10 Things You Must Avoid While Travelling

People love traveling, and they make travel mistakes now and then. In this digital era, following the old travel wisdom only leads to a money-wasting and unsatisfactory trip. Though you get to know “what to do” on the trip very often, very few can tell you about the things that you must avoid.

If you are in the same situation and about to make plans for the next holidays, then here are the ten things that you should not at all do on any trip.

1. Overlooking the Visa Requirements:

Each country changes its visa requirements for traveling purposes from time to time. Thus, you should check it at the time of booking flights and 3-4 days ahead of leaving.

If you are a US resident or heading to the US, you should check the necessary visa regulations at the Department of State Travel Advisories. The destination place decides whether you need electronic travel permission or an updated visa.

2. Reserving All the Tickets Too Early:

Many of you have the habit of booking all the tickets to flights, trains, or interconnecting metros and hotels as soon as you make the holiday plan. It is especially true if it is a family trip. But from next vacation, stop doing this. The tickets’ price might fall after you book the tickets, they might give some special offers.

Moreover, you don’t know how good the hotel is. So, it is better to book for just a day or two, and then if you like it after staying, extend the duration. You can also opt for hourly hotels as these are cheaper.

3. Making an All-Inclusive Itinerary and Overpacking:

Most of the travelers make a full-packed itinerary. Wrong..wrong ..wrong. Flexibility and relaxation are the main mantras of traveling. What if you or any member of the group falls ill? What if the road to a place on your list is blocked? Always have a plan B and switch to it in case Plan A fails.

Besides, stop packing your suitcases as if you are going forever. Only the essential things and a few sets of clothes are enough to survive 7-10 days of holidays. Do you need more things or your family is large? Then why not use the convenient roof racks for placing your luggage on your vehicle?

4. No Proper Research:

After you have decided on the place, what do you do? Go to sleep happily? Or perform extensive research about it? If you are in the first bracket, then change it. Having a detailed idea about the place you are going to, the availability of foods, cultures, rules, and regulations should always be your priority. The more you know, the more enjoyable the trip will be.

5. Having a Lot of Cash:

Carrying a lot of cash that too in one place is a blunder, particularly when you have ATMs everywhere and debit and credit cards. Take the only minimal amount of money with you and rest, you can withdraw from the tourist place.

Or you can pay through your cards. Just make sure to know about your credit card’s foreign charges, in case you are going abroad.

6. Not Checking the Weather Report:

Once you decide the place, time, and duration of your traveling, first check the weather forecast. This way, you will know whether it will rain during your trip or get bright sun. If you are going during winter, knowing the temperature and whether it will snow will help you pack winter gears correctly.

7. Forgetting about the Travel Insurance:

Travel insurance is your go-to friend while you are out of your city or country. Though many of you might think of it as an added expense, it is most useful in emergencies like breaking your leg or arm or being hospitalized suddenly. This insurance covers hospital bills, doctor fees, medical bills, and other costs. Otherwise, you have to break the bank to pay a huge bill.

8. Not Having Duplicate Copies of Vital Documents:

Understandably, you forget to make an extra copy of the vital documents like passports, credit cards, driving license, insurance in the excitement of vacation. But dear friends, it is a huge mistake on your part. What if the bag with all the documents gets stolen or misplaced?

Thus, you should pack all the hard copies of these documents in a very safe place. And make the soft copies for saving them in your email id. Thus, in any unforeseen situations, you can get them easily.

9. Trusting the Guidebook Blindly:

A tourist guidebook is an excellent option to know about the place. But it will not have the details of any event that is happening in one week or a new restaurant or pub that has opened just a month ago. To get the best out of your trip, you should have a conversation with the locals and other travelers. Only they can tell you what is hot and what is not!

10. Eating and Drinking Near the Tourist Spot:

It might seem like the most convenient idea, especially after seeing places, you might want to enter a restaurant and order a chilled beer! Most of the tourists will do so and let their money go down the drain. All the pubs and eateries near the tourist spot are overpriced, and they do not always provide the best quality, as they know tourists are not coming back!

So, to enjoy the best food, always go to the local joints. Their appearance might not be attractive, but their foods surely are!

The Bottom Line

The next time you think of going for a vacation, keep all the points mentioned above in mind. You can be a better tourist, save quite a lot of money and time, have a fantastic traveling experience only by avoiding the mistakes you are making. Traveling is all about being smart and savvy. A little bit of hard work can transform your traveling into a memorable experience!