No matter how seasoned you are when it comes to traveling, there are some mistakes you almost inevitably make every single time. They are annoying, they waste your time, they don’t let you get the best of the destination you’ve chosen, and they may as well spoil the entire experience for you.
Here I’ve gathered some of the most commonly made traveling mistakes – you'd better learn from them than from your own bitter experience!
Planning Your Trip
A major mistake you can make (or possibly have already made) is not thinking about other events taking place at the time of your trip. You certainly don’t want to miss your brother’s wedding over a summer trip to Europe, do you?
Tip: Talk about your plans with your family. If they have information about other important events overlapping with time of your trip, they'll let you know.
Taking Too Much Pictures
I admit I make this mistake EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I don’t know why I do it, but, judging from the flashes around me I assume I am not the only one. Well, yes, you have to take a few pictures of the Colosseum (definitely include a few pictures of it at night), but what’s with photographing your lunch? Have your Facebook friends not seen what spaghetti Bolognese looks like?
Tip: Forget about the camera for a moment (or a few) and enjoy the real thing. Whether it is a bear playing with a truck tire in the Lisbon Zoo or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, looking at the video you recorded does not come even close to the real thing. Ask me how I know.
Not Packing Your Hand Luggage Wisely
If you have experienced a delayed flight, followed by lost luggage, you'll totally understand my point. As a traveler, who always (ALWAYS) experiences some sort of a flight drama, I can assure you that wondering if your makeup foundation is considered a liquid or not should be the last thing to worry about when it comes to hand luggage.
Tip: If you want to save yourself some really unpleasant situations, make sure to always have these items packed in your hand luggage: an extra pair (or two) of underwear and socks, a scarf (that can work as a substitute for a jacket/blanket as well), a T-shirt, and a sweater. And, if there’s anything that makes you think “I would HATE to lose this” in you checked luggage, move it to your hand luggage now. You'll thank me later
Substituting Your Long-Awaited Vacation for a Race
Trying to do too much in one trip will totally spoil your experience and you'll end up feeling unsatisfied, miserable and tired (not the way you want to feel at the end of your vacation, right?). There are only 24 hours in a day and you cannot make more, no matter how hard you try. Besides, rushing is reserved for your work days, not for your holidays.
Tip: No matter how much you want to see/visit/experience everything your travel destination can offer, make sure to save some time for just wandering around. Enjoying simple pleasures, like eating a “gelato” (Italian ice cream) and sipping on a drink while watching the locals, is just as exciting as visiting the next museum. Again, ask me how I know.
Sticking to Tourist Traps
They are called “traps” for a reason. I am not suggesting you miss the Vatican city altogether, but there are a thousand interesting places you will stumble upon by just taking a turn from the beaten tourist paths. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed if you do so!
Tip: Walk away from the crowd. It is noisy, pushy, and annoying. Soak into the atmosphere of the place you chose to visit and instead of being around a thousand of different HEs and SHEs, choose to find a thousand different YOUs within.
Copyright © 2015 by the Dauntless Jaunter Travel Site. This article was written by Hristina D and originally published on dauntlessjaunter.com.
*Image of Prague cityscape at night via Shutterstock
