One of the major “don’ts” of travel is that you should not let a mistake ruin your trip. However, with that in mind, wouldn’t it be easier to just avoid some of the biggest travel mistakes altogether? The four dos and don’ts below can help make your next trip trouble-free.
Do Have a Budget
You need a vacation. You deserve a vacation. It’s tempting to just throw caution to the winds and take off, putting some or all of your trip on your credit card. However, a much better way to approach this is by making a budget and taking out a loan to cover the cost if necessary. Utilizing low APR personal loans will usually cost you less than credit cards, which tend to have very high APRs. A budget combined with a little planning isn’t there to stop you from doing things you’ll enjoy but can help ensure that when you splurge, it’s on something you want to spend money on and not an overpriced meal or accommodation.
Do Have a Reasonable Schedule
Only you can define what reasonable is, but there are some things that are going to be impossible to accomplish given the limitations of time and space. The biggest mistake of this type that you can make is if you have multiple destinations. If you are not careful, you will spend all your time rushing from airport to hotel and back again or most of your time in your car. The latter might be fine if you are primarily planning a road trip but could put a damper on your vacation if you hoped to do anything besides drive. You may be able to charter a private jet while depending on where you are visiting. This can cost more, but save time if you want to travel more quickly than if you were to drive. Check out a private jet charter cost estimator to see if it’s a possible option for you. If you are one of those people who tends to overestimate what you can accomplish in a certain amount of time, have a friend who is not look over your plan with a critical eyeand then take their advice.
Dont Be a Bad Traveling Companion
Who you travel with can make or break the trip but remember that there’s always room for compromise. Maybe you have not seen your best friend from college for a few years and in the meantime, it turns out your interests have changed. Rather than one of you trying to learn to love nightclubs or museums, sunbathing or parasailing, try splitting up and sharing your adventures with one another over breakfast, dinner or drinks each day.
Do Not Fear the Road Not Taken
While being mindful of your safety and realistic about what you do and do not enjoy, try some things the average tourist will not. You might be surprised to learn that these types of personal growth challenges are a way that travel can improve your mental health in a fun, non-threatening way. For example, food is often better and cheaper away from tourists hubs, and sometimes moving away from those tourist hubs can mean just going a street or two over.
Try chatting with locals if they seem amenable to conversation and ask them for recommendations. Walk instead of taking a taxiyou may be pleasantly surprised by what you see on the way. Embrace spontaneity, ordering a dish you’ve never eaten before or signing up for impromptu paddleboard lessons on the beach. One of the reasons vacations feel like such an escape from your normal life and are so memorable is because you really are more engaged in everything around you compared to life back home.
