Hey there, fellow travelers! We know that not all travel is sunshine and rainbows, but there are many reasons we love to travel, despite the little everyday annoyances we hit along the way. We have a lot of posts on things you’ll love, and hate, about travel, but it’s not always so extreme. Today, we’re talking about the little things that might annoy you when traveling. Hopefully, if you anticipate them ahead of time, they won’t be so annoying.
#1 Weather
The biggest travel annoyance can often be the weather. You can control where you stay, where you eat, and what attractions to see, but you can’t control the weather. You can try to visit when the weather is usually good, but even that’s not a guarantee. Have some rainy day plans in case you need them. (And a good rain jacket!)
#2 Long Lines
If you are traveling to popular destinations during peak travel season, you’re likely to wait in a lot of long lines. It can feel like you spend more time in line than you do in the attraction. For the most popular attractions, pre-book your tickets online.
Watch: Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Europe in Winter
#3 Shops Closed on Sundays
In many countries, most shops are closed on Sundays. It’s not everywhere, but we’ve seen it enough that it’s kind of annoying. Also, many things that are open on Sundays will close fairly early, including restaurants. Plan ahead and get your shopping done on other days. Don’t wait until Sunday!
#4 Museums Closed on Mondays
Another thing you have to plan around is that many museums are closed on Mondays. This is pretty standard, so you really have to plan around it. Make sure you do your research ahead of time and plan out your itinerary.
#5 Toilets
Sometimes you have to pay for public toilets, other times you don’t. Since it’s not really standard one way or the other, you always have to keep some coins on hand just in case. The other option is to pop into a restaurant and buy something so you can use their restroom.
#6 Tipping
Tipping is different in every country, and it can be so annoying to keep track of who to tip and how much. Even if you do your research online, you may be caught off guard and asked for a tip, so you never really know what’s the proper tipping culture. We have tipping guides for all the countries we’ve traveled to.
#7 Cultural Nuances
Exploring different cultures is part of the fun of traveling, but there can be some cultural nuances that catch you off guard. For example, in Portugal, they bring you bread, butter and olives at the start of a meal, but they are not complimentary, and you will be charged for them. In many other countries, bread and butter, or chips and salsa, are complimentary. So, you may want to ask when it’s brought to the table.
#8 Random Holidays
Of course, every country has different holidays than the U.S. But it can be annoying if you don’t know about it ahead of time, and arrive to find everything closed for a holiday. You can look online ahead of time, or ask the front desk of your hotel when you arrive.
#9 Drivers License Requirements
The requirement for international drivers’ license seems to be completely random. Some countries will accept your American drivers license, while others require you to produce an international drivers license. Even in the U.S. the requirements will vary from state to state, and company to company.
#10 Random Airline Fees
It used to be you purchased a plane ticket and that was it. Over the last ten or 15 years, the airlines have cut back on services and now charge for seemingly everything. No more full soda, light snack or heaven forbid, a full meal! Now, you have to pay for everything. You will pay to check a bag, pick your seat, have a snack, watch a movie, connect to WiFi, and on and on. Some airlines will even charge you to bring a carry-on!
Watch: How to Survive Long-Haul Flights
Travel is a privilege and these little travel annoyances are a small price to pay. My best advice is just to roll with it, and go with the flow and remember how lucky we all are to be able to explore the world. Fore more of our travel tips and advice, check out these blog posts and videos: