While travelling is fun, travel planning can be daunting. Many people commit basic errors that can potentially ruin the entire trip. Read on to know about the common mistakes and how to avoid them.
If you plan to travel abroad anytime soon, you would know how complicated travel planning can be. Apart from dealing with all the paperwork to cross international boundaries, you must pack your bags, make flight and accommodation bookings, and other things. And, amidst all the chaos, is it easy to forget something important, which could potentially ruin your entire trip.
No matter if you are travelling abroad for the first time or if you are experienced, you must ensure that you have covered everything before you depart. Here are a few common mistakes that travellers make while travelling overseas and tips to avoid them.
- Not buying travel insurance
When you travel overseas, several issues may arise and complicate your travel. Medical problems, issues involving logistics, loss of luggage, etc., can ruin your travel experience. So, if you want to make sure that all your belongings and medical emergencies are taken care of, you must have a plan to mitigate the risk. And, in such a situation, travel insurance will come handy.
A robust travel insurance policy will provide coverage against loss of luggage at the airport, medical treatment availed, etc. Make sure that you carefully read the policy terms and conditions before you sign the policy papers.
- Forgetting to notify the credit card companies
This is one of the most common mistakes that people commit, which can prove to be costly. When you are in a foreign country, you may pay the restaurant bills or buy a souvenir using your credit card. Remember, you are paying in the local currency, and the credit card company will calculate the exchange rate and charge you in the home currency, which can be very costly. Sometimes, credit card companies may charge additional fees for overseas transactions.
To avoid paying additional charges, you must notify the credit card company about the country you are travelling to and the travel dates so that you avoid paying overseas transaction fees. Based on the card you hold, the credit card company may also extend special travel benefits, and you can unlock certain perks that you didn’t know about.
- Not booking the flights in advance
Many people tend to leave the flight bookings to the last minute only to find out that the ticket prices are exorbitant. Additionally, there is also a great risk that you may find that the flight timings are at odd hours.
To avoid all this stress and hassles, it is advisable to book flights well in advance. This has many benefits. One, when you book 60-90 days in advance, you may get a booking to suit your schedule, and the flight tickets tend to be cheaper for advanced bookings. Two, you will have one task ticked off from your travel check-list, and you have one thing less to worry about.
- Not interacting with the locals
When travelling abroad, you may visit certain popular places. But, if you want the best sight-seeing experience and know more about the locations you visit, you need to get a local perspective. The locals living in the area can give you a better insight into the events, history, culture, and other things that you may miss by going alone.
Final Word
It can be easy to book a full package trip with a travelling company who will take care of everything for you, right from the paperwork to meals and booking flights and accommodation. But, it also takes away control over your experience. So, to make the most out of your travel experience, you must be proactive with planning.
