by staff

Traveling is one of the most enjoyable leisure and recreational activities to refresh and re-energize yourself. However, being careless in making your trips, especially in foreign countries, would jeopardize your enjoyment. To avoid this, check these seven common mistakes people make when traveling. Consider these when you are planning your trips.

Failure to do research

Some travelers want their journey to be as spontaneous as possible to make it more adventurous than ever to the extent that they fail to do some research about the place they are visiting. Because of this, when they arrive at their destination, they become vulnerable to different conflicts and issues. For example, they might find themselves running against the local laws or becoming offensive or insensitive because they are not familiar with the culture. In other words, they are bound to spoil their travel experience.

Not getting Travel Insurances

Some travelers put themselves at risk by not getting travel insurance. Because they think insurances are just additional expenses and they know they are healthy and well, they do not consider having travel insurance. They are lucky if their travel goes as smooth as silk, but sometimes, these travelers can be involved in an accident or may suddenly feel sick ending up being hospitalized and charged with unnecessary yet highly expensive medical bills.

Failure to Notify their Bank or Credit Card Company

Another serious mistake a traveler can make is not informing their bank or credit card company regarding their travel plans. This is also high risk because when you are out of the country, the tendency is to shop. When you charge it to your credit card, most banks, when uninformed, would not allow the purchase. Especially when you have an existing loan and you use your credit to purchase something, the bank’s ChexSystems will be activated and you are doomed to spoil your travel. To avoid this, check this out to know how to make arrangements with your bank when traveling abroad.

Not Planning the Itinerary

It is “ok” to make your travel spontaneous and avoid the rigidities of itineraries set by travel packages, but sometimes, unplanned travels are more costly and they limit your enjoyment. There is a tendency to over-allocate your pocket money in a few places. That’s not a problem if you are filthy rich and you do not mind spending a lot, but if you are on a tight budget, you need to plan your visits so that you can estimate the budget and maximize your limited resources.

Overpacking

There are people who tend to bring many things that they do not need in the journey. Having too many to carry and to mind makes for more anxiety, which affects your enjoyment in the journey, so just bring the things that you need. This will go along when you plan your itinerary.

Missing Flights

What could be the worse than missing your flight because you arrived late to the airport? Everything that you have prepares is spoiled. This could happen if you do not allow extra time when you are coming to the airport. Commonly, international flights allow you to check-in at least 2-3 hours before your expected time of arrival, while domestic flights require at least 1-2 hours. Make sure to arrive at the airport and check-in within these time limits.

Expired Travel Documents

To be stopped by the airport officials because of your expired passport or visa while you are checking-in could be more heart breaking than simply missing an airport flight. Even though you have already paid for everything, no matter how much blood you cry out in tears, you will not be allowed to proceed. This happens when you do not check the validity of your travel documents. Even when you are not planning a trip, make sure that these documents are valid, and if it is going to be expired soon, have it replaced sooner.

Conclusion

When you really fail to plan, you actually plan to fail. This similarly goes with planning your travel. Plan ahead and avoid these common mistakes so that you can fully enjoy your much-awaited leisure trip.

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