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Article created by: Gabija Palšytė
Nearly two in three (63 percent) American adults have traveled or plan to travel for leisure this year and about one in four (23 percent) have taken or will take a business trip, according to a recent Bankrate survey.
However, out of those who have already gone somewhere (either for themselves or work), 77 percent have run into a travel-related problem. When the figure is that big, it would be naive to think that this won't happen to us the next time we pack our suitcase. So let's try and see if we can prevent at least something.
For that, there's a perfect thread. Started on the subreddit 'Solo Travel' by platform user Cwkid, it raised the question, "What's the biggest mistake you've made while traveling?" Here are some of the most popular replies.
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#1
Ran to the train station in Amsterdam. Got on the train to Frankfurt, put my suitcases on their spot and stepped off to have a smoke. Immediately the doors closed behind me and my possessions (minus passport, wallet and phone which were in my pocket) went to Frankfurt without me. A couple of trains and a flight later, I was in Frankfurt waiting for my suitcases but they weren’t on the train. A few long days spent calling around and finally found them in Utrecht (Netherlands conductors took them off before entering Germany). Rented a car and drove the 12 hours round trip from Frankfurt to Utrecht and back to Frankfurt and all was well when I started work on Monday morning. I don’t tell this story often
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#2
Took a shortcut against the advice of my hostel receptionist and got mugged. 500 euro taken. Had to go home early.
#3
Partied the whole night at LKF, Hong Kong and went back to my hostel at 6 am. I had a 9:30 am flight home but figured I'd take a ^tiny nap since my backpack was all packed and I'm already checked in anyway.
I woke up at at 9:45 am.
#4
When I solo traveled in India and was ready to fly out of the country, I didn’t include my middle name when booking the flight ticket. Since the name on my ticket didn’t fully match the name on my passport without the middle name, I wasn’t allowed to board the flight until I called the airline company and had them change it. It was like 4 AM and the company phone lines weren’t open until a later time, but luckily I had like 4-5 hours before my flight departed and was able to have it changed in time.
#5
Left my passport in the hotel safe when flying out of Prague. Didn't realize this until I was at the airport, 90 minutes away from my hotel and no way to do the round trip in time to keep my flight. Contacted the hotel, made arrangements for another cab to bring me my passport. Got my passsport and tried to check in for the flight, but they wouldn't let me because it was now less than an hour to departure and an international flight. I could have just checked in on my phone while waiting, but didn't realize it would be an issue. Ended up spending another night in Prague.
#6
Booked a train ticket from Rome to Venice, drank way too much the night before, rolled into the train station with about 10 minutes to spare, only to find out that it was daylight savings and I was actually 50 minutes late
#7
First ever trip on my own to Nepal and Thailand. Got instructions of whst to do on my 16 hour layover in Hong Kong. Was so nervous and anxious being alone for the first time that I followed everyone to the transit and when I realized, I was told I couldn’t get out. Spent the next 16 hours exploring every single nook and cranny of that airport. It’s pretty sweet, but not 16 hours sweet lol
#8
Thinking that a 12 hour overnight layover in Abu Dhabi airport was doable without an airport hotel room. Good lord I was wrong. Worst 12 hours of any travel experience I’ve had thus far. I never skip the travel hotel now lol
#9
I booked a room in Paris for the 22nd but booked my train there for the 21st so I needed emergency accommodation for my first night there. I put in a hotel reservation online, chose the cheapest non-refundable option and then, once it was paid for, realized I had booked it for the next month by accident. $100 dollars I couldn't get refunded, I ended up staying in a smelly, crowded 12 bed hostel room with a bunch of teenagers which cost $70, but it was all I could find
#10
I drove to Canada from Kentucky and forgot my passport. Not as big a deal as you but still a similar sinking in the pit of the stomach.
#11
Not researching destinations enough. I like travel photography and I try to map out potential shots before I get there. In 2008 I went to Japan and spent three days in Hakone, a rural respite from the mega-cities. I planned to take photos at Lake Ashi, hoping to catch a shot of Mount Fuji with a long lens. But it was too humid for Mount Fuji so I walked the trails and roads around the lake. Just south of Hakone-En I walked along the lake but it didn't look like much so I went back. If I had carried on for another five hundred meters I would have bumped into the [Torri of Peace], the most photographed site at the lake and one of the most beloved icons in Japan. It wasn't till I got home that I realized it. I've missed a lot of stuff because of this. So research your destinations, people! Don't be like me.
