Tourist mistakes and how to avoid them

If you’re planning a trip soon, we want to let you in on something people never think about until it’s too late. Most vacations don’t get ruined by bad weather or bad luck. They get ruined by the same mistakes tourists make every single day. And the crazy part is this: almost all of them are preventable. Ever wondered why some people come home raving about the best trip of their life, while others come back stressed, broke, and exhausted? That’s not a chance. That’s choices. And here’s what no one tells you: one tiny decision at the start of your trip can save you hours of waiting, hundreds of dollars, and days of frustration.

That’s why today we’re going to show you what those decisions are, why tourists keep getting trapped by the same problems, and how you can avoid every one of them so your vacation actually feels like a vacation. We come up with a list of the top ten most common ones that can turn your dream vacation into a total disappointment. So, we want to stress that these mistakes don’t apply only to travel to Italy, but to pretty much everywhere! Let’s fix your next trip before you even book the flight, starting with the first mistake:

1. Spending Too Much Time Taking the Perfect Photo 

We get it, you plan your dream vacation! You have you looked at thousands of Instagram photos of your destination, and you totally want to take the same shot that you saw online! The problem? Some travellers spend half their day trying to capture the perfect photo. 

When you are travelling to a very popular destination, you will have to compete with thousands of other tourists for the same shot, and if you want that perfect shot with nobody around you, you will have to wait for a long time. You should ask yourself: “Is it worth wasting hours of my holiday to take a photo?” We don’t think so. 

Especially now, with AI, you can remove everyone else from your photo! In our opinion, you should take a couple of shots, then put the phone away and actually enjoy the piazza, the gelato, the architecture… the moment. Trust us, your memories will be better  than any photo.”

Let’s move on to our next mistake, which is very common nowadays: Chasing the Same Viral Restaurants Everyone Else Is Posting About.

2. Following the Restaurant Trend

We see this in Italy all the time. People wait in line for hours to buy a sandwich or a gelato. Is it worth it? Maybe, but we believe that your time is even more critical. Also, the best food is not usually at the place with the longest Instagram line. 

We recommend walking one or two streets away from major attractions. Look for restaurants where the menu isn’t in 10 languages, with photos of every dish known to humanity, and, most importantly, where locals are actually eating. You’ll spend less, eat better, and avoid tourist traps. An if you are not sure about a restaurant, check the reviews online, and most importantly, check the most recent reviews! 

Next mistake is widespread, and it might cost you money and a sore back: that’s overpacking

3. Overpacking

This is a mistake we see every day here in Italy: tourists lugging huge suitcases onto the train, or struggling to lift them up and down stairs! Also, nowadays airlines charge extra for weight or extra bags, so if you end up overpacking, it will cost you! Bottom line: pack the essentials! 

Most of the time, half the clothes you pack go unused. Choose outfits you can mix and match. In the summer, bring light, breathable garments. In the fall and spring, bring layers so that you can dress warm in the morning, and at night, you can remove layers at noon when the temperatures are higher. 

If you stay at a B&B, make sure to book one that offers laundry so that you can wash your clothes a few times during your trip. Laundromats are available pretty much everywhere; they are a great option for doing laundry while traveling. 

Also, avoid bulky, heavy items like hair dryers or curling irons; they take up a lot of space, weigh a ton, and in most countries don’t work because of voltage differences. 

Lastly, you do not need to bring several pairs of shoes; just a comfortable walking pair for exploring, and maybe a more dressy pair for dinner.

Let’s move on to another mistake that will turn your vacation from a nice, relaxing one into an exhausting, bad experience: Trying to See Everything

4. Trying Everything

People ask us all the time, “Have ten days, and I want to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Milan, oh, and on my way home, I’ll stop over in Paris and London. How can I do it? “The answer is simple: ‘YOU CAN’T”

First of all, if you want to pack too many destinations into one trip, you will not be able to do everything, and even if you could, you would end up incredibly exhausted. In our opinion, you should pick fewer destinations, the ones that you really want to see, and then spend more time in each, and actually enjoy the culture, food, and atmosphere instead of rushing from train to train. 

Also, an essential aspect that most tourists seem to miss is that to get from one place to another, you will have to commute by train, car, bus, plane, or ship, and it takes time! For example, to go from Rome to Venice, it can take up to 4 hours by high-speed train – that’s like half your day when you consider the time to get to the train station and then to your hotel. So when you plan, you will have to consider this time as well.

Now, let’s see another silly mistake that tourists make  that will ruin your holiday: Spending Too Much Time Answering Emails 

5. Spending Too Much Time Answering Emails 

You didn’t go halfway across the globe to sit on your laptop or in front of your phone replying to work emails. Trust us, we see people doing this all the time. They are in front of the colosseum, and instead of admiring the beauty of what is in front of them, they are on their phone answering work emails. 

