Travelers always tell you the things you should do when going on a vacation. They focus on the best tourist attractions and the things you should while you’re there. Visit here, do this activity, see this place, ride this bus. But, what about the things you should avoid when you’re on the road?
There are a lot of travel mistakes tourists do that can lead to extra expenses, wasted time and lost opportunities. It’s easy to tell someone what they need to do, however we always forget the don’t dos. Whether this is your first trip going abroad or have traveled a few times already, we all commit mistakes that make our heads ache or even ruin the entire vacation. However, you will only need a little of your time to prepare to avoid these travel mistakes so you can lay your back and enjoy your vacation.
Over Packing
We understand that the most stressful part of any vacation is packing your things. Getting your things ready for different weather and activities can be confusing which can lead to packing too many clothes. However, even if the airline you booked allow you to carry over 30kgs, never pack that much. Remember that you will have to carry that luggage around, usually through a few levels of stairs if you’re going to stay at a hostel. Click here for a list of amazing hostels. Whatever the limit of your baggage is, only go for half of its weight. With this way, you’ll have enough room for souvenirs and you won’t have a hard time carrying it around.
Not Exchanging Currencies At The Airport
As soon as you arrive at your destination’s airport, you will need the country’s local currency to take taxis or any kind of public transportation to reach your hotel. Withdrawing some cash from airport ATMs provides you with better exchange rate. You can check here for exchange rates and cheap airline booking. So, take out a good amount of cash here and maybe put in a little extra in case of emergencies. Credit cards are always handy but we must always have to keep cash on hand. Exploring local markets is a must for all vacations and a lot of these places do not have or do not accept credit cards.
Never Bring Traveler’s Checks
Traveler checks are issued by your bank for a pre-agreed value that allows the owner to exchange it for cash in any place in the world. During the past decade, where ATM and credit cards were still not widespread, it was the best way for people to have funds without bringing tons of cash. Today, they are almost obsolete, with only a few banks still willing to accept them and it only provides small protection if the checks are stolen or lost.
Not Asking For Directions
This is critical for all travelers especially when you are traveling by yourself. Never be afraid to use a few words from their local language, even if you get it wrong. You will be shocked on how many people are willing to help. You can never go right here to the place you want to visit if you don’t ask around for directions. However, it is also important to ask directions from more than one person since you do not want to be going in the wrong direction by a similarly confused local.
Not Checking Your Mobile Phone Plan
It is also important to know what your cellphone plan covers to prevent accumulating data roaming expenses. If you’re plan does not cover roaming fees, turn it off before you board your plane and put it in airplane mode. If you really need to use your mobile data, plan on purchasing an international plan or availing a local SIM card once you arrive at your destination.
Traveling Without Insurance
Traveling to a place can be quite expensive since you will never know what you will discover here. You may not want to avail insurance because it can look like an absurd additional expense, however traveling is relative to the unknown and you never can know what will happen when you’re on the road. You can break your arm, lose your gadget or even leave a city because of an unfortunate event. Travel insurance safeguards you whenever you are outside your country. You never should ignore insurances because it is a wise move to get one. It is your guarantee from medical and non-medical emergencies. If something really happens to you and you don’t have any insurance, it will cost you thousands of dollars in expenses.
Forgetting To Back-Up Your Phone
This is one huge thing you will learn from experience. Always make sure that your phone is backed up whenever you can. You can do this by adding your photos and videos to your Google Drive, going into an internet shop to print your photos or just by simply uploading them to a social media website. If your camera or mobile phone gets lost or stolen, you can never bring back those memories.
Always Taking A Taxi
Always riding a taxi can take away your budget immediately because they are always overpriced. Try to skip them as much as possible. The best time to take a taxi is if you are dividing the fare among multiple passengers or you need to go somewhere late at night. Use the public transportation as much as possible.
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