10 Travel Mistakes We Made So You Don’t Have To

Even as experienced travelers, we still make mistakes. Some are minor inconveniences, others have the potential to derail a trip. Here are ten travel mistakes we’ve made ourselves or seen firsthand – and how you can avoid them.

1. Grabbing the Wrong Bag

Even if you never check luggage, don’t assume it can’t happen at security. I once walked off with someone else’s backpack after TSA. It looked identical to mine, and I didn’t notice until the actual owner tracked me down. Fortunately, she was good-humored about it, but this could’ve been a much bigger issue. Add an identifier to your bag: a luggage tag, a ribbon, or a patch. It takes two seconds and can save you major stress.

2. Overpacking Your Itinerary

This one depends on your travel style. We like fast-paced trips, and we’ve managed to visit four countries in a week without feeling rushed. But there’s a fine line between ambitious and exhausting. Know your limits. If you spend more time in transit than actually experiencing a place, the trip can start to feel like a checklist rather than a genuine experience. Leave buffer time. Don’t force yourself to squeeze in “just one more stop.”

3. Overpacking Your Luggage

You already know how we feel about this. Overpacking leads to extra baggage fees, heavier loads to carry, and limited flexibility. We pack light and do laundry on the go. If you haven’t read our packing tips, check out this post: 9 Top Tips for Traveling with Only a Personal Item or Carry-On Bag

4. Not Booking Airfare Directly with the Airline

We don’t always book direct, but we’ve learned why it’s usually better. Things go wrong: flight delays, cancellations, missed connections. It’s much easier to get help if you’ve booked directly through the airline. Airlines prioritize their own customers over third-party bookings. You’ll also have better access to seat upgrades and changes. We occasionally book through third parties (like Booking.com or a credit card portal) when the price is significantly better, or through a partner airline on points, but otherwise, it’s always best to book direct.

5. Not Checking Entry Requirements

We’ve been that couple frantically filling out forms in the immigration line. Even when you don’t need a visa or ETA, there might be health declarations, arrival cards, or country-specific apps to download. The days of flight attendants handing out paper forms are mostly over (but bring a pen just in case). Requirements change constantly, especially in Europe and the UK right now. We’ve also been given the wrong information (told that we needed one form per family, when it was one per person) and had major delays because of it. Always double-check the official government site before you go, even if you’ve visited the country before.

6. Not Researching Train Systems

Trains seem easy until you miss one or get fined. In some countries, you need to buy tickets in advance, validate them at a kiosk, or use specific apps. You can get fined heavily for not validating your regional train ticket before you get on the train. Learn the basics before you ride. Google it or ask someone at the station. It only takes a minute.

7. Paying ATM and Foreign Transaction Fees

We’ve made this mistake more than once. ATM fees, poor exchange rates, and foreign transaction fees can add up fast. Make sure you avoid private ATMs and only use the major banks. Even then, be aware of the foreign transaction fee from your bank and the local one. You’ll usually get charged by each. We use Charles Schwab for ATM rebates.

It’s generally more cost effective to withdraw cash locally then to use a currency exchange service. But sometimes it’s smarter to get some local currency before you go, especially for smaller countries with limited ATMs or cash-heavy destinations. We’ll take a little hit on the exchange rate to get some currency in advance from Wells Fargo before we leave home, if it will make for a smoother trip on arrival.

Generally you’ll be making credit card transitions, but you have to be careful here, too. We check every card for foreign transaction fees before we take them abroad. Most travel cards do not charge foreign transaction fees but we’ve been hit with them on some other cards.

Big mistake to avoid: Sometimes when you advance book a hotel or restaurant in another country, you will get charged a foreign transaction fee, even if you booked it from your own living room. The transaction is actually taking place in another country, so beware. This happened when I used my Wells Fargo card to reserve dinner in the Eiffel Tower, which I had to prepay. I should have used one of my travel cards, like Chase Sapphire Reserve or Capital One Venture X.

8. Paying in the Wrong Currency

If an ATM or credit card machine at a restaurant or retail store offers to charge you in USD or your home currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Dynamic currency conversion looks convenient, but the exchange rate is often terrible. You’ll get the best rate by letting your bank or credit card company handle the conversion. Some countries like Ecuador and Panama use USD (and the Belizean dollar is tied to the US dollar), but in most cases, local currency is the way to go.

Big mistake to avoid: Sometimes an ATM will be tricky. It might sound like you have to accept their conversion rate. But you can and should decline. It’s basically a scam rate.

9. Ignoring or Double Purchasing Travel Insurance

We used to skip this when we were younger and felt invincible. Now, we buy travel insurance. Travel insurance can help with lost luggage, delays, cancellations, or emergency evacuations. Shop around and read the fine print to make sure it covers what matters most for your trip.

Big mistake to avoid: If you’re a frequent traveler or booking with a good travel credit card (like Chase Sapphire) make sure you know what your card covers and don’t just opt to get additional insurance when prompted from an airline or booking site at checkout. You might be double purchasing what your card already covers. We are covered for lost luggage, delays, etc. by our credit card. And since we are frequent international travelers, we have an annual supplemental medical plan that covers emergency evacuations and other things our regular health insurance does not. This is way more cost effective for us than purchasing for each trip.

10. Inflexible Expectations

This is probably the biggest lesson we’ve learned. Our mantra is: when things don’t meet your expectations, adjust your expectations. Flights get delayed, weather changes, tours get canceled. You’ll rarely have a trip without hiccups. And honestly, those moments often turn into the best stories later. As long as you feel safe and you’re getting the value you paid for, keep a positive attitude. Travel is full of surprises, and that’s part of the adventure.

Have you made any of these travel mistakes? Or have a lesson we missed? Let us know in the comments. We’re always learning too.