13 Things That Will Ruin Your Trip (And How to Avoid Them)
Travel is an adventure, a time to explore new territory, try new food or make a memory to keep for a lifetime. If you’re not prepared for it, however, your best plans can go in the opposite direction. Small missteps and major oversights on your part can turn your dream vacation into a logistical nightmare.
The good news? With a bit of preparation, and some savvy tips, you can sidestep most of these travel troubles. Below, we break down the top travel wreckers and how you can dodge them like a pro.
Forgetting Essential Documents
Nothing is more disappointing than showing up to an airport check in desk and realizing you forgot your passport on the kitchen counter. Missing paperwork like passports and visas, vaccination records and hotel confirmations can ruin your trip even before you’ve left.
How to Avoid It: Make digital copies of all your essential docs and keep hard copies in an easy accessible travel wallet. At least twice before you leave home, double check your paperwork.
Jet Lag That Won’t Quit
Just when you want to get up and go, crossing multiple time zones can put your body’s internal clock completely out of whack, making you tired. Jet lag is an unwelcome guest who crash lands on your vacation and doesn’t leave.
How to Avoid It: Several days before your departure, switch your sleep schedule to coincide as much with your destination’s time zone as possible. Drink lots of water on the plane, pass on the caffeine and alcohol and take some sunlight once you arrive to reset your body’s internal clock.
Overpacking Your Luggage
Overpacking seems harmless, but carrying around an overweight suitcase is one way to ensure your trip is a miserable one, and will cost you in baggage fees. Worse, it can become an exhausting ordeal trying to navigate crowded streets and public transport.
How to Avoid It: Write down everything you intend packing and throw away a third of it. Keep your clothing as basic as possible to mix and match and have as little unnecessary “just in case’ gear as possible.
Ignoring Travel Insurance
Looks like easy money to skip travel insurance, until you’re delayed on a flight, your trip gets canceled, or you get injured on your trip. Without coverage, a moment of bad luck can leave you with some eye watering expenses.
How to Avoid It: Buy a good travel insurance, which ideally covers coverage for trip cancellation, medical emergency and loss in baggage. You sometimes have to pay a small price for peace of mind.
Unrealistic Itineraries
When you cram too many activities into a day, you’re more stressed out than relaxed. Of course, you want to see it all, but to do it in so little time can leave you in a burn out.
How to Avoid It: Be realistic about what’s achievable each day and leave room for the ‘downtime.’ The best experiences can happen — sometimes — when you’re in no rush from landmark to landmark.
Falling for Tourist Traps
That classic tourist trap, overpriced souvenirs and gift-tastic, overcrowded attractions, as well as mediocre food, just sucks the excitement out of your wallet.
How to Avoid It: Check out the local recommendations on blogs, forums and social media to find out what experiences are real. Don’t be scared to leave the beaten path.
Not Checking the Weather
There’s no better feeling than planning a beach day in the sun, only to end up drowned out in a downpour. While you can ignore the weather forecast, soggy plans and wardrobe disasters may result.
How to Avoid It: Be sure to check the weather forecast each day, and pack for everything – don’t forget to have a plan for indoor activities if Mother Nature isn’t cooperating.
Mismanaging Your Budget
It’s a real buzzkill when you run out of money mid trip. The first few days of overspending or forgetting those ‘hidden costs’ will have you scrambling for cash.
How to Avoid It: Make a thorough, detailed budget and maintain it. Track your spending using apps and allow for the unforeseen spending.
Getting Sick While Traveling
Falling ill ruins a vacation fast. Food poisoning and flu bugs mean you may find yourself stuck in bed not exploring.
How to Avoid It: Drink plenty of water, wash your hands often and be careful with street food or tap water. Carry a small first aid kit with stuff which can cure common diseases.
Over-relying on Technology
Relying on your phone for maps, for your bookings, and for translations is risky because really, you’re only as good as your battery life and your internet connection.
How to Avoid It: Buy offline maps, carry a physical copy of your important details, and invest in a power bank that charges your device.
Cultural Missteps
Breaking unspoken rules, or customs, can get you in an awkward situation—or worse—offending the locals. In a strange place, simple misunderstandings can make you feel like you don’t belong.
How to Avoid It: Before your trip, do some research about cultural norms and remember to follow the local protocol. If you’re not sure what to do, watch, learn and copy what others do.
Underestimating Jet Lag
With tight or long connections on your flight day, you might be sprinting across airports, or worse, stuck. One delayed flight can set a snowball effect.
How to Avoid It: If you can, book a longer layover to ease off and make sure you keep checking for real-time flight updates.
Overcomplicating the Trip
Planning every detail can sometimes be stressful, not fun. Itineraries can get over complicated and leave so little room for the joys of spontaneity.
How to Avoid It: Highlight a couple things and keep it flexible. Give yourself time to wander, to relax, and to follow an unexpected opportunity.
Losing Track of Time
You can get so caught up in sightseeing that you forget what time it is, until you miss a reservation, tour or train.
How to Avoid It: Always make sure to account for travel time when planning your day and, (if you can) set alarms for important deadlines. A tiny bit of time management goes a long way.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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