Ask yourself: “Do I really need to do that? Do I spend all this money on flights, hotels, restaurants, and attractions to waste my time on my phone?” In our opinion, you should set aside an hour or two to check your work, then relax and enjoy your vacation. Even better, use the train commute time to catch up on email, then enjoy, explore, and recharge your battery! Even better, turn on an autoresponder if you can. 

Moving on to another mistake we see people making all the time: Not experiencing the Local Culture 

6. Not Experiencing the Local Culture 

One thing a lot of tourists do is eat at the same fast-food chain they find in their backyard! Experiencing local food, culture, and way of life is an essential part of traveling. 

Think about it, you spend a lot of money on hotels, flights, and time for this reason, you want to immerse yourself in the local culture, otherwise, why bother traveling? Experience the local cuisine, check out a local restaurant, and immerse yourself in the local culture, and you will see how much richer your experience will be. 

Ok, let’s see another mistake that will turn your vacation into a major disappointment, and that’s Planning Enough  

7. Not Planning Enough 

Some destinations require planning. For example, you can’t come to Italy and expect to buy Colosseum tickets on the spot. The same can be said for the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Louvre in Paris, and many other sites around the world. 

Those extremely popular sites are packed with tourists, and the lines at the entrances are usually insane. For this reason, you must buy your tickets in advance. To do so, you will have to plan your trip. For example if you know that you will be in Rome for 3 days set aside half a day for the Colosseum and the Forum and another half day for the Vatican Museums then buy the tickets as soon as possible, that way you will have plenty of options for availability and time slots. 

Once you have booked the most famous attraction, you can decide to spend the rest of your stay in the city freely. 

Now, the same rule we mentioned for attraction also applies to some very popular restaurants. If you really want to go to a very specific place, don’t wait to make your reservation; do it as soon as you can so it won’t sell out.

Moving to another essential mistake that can turn your vacation into a life-threatening situation, and that’s forgetting Essential Items 

8. Forgetting Essential Items

We can’t tell you how many travelers forget medications, glasses, sunscreen, adapters… and then scramble to find replacements. Regarding medications, you should get enough to cover your trip plus one extra month just in case something happens. 

Also, remember to bring a copy of your doctor’s prescription, just in case. The same goes for contact lenses, bring enough to cover your stay, plus some extra ones just in case. 

Lastly, if you wear prescription glasses, bring a spare pair with you in case you break or lose the ones you are wearing. No, this is really important: your medications, your contacts, your glasses, your documents, and all the essential items need to be packed in your carry-on! 

Never ever pack those essential items in your checked bag. Checked bags are often delayed or lost, and you don’t want to risk having your medication sent to Istanbul while you are visiting Bangkok! 

As a bonus tip: Create a simple checklist of your most essential items before you leave, and make sure to pack them securely. 

Let’s get over another very common mistake that tourists make that can ruin your vacation, and that’s Budgeting Correctly 

9. Not Budgeting Correctly 

Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, but costs add up fast when you’re not prepared, meals, trains, drinks, museums… they sneak up on you. You will need a plan and to check your expenses. We are not suggesting that you walk around with a spreadsheet, but checking your spending at least once a day is a good habit. 

You don’t want to be that person who maxes out the credit card on day 4 and then is forced to eat cereal for the rest of your holiday. Here are some tips to save some money while traveling. 

Book hotels that include free breakfast, so you can have a nice, big breakfast, a small, cheap lunch, then splurge a little for dinner. Use public transit, when available, especially in Europe and Asia; it is efficient, easy, and very cheap. Don’t go crazy with souvenirs; you don’t need 17 snow globes. 

If you need cash, always use an ATM at a local bank; don’t use the one at the bar or in the souvenir store, which charges an insane amount for currency conversion. Lastly, if you use your credit card, and the machine asks you in which currency you want to pay, always choose the local currency- Like euros, otherwise you will be stuck with a terrible exchange rate. 

Moving on to our last tourist mistake that tourists make and which can cause major inconvenience, and it is: Not Booking Refundable Rates for hotels

10. No Booking Refundable Rates for Hotels

Now this might seem to contradict what we just suggested, but hear us out.  Whenever possible, choose refundable rates for hotels and trains. It may cost a little more but it will save you a ton of money and stress if your plans change, and they often do! 

Also, if you book a refundable rate and find a better rate elsewhere, you can cancel and book the other option. Let us tell you what happened to us a while ago.  We were going to travel to London, England, and we noticed a good rate at a downtown hotel, but it was prepaid and non-refundable. A few days before our trip, we noticed that the rate for the same hotel and room was 60 pounds lower. We contacted the hotel to have the price adjusted, but they said they can’t. The rate you booked was non-refundable, and now you are out of luck! We tried and tried, and in the end, we were stuck paying 60 pounds more. Lesson learned, from that moment, we always book refundable, even though it might be a bit more expensive, because in the end, it gives us the flexibility we want.

So there you have it, these are the biggest tourist mistakes people make and how to avoid them. Have you ever done any of these? Have you seen people making one? Tell us your personal story in the comments below. We love to hear back from you, and while you are there.

Ciao