After more than a year of traveling and many experiences, we have, like everyone, made many beginner mistakes or seen them made by other travelers. Some of them could have been easily avoided with a little research and a little better planning. And we're not talking about the mystery of everyone packing way too many unnecessary items on their first trip!
We've briefly summarized some of our experiences here for you and your future travels. Because all these mistakes can significantly reduce your travel fun not only on a world trip, but also on a short vacation trip.
Mistake #1: Bank is not informed
Inform your bank about your travel plans so that they do not block your card because a withdrawal is suddenly made from the other side of the world. With many banks, this is now easily done over the internet or through an app. As useful as geo-blocking is now and then, it can sometimes be a nuisance when traveling. It happened to us more than once that we didn't get anything at an ATM or a store, only to realize later that it was our own fault. Because we had forgotten to activate our card for that country.
Mistake #2: The most important things are somewhere
No matter where you go, one thing is always important: always keep the most essential things with you! A lost suitcase on a flight or something similar can otherwise very quickly dampen the joy of travel, even if you then get the suitcase back a few days later. Also the small backpack with your documents should - like your wallet - never be far away from you. We have met quite a few people who had lost their important things or had forgotten them somewhere. Not stolen by someone, but actually left them somewhere themselves. This can also happen! Therefore, always be aware of your surroundings and your situation!
Mistake #3: Clauses in insurance policy not checked
Before you leave, make sure to check your insurance policy (e.g. health/accident/liability or travel insurance). Many insurances exclude for example motor sports or various outdoor activities from their scope of benefits. So it is better to study the small print more than to have no insurance coverage later.
Mistake #4: There is good internet everywhere
In Europe, we are now used to having fast internet everywhere and at all times. Mobile network is available in just about every small village and almost every hotel now has acceptable WiFi. So don't be surprised: this is already not even true for Canada and the USA, for example! There you can be on the road for days without any internet reception and if you do get one, you have to be glad to be able to send a few text messages. Even if you can "buy internet" for a few minutes at some restaurants or gas stations, unfortunately nobody guarantees you that it will work then!
So always download offline maps and the most important information about the places you want to visit in advance. In some areas it is also helpful to have a screenshot of the weather maps with you. Especially if you plan to be out in the middle of nowhere for several days!
Mistake #5: Copies, copies and more copies
Before you leave, scan all your important documents - passport, visa, car documents, credit cards and tickets and whatever else they may be called - and print out copies of them. In case you lose your documents, digital and printed copies will make it easier for you to work at the embassy or other relevant offices. Laminate copies of your vehicle documents and driver's license/ID card. Depending on the country you are traveling in, this may be helpful. In some countries, you can show these copies to police and military officials instead of the originals if you feel uncomfortable. This will help you avoid having your documents confiscated and a bribe extorted. However, you should never deny that they are copies.
In some places, your documents are also retained by the hotels - in fact, the principle of "room key and remote control against your ID" applies here. So far, no one has complained when we only left our copies. Because remember one thing: abroad you are obliged to have a valid ID with you at all times!
Mistake #6: No regular backup
A brief thoughtless moment and your cell phone falls into the water. Or your hard drive suddenly decides to go on strike and all your photos are gone. Almost every traveler we've met has told us something about lost data. So back up your digital data regularly, always to a cloud if possible. It's often a hassle due to the usually slow internet connections, but it's worth it!
Mistake #7 Traveling during peak season
Who hasn't experienced it? You travel to a place and have to constantly think about your travel budget because you ended up in a place in the middle of the peak tourist season! Actually, it should be a given, but it's easy to forget that out of season everything is cheaper, quieter and more accessible. The same goes for weekdays and early mornings: travel when others aren't! The advantage for you is, you can enjoy the scenery in peace and save money too. But check with your destination beforehand. If it's a popular cruise ship port, it can be very busy during the week too!
Mistake #8: Only carrying one credit card
Most people in this world are honest and travel is generally safe. And yet, anything can happen any day. The handling of credit card data is for example in the USA (to put it nicely) relatively "careless" and so it can easily happen that a third party goes shopping with your card details. This happened to us as well. Just a few days after we left the US, a charge from San Diego suddenly showed up on a card as well. We had it blocked immediately and were glad to have more than one card to bridge the time until we got a new card. Getting your new card is not so easy because some bank will normaly only send your card to your home adress.
Mistake #9: Not taking a first aid kit.
This is easily overlooked, but be sure to pack some essential medications and first aid items wherever you go. An antiseptic spray, hand sanitizer, pain reliever, cold medicine, diarrhea tablets, and band-aids won't take up much space. But you can save yourself a lot of headaches on the road - literally and figuratively!
Mistake #10: Don't have mosquito repellent with you
Mosquitoes are always annoying back home in Austria, but not really bad. In the north of Canada, Alaska or the tropical regions, we encountered them not only by the dozens, but by the thousands. In addition, mosquitoes can still transmit any number of diseases in some regions. Malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever are a few of the dangerous diseases and should be avoided at all costs. Therefore applies here: Do not forget mosquito repellent! Now and then, unfortunately, nothing else helps but rather once too often to reach for the chemical club. Even if we do not like to do that. And of course, find out beforehand about the necessary vaccinations for your destination!
Which beginner's mistakes have you made while traveling?