Travel mistakes you’re most likely still doing
The moment you’re stuck in a tricky situation while traveling, you look back and think of all the travel mistakes you could have easily avoided. Yet, here you are… and you just missed your flight. Why? Because of a silly mistake you made. That also just cost you another flight ticket back home. If you were to follow our 9 tips to avoid these dumb travel mistakes then this would never happen. So, without making you read any longer, let’s get into how you can avoid these mistakes when traveling!
9. Arriving at the wrong airport
I am definitely guilty of this a lot of the time, and I always feel like the dumbest person on earth because it’s such a silly mistake to make. When you’re leaving to travel back home, you often forget that maybe, just maybe there would be a small chance that there are two airports. Well dumb-bippity-doo, of course, there is! It always seems to be the case when you’re in the biggest rush as well. In some big cities there is more than one airport, so double-check which airport your flight is departing from and this will save you a lot of time and money.
8. Sticking to the tourist hot spots
It’s hard to stray away from the tourist hot spots because it’s what you have read online about and are usually iconic landmarks. So, we don’t blame you if this is one of the travel mistakes you have been making, because how can you know where to go and what to see otherwise? We recommend wandering off on your own and exploring street corners, random parks, and crazy street art that you will come across, getting a true understanding of the city’s charm. If you would like to explore countries like a true local why not check out JoinMyTrip where you can travel with like-minded travelers and a guide who knows the city like the back of their hand.
7. Putting all your money in one place
As the saying goes “never put all your eggs in one basket”, so never put all your money in one place either. If you put all your money in your purse, and someone steals it. You won’t have any money left. If you divide your money however in different places, for example, a bit in your hand luggage, your purse, your bigger luggage, inside your make up purse, etc… You can get creative with this one. Then in the worst-case scenario, the chances of you losing all your money will be slimmer.
6. Not knowing the local laws
If you haven’t heard our podcast episode about weird laws then this travel mistake might come out as a surprise to some of you. Doing something dumb like chewing gum where it’s illegal could get you some serious jail time. For example, pepper spray is banned in many countries in Europe whereas in America it isn’t. To avoid committing any accidental crimes during your holidays, you should Google if the country has any special law that is out of the ordinary which you must know about.
5. Traveling to the same locations
It’s great the first 5 times you went there, but do you really need to travel there the 6th time? You have been there and you can always go back whenever, but now is the time to explore what else is waiting out there in the world. No buts, we get it that the comfort of knowing a place is far better than anything, but how else are you going to learn and grow? Definitely, not by sticking to the same familiar places. In case you would like to join unique trips where you can explore places you have never been before with like-minded travelers then check out JoinMyTrip!
4. Traveling with an expired passport
I really don’t know how but apparently this is a very common travel mistake among travelers. It has happened to a lot of my friends that I know of and most likely a lot of others too. This might sound like a mistake that is impossible to happen to some but, a lot of us tend to forget to check the expiration date on our passports. Especially if you haven’t been traveling for a while. You show up all ready to be checked in to, later on, be denied since your passport is expired. To avoid this common travel mistake, before booking any kind of trip make sure your passport is still valid during the whole duration of your desired trip.
3. Not leaving your comfort zone
A lot of us are guilty of staying inside our comfort zone and is one of the most common travel mistakes. We tend to want to stick to things we are familiar with and not try different things out because we’re worried about an outcome that may be unpleasant. However, since you’re already on the trip of your life why not go sky diving, bungee jumping, and trying that local delicacy that looks absolutely disgusting. Without leaving your comfort zone you will never learn more about yourself and grow as a person. Leaving your comfort zone is a sign of growth because you put yourself in tricky situations which you learn something out of in the end. Maybe it’s time to create your own trip and come home with new memories and friends with JoinMyTrip.
2. Not educating yourself about tipping culture
I cannot stress this travel mistake enough, I come from a country where we don’t tip and it’s a very uncommon concept for me. I have gotten into many awkward situations for not knowing the tipping culture in certain countries, which I honestly straight up forget since I’m not used to it at all. The rules are different all over the world, some staff won’t directly ask you for it, but will ask in a more subtle way “Did you not enjoy your food? was something wrong?”. At that moment you probably know you messed up by not tipping. To keep it safe, the most common rule is to tip 10% of your total bill.
1. Not taking care of your valuables
This is a travel mistake I see happening to a lot of first-time travelers, and even to experienced ones. I have seen a girl sitting on a bench playing with her phone, while a guy just ran past her and snatched her phone off her hands. Of course, situations like this you cannot predict or try to avoid but, there are ways to minimize the risk of theft. One thing that I always take with me is a bum bag, and have it placed at the front with all my valuables in there. Don’t put your phone or wallet in your pockets because that is a gold mine for pickpocketers right there. You might think you can feel when something gets stolen but, these pickpocketers are professionals, they could steal from you and you would never know.
We hope you enjoyed our article about 9 dumb travel mistakes and how to avoid them for a better and safer trip! Find like-minded travelers to join your trip or plan your own trip with JoinMyTrip. Share costs, experiences, and come home with unforgettable memories.
Fancy some more travel inspiration, tips, and tricks? Check out our other articles;
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