I would have liked to have if I had to have...what?

Most people appear to be confused about would have. I hear them saying things like this:

I would have like to have gone, but I didn't get to.

What they don't know is this: you don't need more than one "have." They can say it either of two ways:

I would like to have gone...
I would have liked to go...

TIP: Cut your "haves" in half.