Let’s face it: traveling is inherently risky. It’s a great challenge to try and not make mistakes that could potentially ruin your journey. But, with the proper preparation and advice, you can avoid these 10 common mistakes for at least one trip through the airport before it happens to you. Can rabbits eat lemons?
One of the biggest risks when going on a trip is choosing the wrong hotel or guest house to stay in. You may be tempted by cheaper hotels or guest houses but they’re often overcrowded and don’t provide what you need.
1. Not knowing the local money
It’s tempting to think that you’ll just be carrying lots of US dollars with you when you go abroad but this could prove to be a huge mistake if you’re going to countries that have different currencies.
2. Traveling on a shoestring
If you’re on a student budget, your trip is probably going to be short so it makes sense to cut costs where possible and save as much as possible for your longer term travels. But, sometimes having too little money isn’t enough and it may even affect your plans…
3. Not having travel insurance
If you do get ill or have an accident on your travels, you’ll be glad you have insurance covering the cost of any medical treatment and any flights home. If you don’t have any insurance on your journey, it may cost thousands of dollars and it’s not worth not making a claim when something goes wrong.
4. Not knowing the local laws for the country
This is especially important if you’re traveling somewhere where the laws are extremely different from your home country. Not having the correct visas could mean you’re thrown in jail and miss a huge chunk of your holiday! Most countries have laws that regulate their citizens, like smoking in public or drinking alcohol in certain areas, so you should make sure you’re aware of what’s acceptable before it happens to you.
5. Getting an emergency credit card at the airport
You may think that getting a card at the airport is the best way to cover anything that goes wrong on your trip but the interest rates are usually higher than if you get a card elsewhere. It may seem like a good idea to get an emergency credit card but they’ll often be far more expensive than using cash or your own bank account with Global ATM access.
6. Assuming your phone will work
Your phone may be unlocked but that doesn’t mean you’ll have network coverage when you’re abroad. You may have been used to roaming charges at home but countries with expensive networks are going to be even more expensive for using the Internet, so remember that.
7. Not having the right SIM card for your phone
Your smartphone may be compatible with the connections in your destination but you should always check the instructions before you go. Just because you’ve got an unlocked phone doesn’t mean you can get a local SIM card from one of the local providers so make sure that you do if you want any chance of using your data connection or calling people on holiday.
8. Traveling without travel insurance
If you’re traveling by boat, plane or ship and the worst happens, you could be left with a huge medical bill for an injury or illness that wasn’t your fault. You should always get travel insurance if you can afford it to make sure you’re covered in case of an accident.
9. Traveling without local cash
If you’re traveling to another country in a different currency, make sure that you have the local money available to change. It may be worth exchanging some of your foreign currency back into your home currency at a better rate before you go. If you’ve got a credit card and are paying anywhere, then using it is often a better idea than carrying lots of cash but when you’re out of money or have been mugged and left without any money, then cash is king.
10. Not getting to the airport early
If you’re traveling on a fairly short trip, you may not get to the airport early enough in order to check in for your flight. They say that good things come to those who wait and the same can be said for airports. Trying to get through security and check in at the last minute will only cause you stress and leave you with less time to relax before your flight.
Conclusion:
Travelling is inherently risky and you’re bound to make a mistake on your journey, but with good preparation and advice, you can avoid the most common travel mistakes in most parts of the world that might ruin your adventure. Checklists are an essential part of any journey but they’re especially useful when you’ve got to keep all the details in your head while you’re traveling.
Having travel insurance is an obvious way to cover yourself when things go wrong and having a credit card with emergency cash may not seem like much but it could save your holiday and make a big difference if you have to spend time recovering without being able to get to an ATM or spend any of your money.
