Stop Making These Stupid Travel Mistakes

You want to make the most of your vacation, and you don’t want to ruin it by making stupid travel mistakes. Here are some travel mistakes you can easily avoid.

Avoid These Travel Mistakes

1. Seeing The World From Behind A Screen

Unless you are a travel photographer or blogger, it’s really not necessary to take pictures of absolutely everything that you see. Seriously, when was the last time you even looked at the photos you took on your last vacation? So many people stay glued to their Smartphones or cameras that they miss the real things (and people) that are happening around them. However, while on the subject of photos, don’t forget to back up the pictures that you do take, as it’s easy to lose cameras and phones when you are traveling.

2. Having No Respect For The Local Culture

You see it all the time. Tourists climbing on statues, carving their initials into plants, and wearing skimpy outfits. At the Ground Zero memorial in New York, visitors have even been seen sitting on the engraved names of the dead. Please show respect for the countries and the sites that you visit. Remember you are a representative of the country that you are visiting from, and the locals impressions of you will be their impression of what the people must be like from your country.

3. Putting Your Valuables In Your Checked Luggage

You would think this was common sense by now, but I have watched people have meltdowns in airports when their luggage was lost because they had their phone, medication, or other important documents in their checked bags. Make sure that you carry on anything valuable. It’s also always good to also carry on an extra change of clothes in case your bags don’t make it to your destination.

4. Not Having Enough Cash

Many countries aren’t in the habit of taking credit cards. And, if they are, you may be stuck with paying high credit card processing fees. Also, many credit card companies charge high foreign-transaction fees. Make sure you carry plenty of cash while you are traveling, or you may not be able to buy what you need.

5. Being Unkind

It’s easy to become short-tempered when traveling, but it’s no excuse for being unkind. You will have a better time if you go with the flow. Realize things will take longer, and your patience will be tested. Get plenty of sleep. Allow for rest days, and take snacks with you, so you aren’t grumpy. I like to dab lavender or rose essential oil on my temples which has a calming effect and helps me to be less stressed.

6. Letting The Media Scare You Away From Incredible Destinations

I live in Mexico, and I feel very safe here, but you still hear reports in the media that Mexico is unsafe. I was also in Thailand during a military coup, and you would have thought from the media reports that I wasn’t going to live until the next morning. Since there was a curfew then, I actually felt safer than I normally do there.

7. Eating The Same Foods That You Do At Home

If you aren’t willing to try the local foods when you travel, you are missing out on one of the most enjoyable parts of the travel experience. Often, long after I have returned from travel, it is the food that I ate that I remember most about the countries that I visited. Don’t be afraid to try street food, either. It’s often the best food that you will eat in the countries that you visit.

8. Not Checking Passport And Visa Requirements

There are quite a few countries that require you to have six months left on your passport before it expires before you can enter, so don’t wait until the last-minute to renew your passport. Also, check the visa requirements to see if the country you are visiting requires you to have a visa before entering. Some countries such as Costa Rica require you to have a departing flight before you are allowed to travel there, so make sure you know all the travel requirements before you book your ticket.

9. Trying To See Too Much

Many people come back from their vacations feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation. You don’t need to see everything in the place you are visiting. Give yourself time to rest and relax while you are away. Give yourself time to linger in cafes, talk to the locals, and just watch the world go by.

10. Overpacking

There’s nothing worse than having to haul around a lot of luggage around with you. Make it hard to overpack by picking a small bag to start with. Bring clothing that you can mix and match, and go light on the accessories. You can read more of my packing tips here.

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