Traveling is all about trying new things, and with that comes making mistakes! You live, and you learn. Often times our travel blunders end up becoming our best stories and our most valuable advice to our fellow travelers. Here are 30 lessons I have learned from my personal travel mishaps and experiences. You don't have to make my same mistakes. Get out there and make your own!

1. Triple check dates when booking.

I am completely paranoid about this one after making a similar mistake three different times! Once, when my husband's parents where visiting us in Germany, they needed help booking a flight later that week to get to Paris. After a late night of dinner and wine, we came home and I decided to book the flight (bad choice). What I didn't realize is that I was looking at the wrong month. I had accidentally booked a flight a month out. It wasn't until I received the confirmation that I realized that the dates didn't look right. Luckily, because I caught it so fast, we were able to make the change with no fee, but it took lots of calls over the next couple of days...

Another time, when my mom came to visit, we decided to rent a car and drive around Germany for a few days. It wasn't until we arrived at the pick up office that we were told we had booked our car for the next week! They didn't have any cars available, so we had to sit in the office with our bags to cancel the wrong booking, book a new car from a different company, take a cab to another part of town, and then told that even though the app said they had cars available, that they actually didn't. Although, they were kind enough to get us a car from another office and even drove us there! So crisis averted!

Once when booking a car in Costa Rica, I got the date correct, but I didn't alter the time to match our flight, so instead of picking the car up at 10 AM (the allotted time), we arrived at about 4 PM. I didn't think this would matter, but it turned out that because we didn't show up on time, they gave our car away! Luckily, my parents had met us at the airport, and were already working on a solution to the problem for us, but it still took us about an hour, way more money, and an uncertainty about the legitimacy of, "My friend has car rentals, he will bring one here for you!" 

So, check your dates carefully and specify your times. No matter how well-traveled you are, this is an easy mistake to make!

2. Make sure you know which airport you leave from.

This mistake is easy to make in London, which is what we did! We just assumed that we were departing from London Heathrow because that is the only airport we had ever used. We even had round trip tickets with the new Heathrow Express train. It wasn't until we were walking to the subway station that Matt had a random thought, "Let's check the tickets!" 

Our faces dropped as we noticed a "LGW" instead of a "LHR" on the tickets! Gatwick? How do we get to Gatwick??? We had to rush to another subway station to make it to a different train station, to take a longer train (which was delayed by about 30 minutes for inspections), dropped off at the opposite side of the airport that we needed, and we were the last people to check in for the flight! After rushing through the airport, we were grateful that we made our fight (barely) and that we had sprung for the business class seats. 

I've seen people make similar mistakes with train stations as well, so just always check your tickets carefully. 

3. Get on the correct train.

We took a short side trip to a small town in Germany. On the way home, we bought our tickets at a kiosk. Same price as coming down, about 8 Euros per person (which I thought was strange because online it showed 15 pp). We found the platform that said "to Hamburg" and started waiting. Strangely enough, the platform right next to us was also going to Hamburg. And it was going to leave only a couple minutes after ours. I looked online at bahn.de and it was also only going to take 30 minutes. We couldn't figure out why two trains would be leaving at the same time, going the same place, and arriving at the same time there. We decided to just stay put.

No more than 30 seconds after we sat down and our train departed, the ticket checker showed up. We handed over our tickets as we are quite used to by now. But instead of stamping the ticket, he told us that this ticket is not for this train. After arguing back and forth for a while about it, he pointed that we were on a DB train, and the ticket was for a HVV train. We needed to buy to correct ticket from him. We asked for the price. 28 Euro PER PERSON! !??! I pulled up my page on bahn.de to show that here it shows the price is 15 Euro pp. He explained that that is only the online price. If we pay on the train, it doubles. It's like a penalty for people getting on a train without a ticket. We paid the man, but we complained about how confusing and unfair the whole situation was the whole time. He didn't seem to care how upset we were.

So, even if your train is going to the same place, and takes the same amount of time, be sure that you are on the train that you paid for, or you could get stuck paying a lot more!

