Admit it. We’ve all made some truly terrible travel mistakes. Whether on a first trip or traveling for the umpteenth time, there are certain travel mistakes we are bound to make. Some of these lapses, however small, can prove to be quite costly. For instance, you may not have been careful enough while planning your budget. This can cause serious consequences such as being stranded cashless halfway across the world. Nobody wants that. To help you better plan your future trips, we’ve listed some very common travel mistakes to avoid making.
Common Travel Mistakes to Avoid Making:
Check out our list of the most common and costly travel mistakes you’ve probably been making. Avoid travel mistakes like these even when making an emergency trip somewhere on last minute flights. These are some of the best common travel tips you’ll find anywhere!
- Booking errors
Your travel frustrations will know no bounds when you make a booking error. What is a booking error? It is anything and everything related to your flights. Maybe you’ve booked flights with too little connecting time in between – this could cause you to miss a flight. Maybe you haven’t checked for hidden costs while booking – your flight will cost more now. Also, if you neglect to check baggage fees, your trip will be that much more expensive. All of these (and more) booking errors are the worst travel mistakes you can make.
- Overpacked luggage
One of the top tourist mistakes, overpacked luggage is among the biggest travel problems you can face. This is especially among the worst travel mistakes if you’re overpacking a carry-on. It will not fit into the overhead bin on your plane. Neither will it go under the seat. Need we mention how inconvenient it will be to lug the huge thing around? Just pack the basics. You can always get anything else you might at your destination. Note how we say might here?
- Your credit card company doesn’t know you’re traveling
This is one of the costliest travel mistakes we can make. Why take that risk of having your travel credit card blocked while transacting abroad? If the company doesn’t know it’s you, they will block the card thinking it was stolen. So tell them when you’re about to travel. Also, when you’re at the airport checking your flight status online, try to get a bit of cash out of the ATM. You don’t want to depend solely on your card for the entire trip.
- Not buying travel insurance
Well, if you can afford business class flights, there is no excuse to not get travel insurance. One of the most common travel mistakes people make is to think they do not need insurance. What if you fall sick on the trip and need medical attention? What if your travel documents got stolen? What if you miss your flights? There are a lot of what ifs here but these are scenarios you must consider when planning a trip. Get the right kind of insurance that will cover you every way possible.
- An inadequate mobile plan
Not checking with your service provider about good data plans is among the biggest travel mistakes you can make. You’ll need internet on your mobile if you’re planning on Instagramming pretty much your entire trip. Roaming costs will deflate your bank account so slyly you won’t even know what hit you. Get a plan that will allow you to avoid roaming fees. You’ll be able to use your phone to check maps, call loved ones, and anything else you normally do.
- Relying too much on guidebooks
Yes, guidebooks help. But how much they help is anybody’s guess. One of the worst travel mistakes you can make is to rely too much on your trusted guidebook. While the book may be helpful, it will take you only so far. Many of these books are written by those who haven’t traveled much. You will need an actual local guide who has been-there-done-that if you really want to dig deep into a location. This is the best way to explore a new place.
- Being an obsessive shutterbug
Do you really need to photograph everything you eat, every street you’re on, and everything you buy? While we’re at it, let us tell you that no one back home wants to look at the bathroom tile pictures you took. Going camera-crazy is among the most colossal travel mistakes you can make. You’ll just end up with hundreds of snapshots taking up space on your phone. Also, we’re quite sure your loved ones back home won’t be too excited to sit through a 30-minute session of scrolling through pointlessly clicked pictures.
Avoid travel mistakes mentioned above and you don’t have to fret dealing with the biggest travel problems that plague most travelers. The next time you book cheap flight tickets, try not to make these common tourist mistakes. You can say goodbye to all your travel frustrations by simply keeping in mind the above-listed travel mistakes not to make.
