Traveling is all about experiencing the unknown, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if there are a few bumps on the road, whether it’s your first trip abroad or you’re an experienced traveler. You will encounter several travel mistakes if you travel for a limited amount of time. While some traveler mistakes could be quickly corrected and quickly forgotten, others can be costly, time-consuming, or even deadly. So here are ten of the most typical travel-related issues, along with solutions.

Travel Mistake #1: Packing Big

Having to carry a large, heavy bag might seriously ruin your vacation. An overfull suitcase could end up in an untidy lodging, a strained back, and an excessive amount of washing. A well-prepared traveler will have the necessary gear, supplies, and medications to ensure their comfort.

Solution: Having what you need on hand when you need it will help guarantee that your trips go well and that you return home safely and in good health, even if you can’t plan for every scenario that can go wrong. Selecting a travel bag or luggage that is larger than necessary is the first step towards overpacking. After making your selection of everything you believe you’ll need, consider removing half of the things. You can simplify your choices to the essentials with the help of this practice.

Travel Mistake #2: Getting lost

If you’re the type of person who finds it difficult to find your way about, it’s not difficult to become lost in a new location. Even though you can get about in your own country with ease, you can find it difficult to get by in a place where people don’t speak the language you are used to.

Solution: Nowadays, with the ease of modern technology, being lost is one of the more manageable travel issues. Download Google Maps and the offline map for any cities you want to visit before you depart. You can still explore even without an internet connection with your phone’s offline map.  Asking for directions is often safe and appreciated since strangers are friendly and accommodating.

Travel Mistake #3: Leaving your valuables open

There’s a reason the safes are in your hotel room—use them! Make sure the things you carry around are hidden and locked up, and lock up whatever you don’t need to bring with you. Such travel mistakes can cost you a fortune. Carrying costly jewelry, cameras, and other valuable stuff might make you a target for pickpockets.  Being overly ostentatious when visiting a foreign country is a bad idea since pickpockets love to prey on gullible visitors who go around holding expensive cameras or nice watches.

Solution: It is advisable to leave any precious belongings at home, even if theft is not an issue where you are about to go. It is very easy to misplace valuables when on the go. However, if you must carry certain valuables, do it carefully. To carry your cash and credit cards, wear a bum bag or think about packing a jacket with zip pockets.

Travel Mistake #4:  Last-Minute Flight Bookings

In the search to find a better rate, many people wait until the last minute to book flights. But this can be risky!  Not only can last-minute flights be significantly more expensive. But there’s a chance you won’t even get a seat when you want to go. This can ruin the entire trip for you.

Solution: It’s a lot better idea to book your flights 2-3 months ahead of time. This increases your alternatives and makes it possible for you to locate lower rates. You won’t have to worry about flights for a long time, giving you plenty of time to arrange the remainder of your vacation.

Travel Mistake #5: Passport issues

Your vacation can be cut short before it starts if you have passport problems that prevent you from boarding the airplane. That’s correct, if you have too few unstamped pages in your passport or too little time left to run, many airlines will refuse to let you board.

Solution: Make sure your passport is up to date, has three blank pages, and has at least six months remaining on it before beginning to plan your trip. These rules have surprised even the most experienced travelers. Even if they are completely absurd, we are forced to follow them.

Travel Mistake #6: Not being able to communicate in the language

You could get entirely lost in a new place if you don’t know a few local terms. Even worse, if you don’t try to pick up phrases like “please” and “thank you” in the local tongue, the people there might not be too eager to assist you.

Solution: Gestures, smiles sign language, and body language. All of them are effective means of communication.  Don’t let your lack of vocabulary prevent you from meeting new people if you’re nervous about speaking a foreign language. Before you leave for your trip, try to learn as many languages as you can. If you put in the time and effort, it’s a wonderful gesture of respect that will be recognized everywhere.

Travel Mistake #7: Not Reviewing Your 

One of the most common travel mistakes is not reviewing the phone packages of the destination country. It’s important to know what your cell phone plan covers in order to avoid paying a lot of money for roaming. You might end yourself with a very expensive phone bill and a wasted vacation if you assume that your cell phone plan automatically covers overseas travel.

Solution: Every carrier has various guidelines when it comes to overseas travel. You could be required to buy a specific prepaid plan with a set amount of talk time and text messages. Moreover, you may need to have a local SIM card to make calls while abroad.  As an alternative, you can use a Wi-Fi network by putting your phone in airplane mode. However, if you use a lot of data, you should make sure you have a proper plan before you go on your trip.

For all the possible travel mistakes, there is a solution. Traveling has much more benefits than drawbacks. After going through these situations, you’ll be more prepared to deal with anything your trip throws at you, at home or on the road. Check out our website for additional advice on traveling like this!