How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Traveling Abroad

Traveling abroad can be one of the most memorable highlights of your life. It can also be one of the most stressful situations you’ve experienced. Careful planning can help create a smooth path forward by avoiding some common mistakes travelers make. Having traveled abroad 15 times in the past 18 years, I’ve made my share of mistakes, and have learned a lot from them. I’ll share some of my personal lessons here in the hopes that you might save yourself some undue angst.

Overpacking

In my early days of traveling to Italy, I made the classic mistake of overpacking. I brought an extra large suitcase that weighed over 40 pounds. What was I thinking? I paid the priced numerous times, especially when I had to drag it up and down various staircases. Never again. Now it’s a  medium size bag with a small backpack for up to 4 weeks of travel.

 

Buy Travel Insurance

You never know when something could happen, and having that peace of mind is totally worth the cost of the insurance. Since it’s based on age, it’s not as expensive as you might think, unless you’re a senior citizen. I was glad I had it when I took my twin 18-year-old granddaughters to Italy for their first time. Since their passports did not arrive on time, I had to cancel everything and rebook planes, trains, excursions, and classes. While some of the things were refundable, others were not, and although I couldn’t retrieve 100% of those costs, the insurance covered half of them.

I also know of travelers who had medical emergencies and were evacuated off ships to fly home under emergency circumstances. The costs without insurance were extraordinary.

Always Have a Plan B

Especially these days, with the uncertainty of air travel, flexibility is paramount when traveling abroad. Just last year, I was in Paris with my granddaughter Emily. We had taken the Eurostar train from London to Paris. After a wonderful two days there, we were on the Metro to the Gare du Nord train station to catch an 8pm train back to London.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when the Metro whizzed past our stop and continued on. At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do as visions of getting stuck here whirled in my head. I didn’t make advance plans for a Plan B. Having no idea why this occurred, I knew we needed to get off at the next stop, and regroup. Not fluent in  French, and very aware of the time crunch, I contacted my son, who checked the news, and informed me that a gas leak had forced evacuations and cancelled certain lines from entering the station, but now the station had re-opened.

My Eurostar app still indicated that our train was on time, but the Metro line was still cancelled. I hailed a cab, and despite the massive crowds on the streets, the skilled driver managed to get Emily and myself to the station. Incredibly, we made it on time. But the entire situation was extremely stressful, as I imagined possibly having to find a place to  stay overnight in Paris, since this was the last train back to London.

You always have to be prepared that something unexpected can happen and throw a monkey wrench into your plans. One reason I never plan a day trip the day prior to a flight out, in case I can’t get back.

Do Not Plan an Overaggressive Itinerary

I cannot emphasize enough the need to resist the temptation of overscheduling, or packing too much into your vacation. This might be going to too many destinations in a given number of days. It may also mean attempting to visit too many countries on one trip. It may even mean trying to fill every minute of the day sightseeing, and leaving no time to to relax or enjoy your immediate surroundings.

Not taking into account travel time, whether it’s train travel or flights can really impact a trip. If you’re traveling between different countries, you’re expected to arrive at the train station at least an hour ahead and often need to pass through immigration control. And if you’re flying, just getting to or from the airport can take an hour, depending on where your are and what time of day it is. This taxi ride from the airport in Paris at rush hour took an hour. All of this takes time away from the destination, and you have to ask whether it’s worth it or not.

I hate to admit this, but even after all these years of traveling abroad, either solo, with friends, or with family, I have made this colossal error myself, as recently as a few months ago.  And the consequences of these imprudent decisions have not been good. In fact, I had to cancel several excursions and eliminate a few scheduled day trips due to unexpected situations like bad weather, getting sick, and just being exhausted. Sometimes, as the quote by the 18th-century poet Robert Burns goes, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” John Steinbeck , inspired by this quote, used it as a theme in his 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men. So, you end up having to pivot, although much of it could have been avoided without an overaggressive itinerary.

Do Not Underestimate the Walking

Europeans walk a lot, especially in large cities where they take public transportation and have no need for a car.  If you’re not used to walking, start practicing before the trip, so that you are used to walking at least 3 miles a day without getting winded.

Aside from the amount of walking, many of the streets are inclined, which adds to the effort required to navigate cities in Europe. Make sure you have a good supportive pair of walking shoes. Sandals and flip-flops will not support your feet enough.

I recall having to find a shoe store in Levanto, Italy to purchase a better pair of shoes after hiking with my brother in the Cinque Terre. Don’t make these same mistakes that I did. Your feet will thank you.

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For more travel tips, check out one of my older blog posts  – Italy Travel Travel Tips

Have you learned from mistakes while traveling in Europe?  I’d love to hear your stories, and I always welcome feedback, so please leave a comment.

Grazie for all your support. Ciao for now.

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In case you haven’t checked out my Italy travel books, they are available on Amazon and Audible. Enjoy!