When traveling, either it’s for business or pleasure, you want to be in a comfortable, convenient, and safe situation. Enjoying your trip is important, but travelers constantly make the same mistakes time and time again, creating a miserable environment. Luckily, they have made these mistakes so you don’t have to. Make sure that you pay close attention to some of the things you should avoid doing so you can have the best trip possible.
Not Informing Your Credit Card Company of Your Travel Plans
You definitely want to set up a travel alert with your credit card company. It is so easy to do this today, as you can either call up the phone number on the back of your card or submit your alert online either through their website or mobile application. It is important to set up a travel alert because if you use your credit card in another country, for example, this will raise red flags and your credit card company might suspect fraudulent activity and disable your card. Bonus tip: Make sure to check if your credit card has foreign transaction fees and try to only use cards that don’t charge you to use them abroad.
Not Buying Travel Insurance
With any kind of travel comes the factor of risk, but you can transfer that risk elsewhere by getting travel insurance. If you get sick or hurt while you are traveling, need to cancel due to inclement weather or work reasons, if your luggage gets stolen or lost, or if you find yourself in a number of other sticky situations, your insurance agency will become your best friend, go to MSIG for more information.
Not Booking Enough Time in Between Flights
How much time you need between connecting flights typically depends on whether you’re flying domestically or internationally. With a domestic flight, you might need 30 minutes to an hour while international flights often require an hour all the way up to three hours. Make sure you do research on reviews for the specific airline and airport you are flying with, as this is a major factor in how much time you will need between flights.
Over-packing
You don’t want to be weighed down physically by how exorbitantly heavy your bag is or mentally by the stress of having to keep track of so many belongings. The best way to avoid this is to not over pack, and to have a higher essential-to-luxury ratio. Bring more of what you need to bring and less of what you’d like to bring. Instead of bringing books, use an e-reader instead. It is a centimeter thick and weighs less than a paperweight.
Over-budgeting
Make sure you are being conscientious about how much things actually cost where you are going, factoring currency exchange rates and taxes. It is very easy to expect a luxurious vacation on a frugal budget only for your stomach to drop when you see the bill. Set a realistic budget where you are not “cheaping out” but you are not splurging irresponsibly.
Not Putting Hard-To-Replace Items in Your Carry-On Bag
Every year, airlines lose over 20 million checked bags. As a result, you should never place important documents, prescription drugs, or irreplaceably valuable items in your checked bags. Instead, put all the things you absolutely need in your carry-on bag so if they do lose your checked bag, you can always buy a new pair of flip-flops or t-shirt when you arrive at your destination.
Not Researching Common Scams in Your Destination
There are so many ways people can pick your pocket, like when someone might “accidentally” spill a drink on you and while they go to clean it up, they are taking your wallet. Sometimes, the victim voluntarily gives the scammer their money. For example, in some places people give out free bracelets or other items and demand money, causing a scene so you give them money to save embarrassment. These are just a couple of the myriad ways scammers try to take your money and each destination is known for specific scammers to watch out for. Make sure you research what to look out for where you are traveling.
Since so many people have made these mistakes in the past, now you don’t have to. If you follow the tips above, you should have a pleasant, comfortable, and safe trip free of many common inconveniences. Whatever the nature of your trip might be, it is important that you enjoy it and avoiding these common mistakes will allow you to have an amazing trip.