9 Common Mistakes Every New Traveler Makes and How to Avoid Them

Traveling is a privilege, and if you manage to get it, then you should make the most out of it. You want to make sure that you are doing things right. After all, you wouldn’t want to waste this opportunity or ruin your travel because of some mistakes that you do.

If it’s your first time traveling, then you need not worry. If you have a limited budget to work with or are simply anxious about your first time traveling, then you might want to know whether you’re doing things right the first time.

Sounds like you? Well, then look no further. Below are some common mistakes every traveler makes when they first start out and how to avoid them.

Overstuffed Itinerary

Not all of us can live a life just traveling wherever, which is why travelers want to make the most out of their travel experience. What they tend to do is create a schedule (which is good) and fill it with all the possible activities that they can in one day (which is not so good).

Sure, it’s great that you make the most out of your trip, but you wouldn’t want the best part of your day while traveling to be the time when you go home and rest. Aside from that, if you overstuff your itinerary, you might not be able to make it to a lot of them.

What you should do instead is have main activities for each day, and then once you accomplish that, you can fit in a couple more activities. You want your itinerary to be flexible so that you aren’t just rushing all the time.

Overpacking

Even veteran travelers tend to make this mistake when they’re traveling. If you’ve traveled more often, then you’d realize how much of a hassle it is to overpack than it is to travel light.

Of course, overpacking and under packing has their own challenges, but with overpacking, you have to pay additional fees. Aside from that, it can be quite a hassle to bring along your best suitcase with you if you overpack.

One way to avoid overpacking if by bringing or using a suitcase that is both lights and not so spacious inside. If your luggage is too big, then you will be tempted to fill it with items you think you might need during the trip.

Not Booking Enough Time Between Flights

If you are going to be traveling internationally and you’re booking a flight that has stopovers, then you need to make sure that you have enough in-between time flights.

A lot of flights get delayed, and you can’t predict when that will happen to you. That’s why you need to make sure there is enough time between your next flight and your previous flight.

Not only will it be a waste of your time, but you will also have to rebook a flight if you end up missing your connecting flight because of a delay that you didn’t plan for.

Not Checking Visa Requirements

When traveling overseas, you need to make sure that you fulfill all of your visa requirements. If you don’t check the visa requirements beforehand, then you might end up putting an abrupt end to a supposedly enjoyable trip for you.

Also, don’t think that each country has similar visa requirements. Every country, even those that are within the same continent, have varying requirements depending on where you are from and the purpose of your visit. Mind you, and even neighboring countries will have different visa requirements.

On that note, you have to be vigilant and check the requirements before everything so that you don’t end up being turned away at the foreign checkpoint.

Not Having a Combination of Available Currency

A lot of people, especially if you’re a traveler from a Western country, tend to believe that every shop will be open to credit cards. A lot of travelers even think that all European countries accept credit cards. This is definitely wrong to believe.

Before you go to any overseas country, it’s best to have some cash of local currency with you. You can exchange some of your pocket money as soon as you land at your destination’s airport.

A combination of American dollars and some of the local currency is ideal.

Having High Expectations

Since the culture of today tends to overhype the “need” for travel, you might have too high of an expectation for when you go travel.

Do note that it’s not going to be happy and stress-free all the time. In fact, it can get quite stressful even when you’re traveling by yourself.

Given the fact that you’re in a different country altogether, you might not be used to a lot of things. For example, if you’re a finicky eater, then you might not be used to the kind of food that they have.

Just have reasonable expectations and try to see the good in everything, and choose to enjoy your discovery in a foreign land.

Not Buying Travel Insurance

When you are traveling to new places, you won’t know what sort of dangers are present there.

If you want to be able to travel in comfort and without being anxious about where you’re going, then it’s best to get travel insurance.

A lot of people think that travel insurance is just another way for insurance companies to get some money out of you, but it’s also for your protection. There are affordable travel insurance policies to ask your provider about them.

Trying to Do Everything

If you’re planning a family trip and you feel like all of the work is put on you, then you might get travel burnout. Instead of being able to enjoy the trip, you’re worried about the logistics of everything, so you don’t get to enjoy the moment.

Avoid trying to do everything and anything for the people you’re traveling with and instead enjoy the moment with them. You can even assign another person that will help assist you when it comes to the logistic matters of your travels so that you don’t feel too burdened.

Cultural Insensitivity

When coming to a new country, you are also coming into a new culture, so you need to be sensitive about that.

You should know that each country has a different set of moral standards or ethics. Be mature and sensible enough to know where and when you should throw in your two cents.`