Travel is fun, but can be frustrating if you make too many mistakes. Here are the top 25 travel mistakes I see travelers make these days and HOW to avoid them. Learn from my and other people’s mistakes and enjoy more stress-free relaxing travel!
1 – Having too full of an itinerary
Part of travel is exploring. You should have some slack time in your agenda
2 – Underestimating travel/train times
It’s no fun spending ALL DAY on trains/planes/automobiles and not actually seeing anything
3 – Overpacking
You don’t need your whole house!
Just weighs you down.
If you can just bring a carryon that’s the best!
Need room for stuff you buy too
4 – Underpacking
Shorts and t-shirt weather?
Might be good to have at least one pair of pants, and long sleeves
5 – Impossibly short connections
If the airline let me book it, it must be OK right????
Arriving in to LHR and departing from LGW, or (NRT, HND)
6 – Booking separate tickets as a connection
If the flights aren’t in the same PNR, you are usually out of luck
7 – Not realizing that a “direct” flight is not the same as a non-stop
Why does my “direct” flight from LA to New York take 9 hours?
8 – Not paying attention to all the fees — Booking Spirit Airlines
Up to $65 to carry-on a bag if paid at the gate
9 – Booking Afternoon departure flights
The most “on-time” flights are generally first thing in the morning. Afternoon flights have to arrive from some place, which can lead to delays.
East coast thunderstorms.
10 – Booking flights that arrive in the dead of night
Yes, the flight might be cheaper. Good luck getting transport in to the city.
11 – Not selecting a seat ahead of time
If it’s possible to select a seat, do it.
If you don’t select a seat then you might not actually be flying on that plane.
Or do you like the last row next to the toilet?
12 – Not checking visa requirements before you get to the airport
No fun to get turned away at the airline counter because of no Visa
Your passport should be valid too! Needs at least 6 months validity.
13 – Not checking in online
If the plane is weight limited, and you are last to checkin, too bad for you.
14 – Not getting money at the airport
Hunting for that perfect currency exchange place to save $10 isn’t worth it.
Just use the airport ATM and have some cash when you hit the city.
Don’t expect the taxi to take credit cards either.
15 – Taking the airport share-ride shuttle
This is the worst $20 you’ll ever save for wasting 90 minutes of your life.
Don’t save money at the expense of time. How much did you pay for those flights?
16 – Not checking hotel prices before you book your flights
Cheap flights to Tokyo in April? Because the hotels are $1,000 a night!
17 – Booking hotels in the middle of nowhere to save $10
Spending $20 extra on transportation, and 60 minutes each way to the city
18 – Not paying attention to flights across the date line, or the red eye
Make sure your hotel is booked for the actual day you arrive.
Not the day before, or after.
19 – Not signing up for rewards programs (Airlines, Hotels, Rental Cars)
You’re throwing money down the drain.
20 – Not getting an international data plan, or a foreign sim card
Then realizing you’re getting charged some exorbitant amount
21 – Not printing out your travel/reservation details
Phone battery dead? Wifi doesn’t work? Paper always does!
22 – Wearing lousy footwear
Nothing worse than a nice big blister to start your trip on the first day
Good socks too!
23 – Not paying attention to the thieves that are paying attention to you
Pickpockets love tourists. Don’t be a victim! Be sharp!
Don’t be overly trusting
Scam artists love tourists.
Random dude at the airport with a taxi might not be that honest
Offer to take you photo, and take your camera
Gypsies love to “help” you with subway ticket machines
24 – Never leaving the tourist areas
25 – Only eating familiar foods
26 – Getting bummed out over delays/cancellations/bad weather
27 – Not putting down the camera
28 – Not watching Yellow Productions Before you Go!
NEXT LIVE STREAM: Monday June 11, 2018 @ 8pm LA time! Follow me on Facebook for more updates!