date - it was set to expire during the trip, and he’d somehow failed to notice that or pay attention to any notifications from airlines about it (if any). I should add he didn’t notice this until showing up to the airport and having the ticket counter agent point it out. Oops!

So it turned in to a solo trip for me!

I took my mom and my 18 year old niece to London and Paris for two weeks. Made it clear we had to pack light and pack smart. So I was a bit embarrassed when I realized I packed two left shoes... from different pairs. I had to go shopping for a pair of walking shoes, and figure out how to get another pair of shoes in my bag. NOW I double and triple check my pair of packed shoes.

Girasole, thanks for the idea about putting coat in a bag. I lost a relatively expensive raincoat because I put it in the overhead bin and since I never do that, I forgot to get it. I knew I'd done it after deplaning, filed a lost report immediately, but did not get it back. Now if I can just find a bright red bag big enough to hold a coat!

travel4fun, what an awful story about he couple who missed their trip to Mexico. I try to be compulsive about 2 things: passport and credit cards and prescription meds. Everything else can be replaced if you have those things.

As I mentioned, recently, on another thread, my husband forgot his passport one time. That was bad enough, but we were stopping over, for a few days, to attend my niece’s wedding in Baltimore, as were our daughter and sil, so no one was at home to retrieve passport. Absence of pp discovered at airport check in. We had to wait until our son-in-law got home, found the pp, and fedexed it to us, before continuing our journey. We missed three days of our trip, and forfeited a prepayment for a hotel in Madrid. Now I insist that he show me his pp before we walk out the door of our house.

In 2016, my husband and I flew into Heathrow. We spent two nights at a hotel by the airport and visited friends before flying to Germany. The morning we left, we jumped on the shuttle to the airport. At the next shuttle stop, my husband realized he left his backpack in the hotel lobby about a quarter mile down the road. He had both of our passports in that bag! He jumped out and sprinted back to the lobby to retrieve the bag and sprinted back before the shuttle moved on to the next hotel. He’s a runner and said that he was running about a 5 minute mile there and back! It was very out of character for us to not ask each other as we left the lobby if we had everything. We had a good chuckle once his heart rate returned to normal!

Better believe since then we double and triple check to make sure we have our passports and all bags!

Not me, my sister. Sent her then 14-year-old daughter (my niece) to visit me from the UK to Switzerland. Unaccompanied minor on a flight. When she arrived I discovered she had a supply of Euros as spending money. Switzerland uses Franks.

What mother sends her daughter on her first foreign trip, solo, with the wrong currency?

The Bank of Uncle had to change them to Franks.

We were traveling on 4 hours sleep, having gotten up at 4:00am in Vienna, connected thru Prague to Heathrow for our return trip home.
After going through security at Heathrow Terminal 5, we shopped at the duty free stores, used the restroom, and wandered. I looked at my daughter - she didn't have her carry-on!

She uses those TILE disks, and had one placed in her carry-on. Using her cell phone, we tracked the suitcase back to security - she never retrieved the carry-on from security!! We learned that once a bag is not retrieved, it really goes through intensive screening. My normally laid -back, experienced traveler, adult daughter was really rattled that she could make such a mistake ! However, we did get the carry-on back from security without TOO much delay, and returned home without further incident.

Just a lesson to be extra vigilant when sleep-deprived. Also, now she ALWAYS tucks the TILE disks in all her important items.
Safe travels to all!