Top 6 Travel Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Traveling worldwide is one of the most amazing experiences you will ever have. It allows you to explore people, places, and cultures you’ve only heard about and grow as a global citizen. However, if you aren’t careful, you can make a mistake (or two) that will give you a massive headache or even ruin your trip. Here are the top six travel mistakes and how to avoid them:
Not Informing Your Credit Card Company That You Are Traveling
Credit card companies flag transactions made on foreign soil for security reasons, and if you don’t let them know the dates that you will be gone, they will freeze your account. You must let the credit card company know if you visit another country. You should also ask them if they charge a foreign transaction fee. If they do, use a credit card with no expense or use a bank part of the Global ATM Alliance - no ATM fees for partner banks.
Not Buying Travel Insurance
Although your insurance might cover a small portion of expenses (health or otherwise) on the trip, it is crucial to have travel insurance to protect your investment if you are going out of the country. It would help if you bought the insurance as soon as you paid for the trip and looked for a plan covering delayed or lost luggage, medical emergency assistance, and trip cancellation.
Failing to Check the Dates on Your Passport or Visa
Perhaps the most devastating mistake you can make when traveling abroad. Double-check that the dates on your passport are good. Sometimes countries require visitors to have six months of validity on their passports before they visit, and it can take 6-8 weeks to process a passport. However, an expedited process is available for an additional fee if you need it.
Overpacking or Not Packing the Right Stuff
It is incredibly tempting to bring outfits for every occasion, but you should exercise caution when packing. If not, you can get hit with baggage fees or have trouble hauling your heavy luggage around. Pack your bags with 5-10 essential pieces that can be mixed and matched throughout the trip - it will give you opportunities to be creative and help you save on laundry while away from home.
Not Soaking Up The Culture
Traveling worldwide tends to stick to tourist hotspots and hotels without diving deep into a country’s heritage. You have to experience a culture first-hand when you travel abroad; you just have to. You don’t have to do much; all you have to do is sample the local cuisine, talk to the locals in a few phrases of their native tongue and look for places off the beaten path. Your trip will become so much more than you think if you do that.
Not Checking Your Cell Phone Plan
Another thing people don’t always remember to check is the data on their cell phone plan. Some companies have data roaming fees, so double-check with your cell phone company. If it turns out to be a problem, one solution is to turn off your data when you get on the plane, leave it in airplane mode, and keep it that way throughout the trip (you’ll still be able to connect to wi-fi). If data is that important, buy a local SIM card or an international plan.