#12
Catalina island, CA. Random day of the week during their off season, late October. Thought we could just camp on the remote end of the island, Two Harbors, though the ferry we booked on a whim in the middle of the day took us to Avalon, the high-end tourist town with very little camping accommodations. No luck getting to Two Harbors from there. A taxi to the other side of the island was $200+. And there weren’t anymore ferries back to the mainland that day. We were basically stranded with too much camping gear in some strange, deserted tourist town. Managed to camp very primitively across from a football stadium. Later in the night a bunch of permanent locals (think line cooks, hired help, etc) had a big tailgate party nearby. And the local deer were VERY friendly, almost aggressive. Felt very surreal.
#13
Booked a tour in Nicaragua that was supposed to cost $52 USD. The guy who was working the credit card machine had no idea how to enter the converted rate amount. Ended up with a $5200 charge on my card. Luckily my CC company easily reversed the charge.
Besides that.... eating strange street food that pretty much knocked my stomach and everything attached for the next day.
#14
Underestimated how long it would take to get from my hostel to the train station in Berlin and missed my train to Prague by about 5 seconds. Had to purchase a new train ticket for the next train at a heftier premium price.
#15
Not my mistake, but I've heard from a friend who was the victim of the Belarusian Ladder Scam. There are regional version, but it allegedly originated in Belarus.
The gist of it is that my friend saw a man in peril hanging onto the side of a building that he was painting. The man was holding onto the scaffolding, clearly in distress. My friend, a good Samaritan, runs to the ladder and climbs up to help the guy. Unbeknownst to him, another man comes out from around a street corner and begins vigorously shaking the ladder, demanding money. They lost 200 euros this way.
#16
Was in Paris. Took a train to CDG to catch a flight that cost me round $450. Got to CDG, didn’t realize there was a shuttle between terminals. Took a bus to get to Terminal 2b. Bus took me back to the city center and I had to get another flight for the next morning.
$600 mistake.
EDIT: really it’s a $1050 mistake
#17
Once I was flying from San Cristobal de las Casas to Cancun and I had booked the flight for the right day just the following month. Exact same flight. I didn’t realize until I basically got to the airport (2 hrs from the town) … tried to switch it but there was nothing they could do. Mind you, I had a broken foot so that whole thing was not fun to deal with with a boot in a wheelchair/crutches. I’d never done anything like that. I now always triple check the dates and times.
#18
I mistakenly assumed "Departure time" was "Boarding Time". Luckily there was bad weather at the airport so the flight was delayed and I was able to board.
#19
Miscommunicating with the co-driver, almost getting killed by a truck, sweet age 21.
Almost walking into a crime rehab center on a remote island near the mexican coast.
climbed the island's hill, got a bit "dereailed" on the way down, and the center's area was open on that side - there was just nothing to run away to.
^(got stopped by two friendly guys telling me I barely missed the "inmates" going for a swim - on their own, which, as they said "could be a little problem".)
Driving in Dushanbe - forgetting my drivers license and car papers in the hostel. Getting into a police checkpoint. Realized it the very moment I saw the cops. but them checking on each car created a jam, no way to turn around.
^(Immediately asked how to get to my destination, which switched the cop to "help the tourist" mode. Got directions, and a friendly goodbye, no papers asked.)
Taking a wrong turn at the Absheron peninsual near Baku, THEN trying to take a photo with one of the pumps, *THEN* handing over my passport to the guard (instead of just showing it). AZ is very paranoid there esp. about Armenian spies.
^(lucky me, no armenian stamp in my passport)
Taking on a hitchiker in Tehran, getting into a scam that I still have to wrap my head around.
^(Cost me four hours and nothing else, but still.)
Getting lost in a posh(!) Buenos Aires subburb, then getting surrounded by a pack of dogs. Free roaming dog in Argentina are *not* afraid of sticks and stones. Getting a hands-on experience on how they hunt "big game".
^(some local saved me.)
Phew. That's kinda cathartic.
#20
Booked bus tickets online for a Prague-Berlin trip. Bus at 3:30. Show up at the bus station and...no bus. Went to info desk and they gently reminded me they use 24 time in Europe. My bus left 12 hours earlier! Cost me another $20 to buy another ticket. Cheap lesson learned there.
Once in Krakow I let two sleazy girls lure me to a clip joint, where they tried to charge me about $110 for 3 drinks. I was able to bully and bluster my way out of it.
Used hotels.com to book a room online. No refunds, unlike booking.com Lost about $200 when I changed my plans.
#21
Bought $400 worth of festival and gig tickets for the wrong month and they were all non refundable. I thought it meant 7/6 meant 7th of June but apparently on these European tickets it means 6th of July. Deeply frustrating - these events were the whole purpose of the trip! Didn't realise til I turned up
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