10 Mistakes a First Time Traveler is Sure to Make

Everyone has a first time for everything. In travel, the first time can be very exhilarating yet very confusing. A rookie will make several avoidable mistakes than an experienced traveler would seek to avoid.

Someone who has traveled a lot has experience to know the things that matter and those that don’t, and the things that should be avoided entirely. Here are some of the common mistakes first time travelers make.

Not Befriending Murphy

Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will. This is especially true in travel. If there is even one chance that your travel plans will go into disarray, they will.

For instance, if you don’t leave enough time to get to the airport, you’ll miss your flight. First time travelers might skip over details thinking that they are not that important and this gives a greater allowance for things to go wrong.

Worrying Too Much about Fashion and Culture

First time travelers, after reading a guide book, might worry too much about fitting in with the culture of the host. While it is completely okay to try to blend in and not draw too much attention to yourself, trying too hard will make you look ridiculous.

You are the guest, and as long as you don’t do anything offensive, there is no reason to stress yourself out

Packing Too Many Clothes

A first time traveler might be tempted to carry clothes for pretty much every activity during the trip. In reality, you can use almost the same type of casual clothes for pretty much every activity. Most of the time, you don’t need specialist clothes for travel.

All you need to do is ensure that you have enough clothes than can last you for the entire duration of the trip. If your trip is going to be longer than a week, you can carry washable clothes. Most hotels and resorts offer laundry services.

Having a Tight Itinerary

First time travelers often have a packed itinerary with one activity scheduled right after another in an effort to visit as many attractions as possible. Experienced travelers know that it is not so much about the number of attractions you see but how much you enjoy your time at each attraction.

You should expect your itinerary to get messed up fairly early into your trip. For example, if you’re traveling with your partner to an couples all-inclusive resort, you two might have different things in mind once you get there.

One of you might want to travel outside of the resort and do excursions, while the other may want to lay on the beach all day. If your plans change there’s no need to worry.

You will end up having more fun doing something unexpected, rather doing something you feel like you need to do.

Not Leaving Enough Time Between Flights

If you haven’t traveled much, you will not have an appreciation of the fact that air travel can be the most unpredictable form of travel. Delays and cancellations are routine in the airline business.

Scheduling flights minutes within each other is a recipe for disaster. If the first flight delays, you might miss the next. Going back to Murphy’s Law–if there’s a chance you’ll miss your flight, you will.

Relying on One Access to Cash

Even if your bank is the most reliable international bank there is, you don’t want to rely on them for all your cash needs during your trip. First time travelers often make the mistake of having just one source of cash.

There are things you can’t control that can lock you out of your account. For instance, the change in geographical location might trigger your account to lock you out as the system thinks that someone else is trying to illegally access your account.

You might also lose your credit or debit card. Bring enough cash with you to get you through most of your trip. Not everyone like traveling with a lot of cash, but sometimes it’s necessary in case of an emergency.

Not Getting Travel Insurance

A lack of appreciation of the several travel variables that might go wrong might make a first time traveler ignore travel insurance. Travel insurance is very important and can help you in case you lose your bag or something important.

Some even cover evacuation in case of an emergency. You don’t want to risk traveling without insurance, especially if you’re somewhere you’re unfamiliar with.

Not Venturing Out Enough

If you want to experience a culture in its authentic nature, you should visit the non-touristy areas of your destination. First time travelers, however, will tend to spend most of their time in the defined touristy areas and not make it to the local towns and villages where the locals live.

People staying at an all-inclusive resort might have even less incentive to venture out. Don’t be one of the people who spend their entire vacation within the confines of their resort.

Relying Too Much on Guidebooks

As they are new to the whole concept of traveling, a first time traveler will try to play it safe and rely on the guidebooks to determine what to do and what attractions to visit. To have the most fun, you need to experience a destination as you want, not as recommended by a faceless publisher in a guide book that was written a decade ago.

Instead of relying on a guidebook, call a local guide and ask for recommendations. Better yet, take the time to get to meet some locals–they will know the best of everything. Explore on your own, you will find something to your liking.

Leaving the Airport Without the Local Currency

The easiest and fastest place to get money in the local currency once you land in a country is at the airport. A first time traveler may underestimate how much money they will need in the local currency.

Anything you could possibly need is likely to cost you some amount of money. Making the mistake of not having enough money could end badly for you if you’re in an emergency situation.

Traveling the Right Way Takes Time

If you’re stressed out about your first time traveling, it’s normal. Look at it this way, if you make mistakes while traveling, next time you can try harder to avoid them.

The best way to go about it is realizing that nothing is going to go completely to plan. Make the most of your time away from home, you may end up having a better time than you originally anticipated.