4. The longer the trip, the slower you should go.

While a one or two week trip is possible to speed through, anything longer and your body will scream for a break. Even on those shorter trips, I find it to be really nice to have unscheduled days, which are important for logistical things like doing laundry, or for just relaxing without an agenda. I also prefer to not hop from big city to big city. Some of my favorite parts of trips have been in smaller towns or out on farms. Cities are busy and stressful, so it's a nice break to get some fresh air. 

Also, when you are in a city with a bunch of sites, don't try to cram too much into each day. As mentioned in my free email course, one or two major sites each day is plenty, or you will be way too exhausted to really enjoy yourself. Take breaks and slow down.

5. Plan for active or unique experiences.

I always feel best when I get a chance to be out in nature. Whether it's a hike or something more adventurous like zip lining, I try to pick out a few activities that gets the heart pumping. If you don't like physical work like that, try something unique like a cooking class or a local Meetup. It's fun to try new things!

6. Consider travel times.

The most common mistake I see in people's itineraries are that they schedule one or two days in one city, one day in the next, and one day in another, not planning for the fact that the day will be entirely filled with just getting to your new location! As I discuss in my email course, Plan a Trip in Just 4 Days, you should never stay just one night somewhere (unless you are just passing through and don't care about site seeing). Two nights in one location only gives you one full day of site seeing, so plan accordingly. Use Rome2Rio to see how long it will take you to travel from one place to next, and give yourself time to check into your accommodations. 

Especially if you are flying, remember that in addition to arriving early for your flight, you also have to get to and from the airports, which can often take about an hour. 

7. Don't plan to sleep on the plane. 

Now you may be luckier than I am, but I cannot sleep on a plane at all. Even with Ambien, I get no rest. Because of this, I always try to book my arrival times for later afternoon or early evening times. As I explain in the flight section of my free email course, this allows me to check into my accommodations, get some dinner, and then get a full night's sleep.

I learned this one the hard way in Iceland. We decided to do a stopover for just a day and a half. Our flight landed at 6:00 in the morning. Of course, I didn't sleep a wink on the plane, so our plans to rent a car, hang out at the Blue Lagoon, and then drive the Golden Circle for the day were dampened by a severe lack of sleep and the start of a head cold. 

8. Earn and use rewards points.

I explain how to use rewards credit cards in this post. Because of taking advantage of points, we have booked so many free or highly discounted flights! In fact, this summer we booked two business class trips to Europe completely with points! 

9. The upgrade is usually worth it when possible.

This goes along with number 8 because you can use your points to upgrade. After experiencing each coach and business, it's really hard for me to ever go back to coach on longer flights. Although paying out of pocket is usually really expensive, if we can use up some points to make an eight hour flight less miserable, we will use them! Even just having lounge access and priority boarding makes the whole flying experience so much better. Don't bother with shorter flights, but the long hauls are worth it. 

This often times goes for trains as well, especially in Italy. Paying $10 more for a reserved train seat with quiet and air conditioning can make a huge difference!

10. Check for visas and immunizations.

This hasn't happened to me, but I have heard stories of people showing up in, say, Brazil, and not realizing that they needed to get a visa before arrival. Take five minutes while planning your trip to check if you need a visa or any immunizations before you go. 

11. Print tickets if required.

In New York, we had tickets to see the Broadway show Chicago, but didn't look closely at our emailed tickets until we were walking out of our hotel. They required printed tickets! It took a while and some stress, but our concierge printed out our tickets for us last minute, and we were able to get into the show. Never assume that you can just show tickets on your phone. If they need to be printed, it will say so in the fine print.

12. Make sure the AC is "in room".

We once stayed in a hotel in Florence in the middle of July that advertised air conditioning, which there was plenty of in the lobby. But in the room... just a fan and a window. We got mosquito bites from leaving the window open all night. Read the details carefully if air conditioning is an important part of your booking!

13. If you can't function without coffee, bring backup.

I wrote all about our coffee blunders in our Behind the Scenes blog post. It's easy to pack a few Via packets with you just in case because you never know! We've seen it all. 

