Travel mistakes can lead to disastrous journeys. Learn about the worst ones and how to avoid them.
I’ve been keeping a list of travel mistakes for years, as told to me by friends, neighbors, and readers. There are also a few of my own in the list. I’ve chosen the worst 20 to discuss here, 10 this week and 10 more next week in part 2.
Here are the first 10 of the worst mistakes travelers must avoid.
Uncomfortable shoes: They can lead to substantial leg and even back pain.
Wearing new/uncomfortable/impractical shoes:
When you’re traveling, you’re often on the go. There is no better way to explore large cities, special locations, and national parks than to walk and hike. A big travel mistake is having sore feet. It can stop you cold and potentially ruin your journey.
Wearing comfortable shoes will prevent foot pain. If your feet are in pain, you can’t tour. You can’t do much of anything but lie around or perhaps shop for comfortable shoes. Everyone knows that, but you may not know that the pain from wearing uncomfortable shoes will likely lead to a change in your gait, which will in turn affect your posture. That can cause pain beyond the feet and legs. That could affect your back, too.
Don’t make poor footwear choices. Flip-flops are worthless, for example, for any travel except at the beach. Elsewhere they don’t protect your feet. It’s better not to travel with new shoes, too. In sports, new shoes often need to be broken in before they will fit comfortably. Don’t pack new shoes to break in during your trip.
The right travel insurance is important for anyone taking a complicated or expensive trip. The right travel insurance may also have to contain primary medical coverage, too.
Forgetting about medical insurance:
Many people who rarely travel internationally may not know or forget that not all medical insurance covers travelers outside their home country. US Medicare, for example, doesn’t cover expenses while you’re outside the US. Check with your health insurance provider long before your journey to determine if you’ll be covered while traveling. What is that coverage in detail?
Choosing not to buy travel insurance is a big travel mistake:
Suppose you must cancel your trip for a personal or family emergency, for example. In that case, travel insurance can cover your cancellation fees and reimburse you for the travel expenses you’ve already incurred, such as airfare, cruise fares, prepaid tours, hotels, etc. Beware that not all travel insurance is the same. Make sure that what you purchase meets your needs. For example, if your medical insurance plan doesn’t cover you while traveling, ensure your travel insurance contains adequate medical insurance coverage.
Not having all the documents you need is another big travel mistake. Plus, allow enough time for your cruise ship or airplane flight.
Not obtaining essential documentation for international travel:
International destinations may require significant documentation in addition to a valid passport. Your destination may require a visa, entrance/exit fee receipts, vaccination documentation, and even valid prescriptions from your home country for some medications you might bring. Moreover, knowing the definition of a valid passport at your destination is vital. Many countries require your passport to be valid for three months after your scheduled departure from that country, while others require a six-month validity to enter it. Considering how long it takes to renew a US passport, my rule is to renew it when it has a year left before it expires.
Not allowing enough time … :
Cruise ships and airplanes aren’t going to wait for you to show up for your voyage or flight. I’ve seen ships depart without passengers because they didn’t get to the ship’s terminal and board before its boarding deadline. I’ve also seen planes depart without passengers because they didn’t get to the airport gate in time.
Don’t try to arrive at cruise terminals at the last minute. If you try to time your arrival at the pier too tightly, a slight delay could cause you to “miss the boat.” The same is true about getting to the airport. Extra heavy traffic or an accident could easily cause you to miss your flight if you don’t allow enough time to overcome such problems. Remember, you must be at the gate to board before your flight departs. The gate door closes to passengers long before the plane’s scheduled departure.
Detailed planning is essential for most every journey.
Not checking your destination for health, safety and crime issues:
There are many places in the world that are fabulously interesting locations to learn about and enjoy by visiting them. Unfortunately, even the best locations have problems from time to time which could result from issues of health, safety and crime. Before I travel anywhere, including in my own country, I research issues that could affect me during my trip there. General issues of health, safety and crime is the place to start, but other issues come into play that may be culturally based, for example, and apply to specific groups of people. Research is critical.
Not doing detailed travel planning:
It’s not enough to plan for your plane flights, train trips, hotels, car rentals, tour opportunities, possible restaurants and show tickets, etc. When locations you want to visit are open or closed is also vital information to help ensure you’ll be able to have a great visit. According to the season, hours and particular days an attraction is open can change seasonally. Local holidays can be a problem, closing what you want to see on the day you have set to see it. Your destination may have possibilities to purchase a ticket book for many of the local attractions at a substantial discount. Only detailed planning will uncover such information.
Not planning for time to take a breath during your trip:
Everyone gets tired eventually. Making every day of a trip as full as possible, day after day, will eventually wear out anyone. Periodically, build time to rest, relax and enjoy yourself more leisurely. Build in time to take a breath during your journeys. It will make your travel more enjoyable.
Too many trips are ruined by travelers taken in by imposter booking sites. Be very mindful of what companies you use to make your trip reservations.
Not being wary of imposter booking sites:
Do your research about any place you use to book travel reservations to ensure they’re legitimate. I only book directly or with major, high-quality companies. I don’t use email, text, or social media links to connect to a company to book reservations. Far too often, they are fake, imposter sites.
Drinking tap water from an airplane lavatory:
Airplane tap water is stored in large onboard tanks to service the lavatories. The tanks are not regularly cleaned and typically not emptied and then refilled but merely topped off. In past tests, the Environmental Protection Agency found as many as 12 percent of commercial aircraft water tanks tested positive for fecal bacteria.
Every endeavor requires research, detailed planning, time management, and careful decision-making. Travel is no different. Next week, I will discuss the second half of my list of the 20 worst mistakes by travelers to avoid.
READ ALSO:
Travelers United needs support now. Your rights are under airline attack.
Passport renewals by post, app and online — It’s easy, but start in plenty of time
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
