Planning a trip abroad, especially your first trip abroad, is an exciting experience. She scrolls on Pinterest and Instagram for travel inspiration, buys the perfect backpack, and uses sites such as Skyscanner and Agoda for cheaper deals and affordable destinations. Are you ready for your next adventure…right? Unfortunately, if your travel preparations stop here, you will face many travel mistakes that should normally be avoided. In this article we have included some most common travel mistakes to avoid before travelling.
Based on my own experience, this article will reveal some things you should not do when traveling. Between visa requirements, tourist fraud, voltage differences, local customs and travel etiquette, preparing to travel abroad requires more time and effort than a local holiday. That said, a little planning will go a long way. Keeping these travel tips and tricks in mind, some of the most common travel mistakes to avoid.
Most Common Travel Mistakes To Avoid
Here Are Some Most Common Travel Mistakes To Avoid Before Travelling:
1. Failing To Exchange Local Currency Before Your Trip
Clearly, you’ll need local currency as soon as possible. It’s important to always have some local cash on hand to pay for taxis, public transportation, local markets, and other small vendors. And in many countries, you’ll need cash to get yourself from the airport to your next destination.
You’ll find an abundance of currency exchange booths in every international airport. However, these companies are usually keen to exploit our international travel mistakes by offering bad exchange rates.
While ATMs and paying with a credit card seem to be a simple solution, not all foreign ATMs will accept your bank card, even if it’s a chip-and-PIN card.
Instead, change enough currency at your bank or credit union in your hometown to cover transportation costs from the airport. Do a little research online to get an idea of the cost via public transit and via taxi, and exchange accordingly. Trust me, the peace of mind you’ll get from having some of the country’s currency in your wallet is worth it.
Assuming your destination’s ATMs will accept your bank card (always check into this ahead of time), you can take out more cash once you arrive. Base the withdrawal amount on the country’s customs, your itinerary, and your bank’s foreign transaction fee policy. For example, in Eastern Europe, where many places still operate as cash-only, it makes sense to take out plenty of money to cover your daily expenses. And if your bank charges foreign transaction fees, you’ll want to make as few withdrawals as possible.
If you need a large amount of cash for your trip and ATMs aren’t an option, many large banks and currency exchange companies allow you to order currency online. They will usually charge a flat fee for delivering the funds, but the exchange rates will be much more favorable.
2. Overlooking Travel Insurance
Travel insurance provide travel packages or individual options for medical and emergency services, travel, and cover cancellation fees. That way, if you unexpectedly can’t make your vacation or business trip, you won’t be hit with thousands of dollar bills. Consider getting a plan that covers emergency medical expenses if your own health insurance plan doesn’t cover you outside your country.
There are a number of issues that can complicate travel, including both medical issues and those involving the logistics of traveling itself. If you want to make sure all of your belongings are totally taken care of, you need to make a plan for hedging any risks that you take on while traveling. Like most situations in life, this is a point where discussions about insurance come in because insurance is the number one resource that the average person can access to reduce risk.
You might think that traveling is safe enough that you don’t need extra coverage because of existing insurance policies you have, but you need to check to make sure those policies cover travel-related issues. You will also want to see what kinds of additional travel riders you can add. Alternatively, purchase travel insurance through an expert broker. This will give you the coverage you need on your trip without having to adjust your entire insurance plan.
Also Read: How To Save Money For Travel | Best Tips To Save Money For Travel
3. Assuming Your Cell Phone is Ready For International Use Out of The Box
It’s important to know what your cell phone plan covers to avoid crazy roaming fees. Assuming that international travel must be included on your cell phone plan may lead to spoiled vacation and an outrageous cell phone bill. Each carrier has its own policy for international travel. It may include purchasing a special prepaid plan with a set amount of call time and messages or buying a local SIM card to make calls when you’re in another country.
Alternatively, you can put your phone on airplane mode and connect to a Wi-Fi network. However, if data is important to you, make sure to sort out a plan before you travel.
4. Not Backing Up Important Documents
I’m not a big fan of wasting paper, but there are moments when I can’t bypass it. Print hard copies of your original documents such as IDs, travel insurance policy, passports, and visa information. You can leave the paper copies at home with a trusted friend or family member and also save them to cloud-based storage, like Dropbox or Google Drive in order to access the digital version from abroad should it get lost or stolen.