14. Plan for laundry... and know how to use it!

In my email course, Plan a Trip in Just 4 Days, I explain that you should pack only a week's worth of clothes, and plan on doing laundry every 5 days. Most hotels that offer laundry service charge per article of clothing, so it's really expensive. Laundromats are great, but sometimes hard to find and takes up precious time. My favorite situation is the small bed and breakfasts that will do a whole load for like $5, but it's often times not advertised on their site. 

We usually try to book a small apartment through AirBnB that includes a washing machine. However, make sure you get a very thorough explanation of how to use it because the hieroglyphics will make you want to pull your hair out!

15. Check your room as soon as you arrive.

And never place your bag or clothes on the bed. To check for bed bugs, lift up the corners of the mattress. Look in the folds on the mattress and on the wood panels beneath for anything that looks black or red. Blood spots mean people have had bites. Little white spots that look like rice could mean eggs. Adult bugs are black and easiest to spot. 

Seriously, if there is anything wrong with your room, take care of it as soon as possible to avoid a much bigger headache later. Don't feel too embarrassed to request a new room if yours smells like mildew or to demand a refund if you find bugs. If you booked through hotels.com, which I use frequently, they are easy to call in these situations. I had to cancel a booking due to a very gross room, got a full refund, and even got an extra voucher for my troubles.

16. Always bring earplugs. 

I read reviews carefully for mentions of sound levels in hotels, but accommodations can be unpredictable, especially AirBnBs. Our most recent place in Rome had single pane windows and was right above a very popular bar. Without my earplugs, I would not have gotten any sleep at all.

17. Bring Pepto Bismol.

Us Americans take this medicine for granted, but it doesn't exist in a lot of other countries. When out of your home, it's easy to get stomach issues, so it's helpful to pack some Pepto along (tablets are easier to bring than liquid). Some people even swear by taking one each a day to prevent getting sick, especially in countries known for the travel bug, like India. 

18. Have 2-3 pairs of comfortable shoes.

No matter how comfortable your shoes are at home, being on your feet all day in a different climate takes it's toll. Whether you get blisters, swelling, or sore arches, being able to switch up your shoes every day or two is helpful. In the summer, I like to bring 1-2 pairs of sandals and some sneakers. In the winter, sneakers and boots. 

At night, I like to stretch, massage, and elevate my feet even before they get sore. Cold water feels great on tired, swollen feet!

19. Pack less.

The last thing I want to say about packing is to just pack less. As I talked about in my How to Pack Like a Pro blog post, only pack one week's worth of clothes, and make sure that it all can get a lot of use. Packing just a carry-on makes travel so much easier, and backpacks quickly get heavy. This is a really hard rule to follow, but don't overpack!

20. Learn some of the language.

Even in countries where most people know English, attempting a few words in the local language opens up doors and softens people's perception of you. Good words to start with are: "please", "thank you", "hello", "goodbye", and one fun phrase like, "another beer please!"

As linked in my blog post about my favorite apps, Google Translate and Word Lens can be life savers.

21. Find out local food specialities. 

If a region or a city is known for a specific food or drink, try it! There will be no better chance, and it's fun to talk about how special it is with your waiter or vendor!

22. Ask locals what to do and where to eat.

Even if you have done all of the research, and have a full plan, it's really valuable to ask local cab drivers or waiters about their favorite spots. I usually trust them more than Trip Advisor!

23. Know the local scams.

Most touristy spots have ongoing scams, which can get very creative! A common one is "cabs" at the airport. If you plan on using cabs, always research ahead of time who to trust. There is usually a designated cab stand, while scammers try to approach you directly. Everywhere is a little different, so just do your research. 

Also, street scams that involve bracelets, cards, or distracting you while they take your bag are very common in touristy areas. New ones pop up every year, so just do a quick online search of common scams where you are going to know what to look for. Once you have seen a few scams in person, they get easier to recognize even without the research. 

24. Pesto is considered a "liquid". 

When buying souvenirs, keep in mind what may or may not get past security. We bought some local pesto in the Cinque Terre, not realizing that it would be considered a liquid and taken away from us at the airport. 

