One of the most enriching things in life is travelling. Nothing like it whether it consists of discovering a new kind of culture, trying the street food you can barely pronounce, or simply getting out of your daily routine.
Yet as thrilling as it is, traveling does have its learning curve to it. And others like arrival at the wrong airport terminal or fail to bring your visa can ruin your dream vacation into a nightmare.
The bright side? The overwhelming majority of errors committed when travelling can be thoroughly prevented.
Here are 10 of the most popular travel mistakes to be made in this post; a few I even made myself, and a few I saw other people learn the hard way. It is to be hoped that this list will enable you to miss the stress and be able to concentrate on what you matter: having a good time during your how trip.
1. Over packing (and repenting Later on)
Firstly, we can begin with the old-time favorite.
We have all overpacked, we have all been the people that were ready with every what-if scenario, never to have to carry the heaviest of suitcases through some type of cobblestone streets or stairways to the subway.
Carrying too much with you may drag you behind, charge you an additional fee at the airport, and make the travel so tedious unnecessarily.
The prevention of it:
Keep it to the basics: mix-and-match clothes
Packing cubes can be used to be organized
Put it all on the table, and then take out 20–30 percent
Keep this in mind: you are allowed to wash clothes or purchase items in case they are necessary
Take only that which you are not sure of whether you will or not need it
2. Failure to Check Passport and Visa Requirement
This is a trip killer.
Others get overconfident that their passport will be okay or that they will be granted a visa upon arriving at the country—only to have their journeys terminated at the airport or even not allowed to travel.
The items to recheck:
Are you in possession of a passport that is valid at least 6 months when you expect to come back?
Do you require a Visa? Is it an electronic or physical sticker?
Are there, as an example, entry-related conditions of vaccines or tickets to exit?
Hint: It is best to always verify the official websites of the corresponding countries related to traveling—not some random blogs and forums.
3. Purchasing Airplanes without Sufficient Breaks Between Them
Another easy temptation is to purchase the lowest fare, even when it implies a cramped 45-minute jet bridge in a busy airport such as JFK, or Frankfurt. Yet a minor hold-up, and you are rushing through terminals—or, even worse, missing your connection.
Safe lay off times:
Domestic to domestic: 1 hour or above
Domestic to international: Minimally 2 hours
International to international: minimum 2.5 hours–3 hours
Add buffer time into your schedule—change of airline, change of terminal. An hour to kill and relax is better than 6 hours waiting to find the next flight.
4. Neglect of Travel Insurance
Nobody likes paying a travel insurance fee, however, you will not regret it when something goes afoul.
Travel insurance gives an assurance against trip cancellations, lost luggage, emergency medical care, or delayed flights, among others. This is particularly essential when it comes to international travel, adventure tourism or even high-pocket travel.
Things to watch out for:
Trip cancellation/interruption plan
Coverage of medical expenses (not least of all in another country)
Delay and baggage protection
Round the clock emergency support
Pro tip: There are credit cards that cover an insurance-free trip when using them to purchase it. Find out what you already have before purchasing more.
5. As a result of underestimating Jet Lag and Time Zones
Passing through several time zones? Jet lag will come—usually hard. And it can blow your first few days out otherwise, in case you are not ready.
Problems that human beings cause:
Working reservations by making activities too early after arriving
Oversleeping (or undersleeping) in the plane
Failure to adjust to the local time
What should be done instead:
Begin to move your sleep pattern a couple of days ahead of time
Have water, avoid caffeine and alcohol during flight
Keep to local time and remain awake to bedtime when you arrive even when you are tired
The jet lag will not go away, but intelligent scheduling helps minimize the shock.
6. Not Informing Your Bank or Your Credit Card Company
There is nothing worse than when you are in the middle of trying to pay your dinner bill in Rome or Tokyo, your card will get declined as your bank has deemed that charge as suspicious.
This should be avoided by:
Informing your bank of dates of international travel
Having more than one card
Carrying a little cushion of the local money to use in emergencies
Also find out whether a foreign transaction fee will be charged by some banks charge 3 percent on any foreign purchases. A card that offers easy travelling can end up saving you quite a sum.
7. Local Research skip—Local Research, skip—(Culture, Scams, Laws)
Travel is all about immersion, yet not knowing the local traditions, regulations, and warning signs may result in vulnerability.
Things to research examples:
Local dressing patterns (particularly, religious/conservative nations)
Typical tourist frauds there
Tipping manners in the area
Legislation towards manners in the street, alcohol, or even chewing gum (good day, Singapore)
The better informed you are, the more assured and respectful in an uncharted territory you will be in.
8. An Attempt to Do Too Much
Another commonly done mistake many first-time travelers do is to fill their each day with activity like day-in day-out attempts to see everything. The result? Burnout.
Indications overdoing it:
You forget which day of the week it is
You are so exhausted to even find something pleasant
You are checking the boxes off instead of creating memories
Planning: Plan 1–2 big things each day and allow some room to be spontaneous. The worst decisions make the very best memories at times.
9. Using Backup: Going Only by the Phone (not by Backup)
Phones are simply fantastic travel tools, but they can also break, get lost, or simply fail.
Do not find yourself in a situation where everything is in digital only. Keep some physical backups.
Helpful backups:
A hard version of your passport, itinerary and booking
A pocket book of useful addresses and contact details to use in case of emergency
A power bank, or a charging device
Photos of instructions, timetables, or QR-codes
Since tech can fail (sometimes it does), you will be thankful you have a backup.
10. The Lack of Presence
You can be easily distracted by taking photos, checking your social media, or running to another sight. But, you fail to get the real feeling in the process.
What to do to become more present:
Store your phone during lunch or dinner time or topics
Sit and look—with no camera, no program in mind
Agree to be spontaneous
Not only talk to fellow travelers, but also to locals
Travelling is not a checklist but connectivity, attitude, and gratitude. It is better not to miss the trip when you are on the trip.
Final Thoughts
Travelling is an educational affair. Even the experienced travellers can fail. My secrets: Being ready, flexible, and curious (with a sense of humor) is the key to success.
Traveling alone, going on a honeymoon, or traveling abroad with your friends, these tips will help you to avoid these easy-to-commit travel mistakes, save you money, time and stress and will help you to enjoy your voyage to the fullest.
What has been your travel mistake that you learned? Or have you a tip that saved you a trip? Tell it in the comments, I would be glad to know your story.
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