5. Overpacking
When it comes to traveling far away from home for a long period of time, it’s easy to convince yourself that you need a lot of stuff and large suitcases for storing all your luggage. In fact, veteran travelers only pack travel essentials they actually need and medication for pre-existing medical conditions. The golden rule is to pack only what you need and know you’ll use, not what you think you’ll use.
While it can be tempting to bring clothes for any weather, along with a number of personal aides that you don’t absolutely need, traveling with less stuff is beneficial in many ways.
First things first, you will avoid ridiculous charges for overweight luggage by packing less. For example, when flying in Asia, most airlines only allow 7kgs of total baggage weight (regardless of how many bags you have)! Of course, airlines offer an extra baggage allowance when flying from continent to continent. But why you should deprive yourself of the pleasures of shopping abroad? Buying clothes in a foreign country could be a lot cheaper, and the new items you pick up can become a part of your daily wardrobe when you get back home.
Also Read: 10 Most Important Travel Essentials You Must Carry On
6. Having Unrealistic Travel Expectations
It is natural to get excited when we plan a long-anticipated trip for a dream destination. After many months of hard work and determination, it feels refreshing to go to a place you wanted to visit for so long. And once everything is set, we slowly start exercising our imagination. We read countless reviews and scroll through social media. We create the image of destination in our mind with stunning postcard-perfect images and force dive into beautiful scenes of natural beauty. It brings so much joy, right?
But of course, our expectations will let us down. Things almost never go according to plan. Sometimes even the most popular or sought after destination can rub us the wrong way. Reality can strike us in any destination and can strike hard.
It is fine to anticipate a destination joyfully. However, it’s better to evaluate the expectations and understand that nothing is ever as it appears. Having an open mind and being flexible is the right way to start your trip. Keeping your expectations modest will help you have an authentic travel experience.
7. Forgetting To Notify Your Bank Before Travelling
This is one of the biggest do’s while planning a trip! If your bank suddenly notices foreign transactions from your account, they may put a hold on it as a temporary measure. They do this to avoid credit card fraud. There’s nothing scarier than being locked out of your bank account when you’re in a foreign country without access to cash.
The best way to get around this is by informing your bank and credit card merchant of your travel plans ahead of time. You can easily do it online by setting up a travel notification. As far as I know, some credit card companies even offer rewards and special pricing deals on travel insurance for travelers. This is one of the essential tips that will help you plan a trip.
Also Read: The List Of World’s Most Powerful Passports
8. Having an Overly Ambitious Itinerary
“Three days in Shanghai? Well, we have to explore the Pudong, the Former French Concession, and the Lujiazui, take a stroll along Nanjing Road, and go on a day trip to Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Zhujiajiao…” Insane!
Packing too many activities and places into one trip is one of the biggest travel mistakes. Obviously, an overambitious traveler spends half of their holiday traveling between attractions they wish to visit. Things are getting even worse if they don’t leave enough time between their connecting flights, trains, or other transportation.
To overcome this common travel mistake, adopt flexible thinking, and try to prioritize things on your to-do list. Don’t be afraid to change your travel plans due to traffic congestions, weather, or lack of money. It’d be wise to know exactly how to get from “A” to “B” and how much time it might take.
9. Realizing That Your Passport And Identification Has Expired
Arguably one of the most common travel mistakes that people make is failing to check whether their passport is valid. Without a valid passport, you can’t leave for the airport or travel internationally. This includes travel from the U.S. to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada. Make sure you check on the valid dates for your passport at least six months before travel so that you can get the renewals processed if you need them.
10. Not Researching Visa Requirements
Pro travel tip: do your homework so you don’t get stuck at the airport.
Depending on the country you’re visiting, this could be one of those travel mistakes that ruins your entire trip before it starts.
Sometimes obtaining an entry visa is a simple affair. But for some countries with more stringent visa requirements, it can take weeks to collect the required documents and get your visa approved. Waiting until right before your trip to apply for the entry visa will be expensive as you’ll have to pay costly fines to expedite the process.
Always check your home country’s government website on any visa requirements that will pertain to you well in advance. Read the rules thoroughly. Some have a visa-on-arrival system at the airport while other countries require mandatory vaccinations.
Even if you’re planning a return trip to your destination, it’s still good to review the rules. Policies can and do change over time. If you’re a US citizen, visit Know Before You Go page on the State Department’s website that has all the necessary information about visa and entry requirements.
These Are The Most Common Travel Mistakes To Avoid Before Traveling The World.
