Don't fall prey into the common travel mishaps that you'd surely encounter one way or another. Be guided by these tips from BudgetTraveler.com.
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Even the most meticulously planned trip is subject to
snafus, but with a little insider know-how, you can avoid making the common
mistakes that can derail a vacation. Stick to the guidelines below, and you're
more likely to have a trip that's memorable not for lost luggage and rushed
sightseeing, but for the thrill of discovering a new place and savoring it.
Not booking enough
connection time between flights
Leaving a window of at least an hour and a half between
connecting flights will significantly drop your chances of missing your flight
or having your luggage lost, says Sally Watkins, travel agent at Century Travel
and Cruises in Austin, Texas. Having only 45 minutes to connect between flights
might seem doable—not to mention the siren call of less lag time spent hanging
out at a dismal food court—but it's often not enough, especially in large
airports where the gates could be far apart. Don't rely on airlines to do the
math for you, either: "Flights can't be booked unless it is a legitimate
change time according to that airport, and usually if it's the minimum change
time and airlines let you book that, they will make it work," Watkins
says.
Not applying for your
passport early enough
Routine passport processing takes about four to six weeks,
so as soon as you start planning for your trip, apply for a passport if you
need one, or make sure the one you already have hasn't expired. Plus, in certain
countries you need at least six months' worth of validity remaining to enter,
says Elizabeth Finan, spokesperson for the State Department's Bureau of
Consular Affairs. (Go to travel.state.gov for more information.) If your trip
is coming up quicker than that, you can shell out $60 to cut the processing
time to two to three weeks, but if you're planning to board a plane in less
than two weeks, make an appointment at your local passport agency by calling
877/487-2778. The $60 fee still applies. If you've traveled so much you've
practically worn out your passport, flip through it as a precaution:
"Frequent travelers should make sure that they have enough pages in their
passports," says Finan. "For example, South African law requires
travelers to have one fully blank visa page in the passport; without the
requisite number of pages, you may be refused entry." No one wants that.
Underestimating the
location of your hotel from the city center
When you're visiting a city, ponying up for a more expensive
hotel that's in the middle of the action can be a better financial decision in
the long run than staying out in the suburbs and spending money and time on
transportation. Use time you save to explore—or just recharge in your hotel
room. "Particularly if it's a European city in the month of July and it's
hot… you're going to want to go back in the late afternoon and put your feet up
before you go to dinner," Watkins says. "That's not easy to do if
your hotel is a 30-minute bus ride away." Plus, if it's a family vacation,
toting kids on unfamiliar trains or taxis with few breaks will increase the
possibility that you'll have a frustrating visit. "Value is more important
than what's the cheapest," Watkins says.
Trying to do too much
in one trip
Allot a minimum of three days for visiting major cities like
Rome, London, and Paris, and you'll end up with a richer vacation that includes
time for simple pleasures like people-watching or relaxing in sidewalk cafés,
says Watkins. "A lot of people say, 'I just want to do just one night in
whatever and one night in so-and-so.' Slow down! By the time you either load
all the bags into the car, drive, and park, or you schlep all the bags onto a
train, you don't have that much of a day left," says Watkins. The same
goes for multiple activities. Make time for wandering around. In Rome, for
example, planning to see the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, and the Forum in
the same day is overkill, Watkins says. Really seeing the city via strolls and
serendipity can be invaluable.
Not being honest
about your interests, likes, and dislikes
There's no shame in wanting to leisurely sit in cafés in
Paris instead of hoofing it to every monument—or preferring to check out Mayan
ruins in Tulum instead of lying in a hammock. Before you plan vacation activities
that others insist you'll enjoy, sit down and think hard about what you want
your trip to be, then follow your own itinerary. "Many people plan the
trip they think they ought to want, rather than the trip they actually
want," says Edward Hasbrouck, author of The Practical Nomad: How to Travel
Around the World. "If you rarely set foot in a museum, why plan a trip
with museum after museum? A lack of self-awareness can lead to, among other
things, relying on recommendations from people with very different tastes."
Your trip, your experience.
Sticking to tourist
traps rather than venturing off the beaten path
It can be tempting to sink into a chair in the first
restaurant or bar you see, but a little research can net you a more authentic
experience. To locate the best haunts before you go, seek out "blogs that
are focused on just restaurants, or just shopping in a given city," says
Parker Stanberry, founder and CEO of OasisCollections.com, which offers
high-end vacation rentals and private members' clubs in South America.
