When exploring the unknown, some mishaps are inevitable. However, there are travel mistakes that can be easily avoided. The question is – are you committing these avoidable mistakes? Perhaps, you are albeit unknowingly. Here are some of the commonly committed travel mistakes that you should know about.
Travel mistakes to avoid
Mistake #1: Not checking the essentials
At least a week before the actual travel date, there are many things you should check. For instance, you need to check the weather forecast to know what clothes to wear and bring. Going on a road trip? You also need to check gas prices. To wit, the gasoline prices today would be utterly different from that of yesterday. Knowing this information also allows you to take advantage of gas price rollbacks.
Mistake #2: Creating an ambitious itinerary
Many travelers are trying to squeeze as many activities as possible within their itinerary without realizing the time it takes to get from one spot to another. Definitely, it’s overkill and won’t make your trip any more significant. Likewise, you won’t be able to wander around and observe the locals if you are just mindlessly jumping from place to place. When you do this, you’re traveling for traveling’s sake, not for the actual experience. Made in Turkey Tours, book a tour on our site.
Mistake #3: Overpacking
Some of us tend to exhaust our baggage allowance going to our destination. Then, when it’s time to go home, we often incur extra charges due to excess. Don’t bring more than what’s necessary, so there’s always an extra room for the things you want to bring home instead.
Mistake #4: Over relying on travel guides
A travel guide can only do so much. It informs a trip, but it shouldn’t define such a trip. When you stick to the guide so much, you often fail to explore and interact with the place, its people, and other travelers. On the other hand, don’t ditch the guide completely either because you’ll never know when you’ll need it.
Mistake #5: Ignoring the local’s advice
Then again, there are those travelers who talk to the locals and yet ignore their suggestions. When something went wrong, they think to themselves that they should’ve heeded the advice in the first place, but it’s already too late. Trust the locals, they say, because most of the time, they don’t mean harm一they genuinely care.
Mistake #6: Not backing up photos
Take nothing but pictures, right? However, not all travelers are diligent enough to secure a backup of their photos, losing all the memories captured on those once the camera gets broken or lost. It is best to connect whatever app you are using to a cloud service for automatic backup. Even when you lost the camera, your pictures are safely stored in the cloud.
Mistake #7: Not factoring in time zones
At times, some international travelers failed to consider the number of time zones they’ll be crossing. They only realize the mistake when they are checking into the hotel that they book in advance. What’s more, some don’t factor in the possibility of jet lag.
Mistake #8: Not producing copies of important document
Passport, IDs, credit cards, etc. These are just some of the most important documents that must be secured. The problem is even the frequent travelers failed to secure hard copies of each. When the original documents are lost, it takes them weeks to months to renew because the authority still needs to verify their identity.
Mistake #9: Tempting pickpockets
Some tourists haven’t learned their lesson – exposing their valuables any way they can! Some travelers tend to be needlessly showy. In the end, they regret they’ve been so.
Mistake #10: Having unrealistic expectations
Some excursionists travel by the book. Everything should go as planned – perfect as it should be. Otherwise, it won’t be a fun and exciting trip at all without realizing that it would be so much fun if they ditch the itinerary altogether.
Mistake #11: Not notifying the bank or credit card issuer
A bank or the issuing company may cancel a card due to unusual activities at any time. Using the card in another country without letting the company know about the intended travel may trigger this.
Mistake #12: Being unaware of the local customs
Cringeworthy as it is, but some travelers are culturally insensitive. Often, they find themselves arguing with a local due to a misunderstanding and an embarrassing one at that.
If you are making these mistakes yourself, chances are, you’re not enjoying as much of your trips as you should. Treat your previous mistakes as a learning experience and proceed to a more enjoyable vacation because you know what to do now.
