Some common travel errors and how to solve them

Part of the "fun" of travel is the lessons that are learned along the
way  (Photo: en.wikipedia.com  Public Domain)

CHARLOTTE, NC — The first half of a familiar adage goes "To err is human..." When it comes to travel, the second half makes little difference because "forgiveness" is usually overruled by a guy named Murphy.

All too often, travelers do not do their homework when they plan a trip, and that mistake comes back to haunt them with spinning wheels, less than adequate accommodations and, worst of all, wasted money on your once-in-lifetime adventure.

Here are some of the most common mistakes made by travelers and how to avoid them.

Unless rafting is what you set out to do, you could be "up the
creek" paddle and all (Photo: Taylor)

Overly ambitious planning: What sounds and looks good on paper frequently doesn't work in reality. Many people, especially first-timers, want to see everything in one fell swoop. It ain't gonna happen.

No matter how often you visit a place, things change and there is no way to see all a destination has to offer in a single visit or ten.

The best thing to do is to make a list of what are the most important sights you want to see before you go. When you arrive, take a three hour city tour (they are usually hop on/hop off style) and get yourself oriented. That way you have some idea of where things are so you (hopefully) don't keep going back and forth across the city.

If you are doing more than one city or country use the same plan and follow this simple rule; schedule some time to rest and relax, because you are NOT going to see everything. If you try, you won't remember half of what you did see.

Hotel brochures are not always accurate  (Photo: Taylor)

When European travel really kicked in following World War II, the idea was to do a single "Grand Tour" that became known as the "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" tours. They still exist but they are less than satisfying. As a result are actually "cookie cutter" itineraries and they don't work very well regardless of whether you book a tour or travel independently.

Traveling on the "cheap" isn't always better: This one can be tricky. Certainly everyone wants to save money, but cutting costs so thin that you fail to see the entire destination is foolish. After all, you scrimped and saved to take the trip, and then if you deny yourself the best part of it by not spending a few extra dollars to see it, you have wasted the experience.

Guidebooks are great for suggestions on places to eat and sightseeing...up to a point. Sure you can find some neat little spots for dinner that have been recommended by someone else, but part of the fun of travel is to discover things on your own.

Be careful...local cuisine could give you a bad case of "turista"
(Photo: Taylor) 

Most restaurants and cafes post menus outside so that you can get an idea of what they offer just by walking past. Some of the best places are those you just happen upon. If the atmosphere appeals to you and the menu looks good, just pop in and try it. Chances are, if there are lots of locals inside, then you've hit the jackpot.

Many restaurants also offer tourist menus. Eye those with caution to be sure you are getting exactly what you want. All too often they are "Americanized" to suit our tastes and do not at all reflect traditional local cuisine.

Yes, sometimes you can, and will, make a mistake, but when you do find that treasure, you'll forget all about the bad choice. Besides, that's half the fun of travel.

Why pay less for a hotel two miles outside of town if you have to take a taxi or some other form of transportation to go back and forth? The money you save by being within walking distance could more than make up for getting cheaper accommodations.

Always negotiate ground transportation services up front
(Photo: Taylor)

Youth hostels typically have cheap rates for the rooms, but if you have to pay for towels, soap, butter and other standard amenities, you might realize that it is less expensive to stay in a tourist style two-star hotel.

In other words, be frugal, but don't be afraid to splurge now and then to see something you really don't want to miss.

The best rule of thumb is to "pack half of what you need and twice as much money."

So you spend a couple hundred more dollars. After you get home, that extra money will be long forgotten if the trip is a success.

Don't be afraid of language barriers or mistakes: For many novice travelers the fear of non-English speaking locations is traumatic. One thing to do is to make your first international trip is to England, Scotland, Ireland or some other place where "English" is spoken.

Just remember, it won't be American English and, even though they say they are speaking our language, you may not understand accents, dialects and/or idioms. It may be an eye-opener but it will usually cure the language barrier disease immediately.

Hometown traffic rarely compares to what you find abroad
(Photo: Taylor)

In most large destinations throughout the world, keep in mind that English is the universal language, so you can always duck into a quality hotel and find someone with whom you can communicate.

A great tip is to learn how to say "Please", "Thank you", "Good morning" or "Good evening" in the native language. A DON'T forget to smile. Be patient. Most people are willing to help. If they are rude, just let it go.

Another suggestion is the main train station. In the U.S. we are so addicted to our cars, we forget, or don't realize, that most of the rest of the world travels by train.

Train stations can be a weary traveler's refuge (Photo: Taylor)

Railway stations are "Yellow Pages for the soul" because you can get everything there; English tourist information, food, change, sometimes hotel reservations, gifts, restrooms, lockers, ground transportation and newspapers and magazines. Best of all, they are usually centrally located which makes it difficult to get lost.

Plan well, do your homework and the need for prayer will be reduced  (Photo: Taylor)

As for mistakes, so what. That's part of the adventure. Remember travel is a learning experience. Nobody is going to do everything right the first time out. Just go with the flow and try to minimize the errors as much as possible.

Logistics isn't the most exciting thing to think about when planning your trip of a lifetime, but it is a guarantee that if you do your homework, you will save time, money and, most of all, energy.

Those things along will make all the difference after you return.