I didn’t catch the travel bug until two years after I finished college. I was 23 and a work colleague at the time asked me to join her on a trip to Paris France. This was my first time traveling outside the US and I’ve been traveling often ever since. Now, I’ve been to 39 countries and counting. I’ve had some mishaps and misadventures. Now, I want to share some common travel mistakes to avoid.
Be Careful Traveling With Colleagues
In was 2002 when I was given the opportunity to visit Paris, a place I’ve never been with a work colleague and I jumped on it. The caution here is to be ready to adjust expectations when traveling with someone you work with regularly. I loved and still fondly remember this first trip outside the U.S. Paris was full of life, culture, and experiences. I was overwhelmed! I soon learned the real reason for me joining my work colleague. She wanted someone as a backup just in case the person she was communicating with long distance didn’t work out when they met each other in Paris. I only learned the true reason me joining her during the short ride from the airport to the hotel in the heart of the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It was shocked and felt used. Instead, of staying angry with her I chose to make the best of it. It could have been a different experience as I was left on my own most of the 7 days in Paris. So, be careful when deciding to travel with a work colleague.
Make Sure to Leave Enough Layover Time
Sometimes the worst part of traveling is waiting for the flight. The fear of a delayed flight or a short layover time are two things I’ve tried to avoid. Some flight itineraries offer some very short layover (i.e. 30 or 45 minutes), which can be tempting. Be careful with these often temping flight choices as any delay will cause a travel nightmare. Layover times become even more important when you’re traveling internationally because you have to go through immigration, customs, and security again (and if you’ve checked a bag, back to baggage claim first). All of these steps need to occur before you go forward to the domestic flight connections internationally. For me, I try to give myself at least 2 hours but often look for flight itinerary between 2 and 4 hours to avoid the panic that can creep up on you if a delay occurs. Give yourself longer layover time if you have checked bags or mobility issues.
Don’t Spend Too Much In One City
For first time travelers, visiting the bigger cities such as Paris, London, Berlin, Athens, and Cape Town for 2, 3, or 4 days shouldn’t be avoided. However, one shouldn’t just travel to only Paris and avoid the wonderful atmosphere found outside of Paris. I encourage you to plan that travel itinerary to include a mix of the arrival city and areas outside of the city. I encourage you to do some research on the smaller towns around the destination of your choosing. There are many options to explore them including public transit, renting a car, or hiring a travel guide. I use Viator as my partner in exploration of ‘things to do’ in and around my destination.
Eating Out Near Busy Tourist Sites
After long day of touring sites at your new destination, you are tired and hungry and want to eat and get back to the hotel. Avoid the urge to just find the closest food options. Sure it sounds wonderful and definitely convenient to eat right outside the Louvre, Vatican, or the Coliseum, but I recommend walking a block or two away from these busy tourist sites to find a quieter area with more local flares for food choices. One of the best meals that I have ever had was on the opposite side of the Montmartre train station where we walked a two blocks up the opposite hill from Montmartre.
Not Getting Travel Insurance
It only took me one time to learn the importance of always having travel insurance for every international trip. I was traveling locally with friends to Martha Vineyards when an ill-fated moped passenger ride led to a broken knee. I had a booked another European trip to London leaving a few days after the long weekend trip without travel insurance. I lost most of these travel funds. Now, I always purchase travel insurance. A couple of sites I used regularly are:
I have yet to jump in buying an annual plan from Allianz, but probably will explore this option as part of my 2025 travel plans.
I hope these hints help you to avoid my travel mishaps. Enjoy the many adventures that await you in your next holiday.
drnicktravels.com 