"And in the social media age, certainly trying to find a friend of a
friend that is a local and can provide that local insight is worth the effort.
There is no substitute for that local, on-the-ground perspective." Here's
how to spot a "tourist trap" so you can steer clear: "With some
exceptions, hotel restaurants and bars fall into that category, as well as those
suggestions that you see in every generic guidebook," Stanberry says.
"Also, spots right next to major tourist attractions—the main plaza, the
top shopping street, major museums—tend to fall into the 'overpriced and not
very local' category."
Basing your hotel
choice on marketing photos
Any hotel or resort can use a fish-eye lens and carefully
selected photos to make their property look desirable. Viewing unaltered
third-party pictures on sites like TripAdvisor.com and Oyster.com can give you
real-life insight into the look of the place—and help you avoid the rude
awakening that happens when expectation collides with reality. Oyster's "Photo
Fakeout" series mashes up touched-up promotional photos with what the
property actually looks like, with funny and slightly depressing results.
"Although there's a lot of debate regarding the authenticity of guests'
testimonies on TripAdvisor, the website does allow travelers the opportunity to
glance at tourist-taken photos," says travel expert Brandon Presser,
author of books including the Lonely Planet guides to Iceland, New York City,
and the Caribbean. "It's a good opportunity to get a sense of what 'ocean
view' truly means at the resort in question. Also, nothing's stopping you from
sending the hotel an email, or picking up the phone to further ask about what
to expect upon arrival. Remember, hotels are part of a service industry—an
industry meant to serve you, the traveler."
Not reading the
entire listing when you're looking to do a short-term apartment or house rental
Establishing trust is crucial when you'd like to book a stay
in someone else's home instead of a hotel, so asking the host to repeat themselves
doesn't win you many brownie points. If the host feels comfortable with you,
the more likely you are to score the rental you want. "If you start asking
questions that are clearly stated in the profile, the host will think, 'If they
aren't minding the details in the listing, are they going to be mindful in
taking care of my home?'" says Emily Joffrion, director of consumer
strategy at Airbnb.com. To show genuine interest, if the host mentions in the
listing that she has a cat, for example, indicate in your initial message that
you love cats. Reading carefully can also skyrocket you to the top of a choice
apartment's rental list if they're screening out less conscientious guests.
Joffrion says one of her New York-based superhosts puts tricks in the description.
For example, "If you've read this, open your message by mentioning the
color blue."
Choosing an outlying
airport that's cheaper, but ending up spending more on transportation to your
hotel
Flying into a nearby city or out-of-the-way airport to save
money up front might seem smart, but, in the end, the cost could even out and
also leave you with less time to spend in your destination. In New York City,
for example, taxi fares run from $50 to $70 from Newark Liberty International
Airport in New Jersey to Manhattan. Fares from LaGuardia Airport, which is
closer to Manhattan, range from $29 to $37. Add those expenses up each way, and
you're looking at almost $70 more spent on transportation, plus the additional
transit time. Same goes for the teensy airports that surround the city you're
visiting. "Flights at smaller airports tend to have weaker transportation
infrastructure to your chosen destination," Presser says. "You might
be faced with cost-prohibitive taxi rides upon arrival." The luggage fees at
smaller airports can also be outrageous, Watkins says. Unless your airline
ticket is significantly cheaper and the extra fees are low or nonexistent, you
might be better off choosing one of the usual airports.
Going to a timeshare
sales pitch when you're not in the market to buy
When you're staying at a resort that offers timeshare
pitches, know that your time—and your sanity—is more valuable than a spa or
restaurant voucher. Skip the sales brunch if you have no interest in purchasing
a vacation share. "They can be a very hard sell and pursue you during the
rest of your stay with calls," says Watkins. The time you save will allow
you to spend more time with the people you're vacationing with and avoid
constant unwanted interruption. If you have visions of free hot stone massages
dancing in your head that cannot be ignored, hold firm to your bottom line, try
to extricate yourself as soon as you can, and screen your hotel-room calls
before picking up the phone. There is, as they say, no such thing as a free lunch.
And when you're on vacation, pressure is the last thing you need.
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Do you want more travel tips? Head over to this Louis Habash blog site for more interesting posts.
