Are you heading out on a big travel adventure soon? Then hear me out! I’ve traveled to over 45 countries, mostly as a solo traveler, and unfortunately I’ve learned these lessons the hard way. To help you enjoy your trip to the fullest, I want to make sure you avoid the following travel mistakes!
TOO MANY DESTINATIONS
The most common mistake I see when doing travel consultations is people trying to fit too much travel in little time. Trying to see too many destinations leads to more time in planes, vans, buses and taxis. We only truly experience a city or country when we’re there long enough to feel the ebbs and flows of local life. There’s no point in jumping around from one spot to the next if you’re only going to get a superficial idea of what it’s like. You also don’t want to tire yourself out! If you’re in a new city every few days, chances are you’ll be too tired to truly experience it. Determine your priorities for the adventure, select a few destinations and explore them without rushing. Don’t forget that you’re on vacation!
NOT RESEARCHING AIRPORT PRICES
I definitely learned this next tip the hard way. Always do research before flying into an airport you don’t know well. There are airport taxi scams all over the world, so go online and read people’s accounts before flying in. You don’t want to get pressured into an overpriced taxi ride. Ideally, you should use a ride app like Uber if they’re available or you can set up transportation from the airport to your accommodation with your hostel, hotel or airbnb host. If that’s not possible, research how much a taxi ride costs on average from the airport to where you’re staying. Let’s say it’s 20 dollars. When you arrive at the airport, if the taxi drivers start offering rides for 40 dollars, you will know they are trying to scam you and you can just move on to the next option. It’s much easier to get a good deal when you know how much you should be paying! Eventually someone will be willing to take you for a fair price.
USING TRAVEL AGENCIES
I’ve also had to learn this next one the hard way. Always book your flights directly with the airline! Websites like Skyscanner and Google Flights are excellent for researching flight prices but a lot of the time they may direct you to 3rd party travel agencies when it’s time to pay for the flight. Once you know what airline is offering the best deal, visit their website and buy your flight there for what will likely be a lower price. More importantly, if you purchase your flight through a travel agency and something goes wrong, they are intentionally hard to contact. I’ve had this happen to me recently. The airline said they had their hands tied because I bought my ticket with a 3rd party and the travel agency said I had to take it up with the airline, so… better to avoid this all together!
PACKING TOO MUCH
The next all-too-common mistake travel noobs make is overpacking. If you’re going overseas for a month, that doesn’t mean you need 30 pairs of underwear! Just take enough clothing for 10 days or so and when you run out, it’s very easy and cheap to haul your clothes over to a laundromat or even hand-wash them yourself in the shower if you’re low on cash. Instead, you should be focusing on taking versatile items. For example: sneakers that are great for running but also good on a night out or maybe a nice dress shirt that you can also wear unbuttoned at the beach. Prioritize clothing items and accessories that serve more than one purpose. And don’t forget that if your suitcase is packed to the brim, there’s no space to buy anything new! Lastly, if you manage to only travel with carry-on luggage, you will pay much less for your flight and won’t need to wait at baggage claim once you arrive at your destination. A good packing strategy is to make a “yes pile” and then only take half of it.
FORGETTING TRAVEL INSURANCE
Speaking of travel mistakes, it’s not a great idea to travel without medical insurance. I’ve been using Safety Wing for years since it’s very budget friendly and was created by other nomads who understand the struggles of this lifestyle. I also love how you can purchase a policy even if your trip has already started, and pause and resume coverage with ease. Safety Wing covers you in 185 countries around the globe and it’s perfect for people like me who never know where they’ll be next month. Check out their website to get a better idea!
OVERPLANNING
During your travels, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can plan everything because… you can’t. First off, it’s easier to understand how long you’re gonna want to stay somewhere when you’re actually there. What if you only book a few days and would rather stay a week? What if you book 2 weeks and then decide 3 days was enough? It’s important to be flexible with your plans and learn to pivot when things don’t go as planned, which happens quite often, might I add! Some of my best experiences have resulted from just going with the flow and following my gut instinct. This kind of mentality will lead you to new experiences that you may not have considered otherwise, and a much more adventurous experience in general. Don’t be rigid with your itinerary and allow space for improvisation.
We are not immune to making mistakes on the road. In fact, something is sure to go wrong even if you follow every word of travel advice you’ve ever heard. That’s the nature of travel and should be embraced. Again, I’ve ended up having some of the best experiences of my life due to unplanned circumstances. That said, these tips should help your money go further during your travels, which ultimately leads to more travel time. And that’s really what it’s all about, right?