Seven Biggest Travel Mistakes Made By Tourists
Greetings from Vienna, Austria! Today I’m sharing some of the biggest travel mistakes I see most often. These are simple things that can take away from the enjoyment of your travels, so I hope you can use them to make your travels more fun.
Travel Mistake #1 Cramming too much into too little time
This happens a lot, especially with backpackers trying to see as many countries as possible in whatever time they have. Trying to see a high number of countries on your vacation means you’ll be spending a lot of time (and money) on planes and trains, and you won’t really be enjoying all that Europe has to offer. A jam-packed itinerary like this means you won’t even have time to take in the culture or the people of the country you are visiting. What I recommend is not trying to see seven countries in ten days. Focus on spending quality time in one or two countries, or perhaps even three if they are very close together.
Travel Mistake #2 Choosing Cheap Out of Town Airports
Sometimes travelers jump on cheap airline deals, but don’t realize that the low cost carriers often fly into more remote airports that are far outside of the city you are visiting. So, you might save 30 Euros by flying into Girona instead of directly to Barcelona, but then you have a 45-minute trip into Barcelona, which will also cost money. RyanAir flies into Stansted Airport near London, but the train from Stansted into London can cost more than your flight. And if you land before or after public transportation is open, you’ll have a very expensive taxi fare. Make sure you factor in all costs before jumping on a cheap airfare to save money.
Read: 6 Reasons Why You Never Get Cheap Plane Tickets
Travel Mistake #3 Staying Far Out of Town to Save Money
People often think they will save money if they stay in hotels that are outside of the city center. If you’re only visiting a city for a few days, you want to be as close to the center of town as possible, so you can maximize your time. If you choose a hotel or hostel that’s 45 minutes from downtown, that’s 90 minutes a day you’ll spend commuting from your hotel and back. You also have to consider the hours of public transportation. If you stay out late and miss the last bus, you’ll likely eat up any hotel savings with a taxi ride. It’s better to find an affordable hotel near the center of town by booking early. This also gives you a place to rest in the middle of the day if you get tired.
Travel Mistake #4 Not Researching the Destination
A lot of people fail to do the proper research before arriving at a destination, and don’t try to figure out things to do until they arrive. If you don’t do your research, not only will you waste time figuring out where to go and what to do, but you can also fall into some traps. Without the proper research, you might not know that Barcelona is the #1 worst city in the world for pickpockets.
Read: 7 Reasons Why You Might Be a Bad Traveler
Travel Mistake #5 Not Checking Prices
Taxis and restaurants are two great examples where travelers should check prices ahead of time. It’s really easy to get ripped off if you don’t do this, especially with taxis. If you’ve done your research (see #4) you’ll know where it’s expected to negotiate taxi fare before jumping in. Also, you might stumble into a fancy restaurant without realizing it and order a bottle of water, only to find out it costs 10 Euros. This is easy to fall into in bars as well when ordering a bunch of drinks, which happened to me in Chile when I let the bartender choose the beer and he served us $8 Heineken’s instead of the local beer which is less than $1. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for a menu to see prices.
Travel Mistake #6 Not Enough Connection Time During Travels
This is so common, whether it’s with flights, trains or buses. Depending on your flight itinerary, you may have to exit the arrivals terminal, collect your luggage, clear customs and then start all over again by checking your bag and going through TSA lines. How often do you see someone running through the airport or train station? Make sure you give yourself enough time between connections. Remember, just because your flight arrives at 7:30, doesn’t mean you exit the plane at 7:30. If you’re at the back of the plane, you might have another 45 minutes before you’re off the plane. Trains in Europe are often running 5-10 minutes behind, and the connection locations aren’t always obvious. Give yourself time to find your way around.
Travel Mistake #7 Packing Too Much
If you ignore tip #6 and end up running through the airport or train station, you don’t want to do it with 75 pounds of luggage! Packing too much is a huge travel blunder for so many reasons. It limits what you can buy on your travels as your luggage is already full. Packing too much also makes you an easy target for pickpockets when traveling. Most of all, you really don’t need all these things. When packing for travel, it’s best to keep it simple so you can travel light and fast.
Hopefully these tips help you avoid some of the common travel mistakes I see often. If you want more travel tips, check out some of our other videos: