Sometimes travel mistakes are inevitable, but most of the times, we just fall for them due to our own omissions and commissions. If you want to enjoy a trip to any destination in the world, you must limit the occurrence of such mistakes or else, your trip will be marred by one mistake after the other. The good news is that with proper planning after getting expedited passport renewal, it is easy to avert most of the mistakes and enjoy your trip just as you had anticipated. In this piece, we look at some of the travel sins bound to ruin your trip and what you can do to avoid falling for them-:
The overstuffed traveling itinerary
So you have planned for a one week tour in Italy, but your itinerary reads Rome, Venice, Pisa, and Florence. Right off the butt, your itinerary is already packed and if you proceed with it as it is, then you will have nothing but a nasty trip. As a matter of speaking, one week is not sufficient to explore any of those destinations satisfactorily. This is a common travel in most people make. Always ensure that you don’t have an overstuffed itinerary. It will make you tired, sick and disgusted about the trip. Simply choose a few places where you know you will get the greatest satisfaction and concentrate on them. Remember, you can always come back and explore any other place you think you might have missed.
The overstuffed travel bags
In addition to having an overstuffed itinerary, some people will also go ahead and have overstuffed travel bags. It is true that most people still don’t get it right when it comes to packing correctly for trips, and as such, they end up running in all manner of inconveniences during their trip. The first hurdle they encounter is immediately they get at the airport where they are requested to pay extra for the luggage they have. All these can be simply avoided by just packing the essentials you need for the trip. You don’t have to pack stuff like towels or sandals. You will find them in plenty in your travel destination, and if you don’t they are not very expensive to buy.
Not having the right budget
Most people underestimate the amount of money they need for a trip. According to them, once they get the air tickets and secure accommodation for the period they will be away, then all they will need is a just a little money in their pocket. This is misguiding. Of course, the air tickets and accommodation will consume most of the budget, but you still need to have some decent amount if you want a good experience. Depending on where you are going, you will need transportation, and this may be costly again, based on the means. You also have to factor in other associated costs such as park fees, museum fees, the cost of food, and also you may be tempted to buy some gifts or souvenirs when you are coming back. This can only happen when you have a good budget for the trip.
Not having a travel insurance
Most people never realize the importance of a travel insurance until they run into inconveniences where the insurance could have helped. When you are traveling to another country, there are a lot of variables you can’t control and when certain things go wrong, you may end up using a lot of money. For example, a missed flight would mean that you make arrangements for accommodation if there is no flight leaving soon and you may also have to pay extra charges for a new ticket. There may also be an emergency back at home, requiring you to cut short your trip and come back immediately. All these can end up hurting you financially, but if you have a travel insurance, they are meant for these types of inconveniences, and so you won’t have to worry a lot.
Failing to notify your bank about your travel abroad
With increased cybercrime and identify theft, banks have become more vigilant and will flag off any transactions with your card abroad, unless you notify them that you are out of the country and you will be using your card. Most people, however, just fly out without informing their banks, only for them to get inconvenienced when they cards are blocked due to legal transactions they made in another country. The situation can be dire if your card is blocked and you don’t have any cash with you. To avoid such, simply let your bank or credit card Company know about where you will be going.
Failing to research visa
After you are done with your expedited passport renewal, it is important to also research the visa requirements of the country you are headed to. By knowing how to go about the visas, you could end up saving hundreds of dollars and a lot of inconveniences as compared to rushing for the last visa the very last minute. Each country has its requirements and it is important for you to know exactly what you need to do in order to get those visas. Don’t assume and don’t wait until it is late.
Being culturally insensitive
Cultural insensitivity is a sin you have to watch out for when traveling to another country. Countries are different and it is imperative to understand that you will be encountering people with diverse beliefs and practices as those of yours. Since they are hosting you in their country, it is advisable to learn more about their cultures and know the things you should do and not do when in their country. This is so that you avoid offending them or doing a thing that might make you get on the wrong side of the law. The last thing you should ever desire is to land in jail in a foreign country.
Unrealistic expectations
Finally, you should always have your expectations right when traveling. You do this by reading about other people’s experiences in the destinations you are headed to. For example, when you are traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, don’t expect to see lions right after landing at the airport. Additionally, don’t think that all Kenyans are of the Masaai origin.