Shipping souvenirs home can be an option, but can be unreliable or expensive. We mailed wine from France and some artwork from Hungary with no problems. However, scotch from Scotland cost a crazy amount in shipping and VAT tax. Our truffle items from Croatia never showed up. 

25. Be careful with Greek ferries.

If the weather is windy, know what will happen. Our 1 hour ferry turned into a 7 hour trip from hell. 

We woke up the morning of our ferry to Santorini to strong winds. If they didn’t die down, we would either have our boat cancelled or we’d have an hour of a choppy ride. If it was cancelled, we could just take the 12:30 larger slower ferry and take closer to 3 hours instead of one. Not perfect, but not that big of a deal. Either way, I was concerned. 

When the boat arrived, it looked different. It said Sea Jets on it, which was correct, but it looked more like a big traditional boat, not a small one that lifts up and speeds. We should have turned around at that point. But we didn’t.

There weren’t many people or cars getting on or off the boat, yet we kept carefully walking with our packs, trying to not get knocked off of the dock by the wind.  That was our second warning.

Our third warning was the fiasco of watching a car trying to get on the ramp, but getting stuck midway because the ramp kept moving so much from the waves. We were told to wait until the ramp was low and helped onto the boat by the crew. What were we thinking? But it least it was only going to be for an hour, right? We could manage.

As we handed over our tickets, we were told that this was not the same boat we booked. That boat wasn’t running that day, so this was the replacement. He ripped our tickets (because they still worked) as the boat started to pull away. 

“This still goes to Santorini, right?” we asked. 

“Oh, yes. But slower.” 

“How slow? Like 2-3 hours?” 

“More like 5 or 6.”

???!!!!?!?!?!?!

We had no other choice at this point. The boat was already off and going. We couldn’t believe or understand that we were stuck on this boat rocking so heavily that we couldn’t stand for 5 or 6 hours.

And then, we found out from someone else, that it might be more like 7 hours because she said that we could expect to arrive in Santorini by about 6pm. It took so long because it makes a tooooon of stops. To prevent seasickness, I laid down and tried to sleep the whole time. 

My parents had a similar experience in Greece where all of the passengers where throwing up. 

Be careful with Greek ferries!

26. Know before you run.

When our flight from Costa Rica to LAX was delayed by over an hour, we were in serious jeopardy of missing our next flight. We grabbed our backpacks and ran clear across the entire airport, stressed through security, and ran onto our plane right before scheduled take-off. What no one had told us was that so many people had the same connecting flight, that they had delayed our next flight to accommodate us. 

So we sat in our seats huffing and puffing for an extra 30 minutes while the other passengers strolled in with no concern at all! We should have asked our flight attendants or somebody to clarify if our flight would be held up for us to avoid the stress.

27. Check the seats for all belongings.

I once left my Kindle on a plane. And a phone charger in a hotel. That's no fun. I know people who have left their wallets in cabs. Just double check that you don't leave anything behind.

28. Use T-Mobile.

Seriously. I switched to T-Mobile last year, and all of my overseas data is free. I no longer need to spend time searching for SIM cards. That's a relief! I know some people pay for the international data plan while gone, but that is usually pretty expensive! 

If you don't want to use T-Mobile, see if you can order a SIM card online before your trip. If not, research where you can buy one upon arrival, and block out a few hours of your time to stand in line and buy something that half of the time doesn't work. 

29. Don't always trust the Google Maps' route.

I have ended up on too many weird, back roads by just following the route given to me. Make sure to zoom out and use your own logic to see if there is a straight highway or something easier to get you where you are going. 

30. Meet up with friends.

Some of the most fun that I've had is when I've had a chance to spend time with friends or family on the road. We had family and friends come stay with us, we stayed with family and friends, and I even took a weekend trip to meet up with some friends in Copenhagen during their vacation. If this is possible, make an effort!

The more you travel, the more you learn what does and doesn't work for you personally. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because they are inevitable! 

What about you? What lessons have you learned from your travel mistakes and experiences? 

If you are currently planning a trip, sign up for my email course that will help you get all of the basics done in just four days! For more personalized support with your itinerary, contact me for a consultation.