Common Travel Errors You Want to Avoid
Traveling is one of life’s most exciting experiences, but if you’ve never been on a trip before, or it’s been a while, then chances are you may find yourself making some common travel errors. I was on the road full time for five years, allowing me to make a lot of mistakes and to learn from them, so you don’t have to repeat them. Here are my top 4 common errors you want to avoid when traveling:
1. Not Budgeting Free Time to Explore
It’s tempting to fill up your itinerary with back to back activities and while this may be sustainable for a short trip, if you’re traveling for many weeks or even months, you’ll soon get exhausted and burned out. There’s a lot to be said about having the time to just wander around a new place, seeing where your feet take you and exploring things at your leisure. Be sure to budget in plenty of time to just see where the wind takes you, so you can really get to know the places you’re exploring.
2. Not Buying Travel Insurance
If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t really know what the future will hold or how quickly things can change. Life still happens when we’re on vacation, and for that reason I really suggest investing in travel insurance. It will help provide you with help when you need it most – whether it’s to pay for the repairs of an electronic item that gets broken on your trip, helping you with emergency flights if something happens to a loved one, or paying your medical bills in a foreign hospital. If you can afford to travel, then you can afford to make sure you’ll be taken care of no matter what happens.
3. Not Blending In
Unfortunately in many parts of the world tourists are targeted for scams, pickpocketed or just talked into buying trinkets they don’t really want. Try to blend in as much as possible wherever you go, including respecting local customs. There are many countries that are likely more conservative than where you’re from, so be sure to pack appropriate clothes so you can blend in as much as possible. Be vilaglent with your belongings, especially in crowded areas, and avoid keeping your valuables in an obvious, easy-to-access location.
4. Not Being Adventurous With Food
Sometimes it’s overwhelming when you’re somewhere new, and the food is so different to home. I really suggest trying to be as adventurous with food as possible and personally prefer to avoid establishments where the menus are not in the native language. Ask a local where their favorite place to eat is and what they order, and jump in! Food is one of the best ways to explore a new culture, especially if you get off the tourist trail.
Hopefully these four tips help you have a more exciting and memorable trip, while ensuring you avoid the most common travel errors!