It is common even for experienced travelers to make travel mistakes.
I have listed the 10 that in my opinion if they are avoided, the trip will be much more interesting.
1. To fix in programming excessively, instead of being spontaneous
People, please, time to travel is time to relax. We already have too many fixed schedules and schedules in our day to day. Do you want that too in the vacations? Help! Planning is fundamental, but creating an obsessive schedule and not leaving room to follow the flow of spontaneity can create anxiety and stress during the trip.
YES! There are pros and cons with both and obviously if you have a plan, it’s a super positive thing, for sure, but that doesn’t mean that whatever is out of plan you discard or interrupt what you are doing to follow the commitments, it can take away new opportunities that you won’t have again. And honestly, being spontaneous is a big part of the trip. If you lose among the unknown streets it can be very interesting.
So you need to find this balance between having good planning and having space to follow the flow. You can for example leave some days free in your trip. They are always unforgettable.
2. Take a lot of luggage
It’s tempting to carry in your bags for every possible occasion, but believe me, you won’t need most of the things you’ve been left in doubt about whether or not to carry them. Besides that, many suitcases make transportation difficult, and consequently it generates too much stress. It’s still likely that you will have to pay high luggage fees for accidentally exceeding the weight limit.
Instead, pack your luggage wisely, take off half the clothes you originally planned and enjoy your trip much more. You will not wear all the clothes, shoes and accessories you thought you needed without sacrificing style. Relax, be creative! You’re traveling, so you don’t need every luxury detail you have at home. Besides, you can buy something at the place you are visiting.
3. Do not check your Cellular Plan before traveling abroad
It is important to know what your plan covers to avoid data roaming charges. Not covered? Turn off your data before getting on the plane and leave your phone in plane mode (you will still be able to connect to the wi-fi). If data is important to you, try to buy an international plan or buy a local SIM card once you arrive.
Avoid unpleasant surprises on your phone bill after the trip. It may be as big as an airfare.
4. Traveling without being informed about the place
You will miss a lot if you don’t know basic, cultural, historical information about the place you will visit.
Many people are sometimes in a sacred monument or temple or something that has a lot of historical value without knowing what they were doing there. Or worse, just take pictures and tell jokes in your Feed on your social network. For this, you do not need to spend money and travel. You can do it anywhere. Enjoy the local culture! It’s one of the best things about travelling.
The trip gets a thousand times more interesting when you take in your mind a cultural preparation. Moreover, you start before the trip to enter the climate of the place, this prolongs your trip moment. So read as much as you can, buy books and guides, look at maps, finally, get informed.
5. Forget to negotiate the price before
This has happened several times with me, for example, there are no menu places. The person comes there and says the options, you choose without asking how much it costs and they charge what they want.
In taxi it is also very common that they charge you whatever they want. So do not get in a cab and tell them to take you to the airport or the hotel. Because very often the price is much lower than they charge. And after it happened, you can’t do anything else, because you didn’t ask before. That will make you very angry.
So it’s much easier for you to negotiate before. Make clear the price before doing the activity before completing what is happening and thus avoid passing anger by asking yourself how you got into the situation or how you were naive in wasting money.
Read in this post in the subtitle Riads an example of what happened to us in Marrakesh.
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6. Not respecting the history and culture of the place
One of the great travel mistakes is the lack of respect for the local culture. Learning to behave according to your surroundings makes you a valued visitor.
Unfortunately what we see in the mountains are people disrespecting all cultural and historical context, for example, to make funny selfies. People are more interested in filming or taking pictures than in the monument they are visiting.
Occasionally, too, visitors want to show how the local people dress. But maybe they don’t like it. So don’t do that.
If you are with children or teenagers, don’t allow them to run around and scream in places that are not for that. Be careful! Maybe you don’t see anything wrong or think you’re not hurting anyone, but you definitely need to think before you behave negatively

7. Do not take a Travel Insurance
Travel insurance covers cancellation fees, so if you unexpectedly can’t take your vacation or business trip, you won’t be without your money.
They are very important especially to cover emergency medical expenses if your own health plan does not cover you outside your country.
8. Go to Fast Food instead of trying the local cuisine
Getting to know the local cuisine is one of the deepest ways to get to know the local culture. Don’t be afraid, be open for news. Cooking tells stories. So don’t visit a place without experiencing its typical foods.
But be careful, do not visit restaurants without first reading about them. Even if someone talks about the place, insist that you should go, which is a must, do not go before visiting sites such as Tripadvisor and read recommendations, criticism, etc. This can avoid many annoyances and disappointments.
9. Do not buy something you like once you see it
You think you’re going to circulate back to that store or fair.
You think you will see a better and cheaper version elsewhere.
That probably won’t happen.
That provocative street painting, that stylish hat, those sachets you could have in your drawer, that wonderful scarf, or those typical local dolls you didn’t buy? Now they will haunt you for the rest of your life.
10. Do not enjoy the present moment
I left at last the most considerable of the travel mistakes that you should avoid. Not to be in the present moment.
Many travelers worry more about posting pictures, reading comments, filming everything already thinking about the future. How many people keep the focus of the trip in the future, in that meeting with the family to tell the details, the reaction of each one, finally, worry about other things instead of enjoying the unique, magical, special moment that is when you are traveling.
Another impediment to make the most of the moment is to leave shame aside. Don’t be ashamed to ask, even if it’s for gestures, don’t stop doing something for lack of information. Don’t be ashamed to communicate with people, to know other cultures, even if the communication is limited by the language. Take the opportunity to meet people you probably won’t find in life anymore. The poet Vinícius de Moraes already said, “Life is the art of encounter. Let this art be part of your journey!
