No matter how much experience you have, or the amount of research you do beforehand, trips will almost never go 100% according to plan. Sometimes it is completely out of your control, like a storm causing a flight delay or cancellation. Other times it will be completely avoidable, and you may feel annoyed with yourself for making such a silly mistake. No-one is perfect, so don’t feel bad! Below I’ve put together a collection of common travel mistakes that even I, as a somewhat experienced traveler, have unfortunately made and how to avoid them in the future.

Common Travel Mistakes

Eating From Hot Food Bars in Airport Lounges/Hotels

Going forward, this is something I will avoid at all costs. I ended up with stomach issues to start off my last two major international trips, all thanks to eating from a hot food buffet/bar (dealing with what you think may be food poisoning during a 7+ hour flight is no walk in the park). Just play it safe and stick to the cold items – they’re less likely to have issues with staying at the right temperature!

Wearing the Wrong Outfit on Travel Days

It seems silly, but what you wear on a long travel day matters. I unfortunately somehow forget this every time. Dressing in removable layers is SO IMPORTANT, especially if you’re like me and overheat when stressed. This is even more crucial if you’re not able to check into your hotel right away. You don’t want to start your time in a new city sweaty and disheveled! I don’t know about you, but that makes me pretty grumpy. When visiting Athens, we arrived at 8am but couldn’t check into our hotel until 3pm. There was nowhere in the hotel I could change, so I was stuck walking around in my jeans and compression socks from the flight. It was close to 80°F and I felt so gross by the time we were able to get into our room.

Not Giving Yourself Plenty of Layover Time

This is especially a concern when it comes to international connecting flights. Make sure to give yourself way more time than you think you’ll actually need. I know a lot of people don’t like ‘wasting’ time in airports, but I honestly love sitting at a bar with an overpriced cocktail. Also be sure to do a little research about the airports you’re flying in/out of so you know what a reasonable layover time is. We had this problem when we went to Italy. Our flight to Venice out of JFK (with a layover in Istanbul) left on time, but we somehow lost over an hour while we were in the air. Our layover in Istanbul was less than two hours, so by the time we taxied/deplaned we’d missed our connection. The Istanbul airport is HUGE so two hours is definitely not long enough.

Falling for Tourist Scams

Since we started traveling internationally, I realized there are a lot of common tourist-centric scams in other countries. (I’m sure there are some here in the US as well, but I haven’t experienced them!) A panhandler in Greece leaving a clear cup in a walkway so you knock it over and feel bad enough to give them money. Someone handing you a bracelet in the Dominican Republic saying its free, and then turning around and demanding money for it once its on your wrist. In Florence, Italy I almost stepped on some photo prints in a high foot traffic touristy area, and if Jasper hadn’t pulled me out of the way the guy would likely have tried to get me to pay for it because I “ruined” it. Keep your eyes peeled, and your safest bet is to just say no and walk away!

Overpacking or Packing Wrong for Your Destination

As a chronic over-packer, this habit is so hard to break. On our two week trip to Italy, we brought a large rolling suitcase, two duffle bags AND two backpacks. For some reason I didn’t want to repeat outfits, so I brought way more than necessary, and we were exhausted on travel days. And bringing a rolling suitcase to Italy definitely falls under the category of packing wrong for your destination. Having to drag it though the narrow streets of Venice or across the cobblestones in Rome is not a good time. I’ve learned my lesson (a little) and have limited myself to just an overpacked carry on and backpack from now on.

Have you fallen victim to any of these common travel mistakes? Let me know in the comments!