Not only the first time traveler but also the expert travelers often make some mistakes that may be enough to through you in trouble. Being a traveler, I have experienced many things and read many books, articles and journals about travelling.
So, I have made a list of such mistakes, that should be avoided for a peaceful travelling.
Forget to check the passport requirements : This problem is usually faced by the rookie travelers. They often forget to check the passport requirement as they think that it is enough to have a valid passport. Though it is actually is in most of the countries, some countries like china, Russia etc require your passport to be valid for at least months after the date of your return flight. Many countries in Europe require 3 months validity after your return flight date. If you miss this small but important things, then you must suffer a lot and make your journey complicated.
Do not try to book everything before you are present there physically : most of the traveler make this mistake as they think that they should book every necessary things like hotel, foods etc before going there. Believe me it you make you suffer more as every journey is unpredictable. You will have to change many things according to your need and comfort after going there. So, if you don’t want to sacrifice your comfort and flexibility, don’t book everything. I personally during my journey, book the most important things like the hotel or the first transport to reach the hotel from airport.
Do not afraid of the locals : I know, it is hard to differentiate who is friendly and who is scammer. But, don’t be afraid. Most of the people are always ready to help you. The only thing they want is your approach to seek help. Believe me, this is a very good idea to communicate with local people. It will reduce your tension to the half if the local people find the way of your problem.
Stop booking everything by travel agent : people feel it safe and time saving by booking important things through travel agents. But, this is actually a costly process. The travel agents often doesn’t give right information about the costs and keep extra moneys for their service. Sometimes they also take hidden charges. So, stop booking everything through them. You can only book the things that are really hard for you to book.
Do not pack too many things : This is I think the most common problem of the travelers specially the girls. They take a lot of clothes and shoes and ended up not wearing half of them. Taking unnecessary things will increase the weight of your luggage and make you puzzled. So, take only the genuine necessary things. I follow the rule of thumb regarding this matter. This rule says to take ½ of the clothes you think you need and x2 of the money you think you need.
Not calling your bank : This is one of the major mistakes done by the rookie traveler. If you don’t notify them about your journey, they may found it suspicious and block your card. ‘m not joking. Even I have made this mistake. Once my journey to Netherland, I had some extra luggage that cost 20$ extra. When I tried to give the money by my card, my bank noticed that the transaction were from some different country and they blocked it immediately. I had to sacrifice some of my essential things to take the flight in time.
Do not buy too many souvenirs : Everyone try to buy something for their friends and family. But, they actually ended up increasing the weight of their luggage. I will give you pain in every way. Extra weight will decrease your mobility, cost you extra money and some of the things may break during the trip. So, be very careful about that.
Choose your food consciously : be choosy about your food specially during your travelling. People make a mistake by ordering the food they are used to. But I found it as a very bad idea. As many of the countries who have exotic cuisine are not habituated to make western food like pizza , burgers etc . As these are not their regular food, you may not find the same taste you are used to or may find that they are not made with fresh ingredients. Eating a wrong kind of food can suffer you a lot. So, be careful about this matter.
These tips and tricks I have mentioned is completely according to my own experience. You may find some more during your journey. Don’t forget to mention them in the comment box. Wish you a very very happy and safe journey.
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