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All travelers have a nightmare story or more to tell when it comes to being on the move and traveling. It has happened to us all; missed connections, faulty equipment, rude staff and as I like to say and so on and so on. Whether it be for work or fun, traveling is meant to be a most enjoyable occasion. An out of the world vacation or crucial business trip can go off the deep end and fast but with a bit of awareness and knowledge one can avoid making those blunders travelers sometimes make.
MasterTheEvent.com asked our readers what they thought were some of the biggest blunders made when it comes to traveling for business or pleasure. If we as travelers are mindful of some of the more everyday goofs travelers tend to make, we can easily cut back on the anxiety and stress that can come with traveling.
Travelers Don’t Make These Mistakes!
Traveling can be a very enjoyable part of life. All travelers have had a stumble or two, but if we make the attempt to be prepared and always read the fine print, it will help us all to avoid any surprises and hassles.
Over Packing – Packing too much, occurs all the time. Lots of us do forget to pack items but the majority tend to bring way more than we need. If you can’t close a suitcase that’s the first sign you’ve over packed. Several surveys suggest that travelers arrive back from a trip with four to six never worn ensembles. Rule of thumb is to coordinate outfits prior to packing and only pack half of what you figure you need.
Reservation Hard Copy – I’m on-board and am all for technology, and this is one I learned from personal experience. Travelers figure with smartphones, computers and tablets why be concerned with hard copies of key traveling information. Well I’m here to tell you, “stuff” happens and before you know it you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language and your electronics are not working. Always, always print a hard copy of any information and documents, because you really never know.
Flight Connections – As all experienced travelers will share, one of the most useable pieces of information is all about the timing and allowing for enough time in between flights and flight connections. And really who amongst us wants to have to do the fifty yard dash through an airport terminal. It is recommended to allow a minimum of two hours between flights, because when traveling, timing is definitely a deal breaker.
Credit and ATM Cards – When on the move not really understanding your credit card and ATM card and how they work is a very commonplace mistake travelers commit. First and foremost if you are traveling out of the country, it is recommended that you contact your credit card company and bank, find out what fees could apply and let them know where and when you will be traveling. Those in the know suggest travelers bring a secondary credit card just in case the primary one stops working and there are still some locales that don’t accept specific credit cards. And when out of the country, ATM cards that are not linked with the PLUS and Cirrus worldwide networks often do not provide access to your cash.
Travel Medical Insurance – Like the Scouts say “always be prepared.” The majority of us like to only think about the bright side of life and we never want to entertain the negative. And really who wants to think about a doomsday scenario especially when organizing a trip. But travel medical insurance is a very important and must always be a part of trip planning. So to be on the safe side, do not skip travel insurance and always ensure you have arranged for adequate coverage. Like most insurance, just because we buy it, doesn’t mean we plan or want to use it.
