I love traveling, and if you are reading this, I am sure you do too. Am I right?
Traveling is one of the best ways to spend your money – you get to experience new cultures, meet new people, enjoy new cuisines, and more. It is so good, but that comes with a cost of hassle, especially if you go your way unplanned. That is a big no-no!
Speaking of which, when you are planning a trip, there are certain things you need to avoid. I have made mistakes several times when planning, and I’m sure you have done the same at some point.
But say no more, because in this article, I will be sharing some of the pro-tips that helped me minimize the hassle and maximize the fun part of the trip. Do you want to know about them all? If you answered yes, then stick around as I explore them in detail.
- Do Not Consider ‘Cheap’ as Great Value
Not everything you see cheap is the best value for money. That is the truth, and you need to keep it with you.
You might have seen tons of ads on social media on how you can have a Vegas Trip for under $500. It is cheap and it sounds tempting enough, but the thing is that it is only benefiting the people advertising this. How is that so? They cut down on the important parts of the trip to keep the price low and make it seem great on paper. But once you experience them, you realize all the things you missed out on.
For example, the hotel included in the plan might be far away from your desired attractions. To reach that, you might be spending more on the commute, back and forth, and if you calculate, you might be spending more than you thought. On top of that, the hotel might lack basic stuff like internet, food, which you often end up paying for.
In the long run of things, you might cumulatively pay more than an expensive travel plan. So before booking the trip, try asking why it is cheap, and what things are left out compared to a costlier plan.
- Do Not Leave Booking for the Last Minute
This is what you need to avoid at all costs.
At first, it sounds perfectly fine. But when you open the website of the chosen airline or hotel, you learn that everything (window seat, or a room with balcony view) is already booked.
The moment will be one of silence and disappointment, which you can avoid by being proactive.
How can you be proactive?
First things first, you’d need a reliable internet like Spectrum, to quickly book your air tickets, Airbnb, or restaurants. If you don’t already have a good internet connection, you can reach out to Spectrum customer service to subscribe to their affordable internet plans.
Once you are online, open websites of the respective airline, hotel, or whatever, and make your booking. Having said that, make sure to make the booking at least four months before your arrival date. This will save you a lot of money because the demand will be low. So, do just that.
- Do Not Limit Your Budget
I have seen people underestimating the budget and trying to stick to it, only to ruin their entire experience.
Some people will advise you to save as much as possible. Well, I am not totally opposed to that. I advise being flexible. I mean, you are visiting a new country and a new culture, you might not know everything about it. For example, I was visiting Japan, and I was surprised to see the highway tax in Japan being ridiculously high. Every time I had to go through the highway, I was paying at least $3.
Now, if I had not made my budget flexible, I would have been in trouble.
Apart from that, traveling is an adventure, and adventures take money out of you. So, you always need to be prepared for it. The best way to prepare for it is to always have 20% more than your budget in an emergency fund.
- Last But Not Least, Respect Local Culture
If you are still reading to this point, I adore you. As a gesture of gratitude, I will give you a pro tip that you should always follow, especially while visiting foreign countries.
So, here you go:
Some things that you find totally normal in the US might not be in a foreign country. For example, showing too much of your body in a Muslim country is frowned upon. Oman is a great tourist destination, and it is a Muslim country, but locals might not tolerate wearing shorter clothes, as it goes against their Islamic values. If you don’t like that, avoid going to the place.
If you still want to visit, then it is pretty important to learn about the local culture and values to avoid ruining your traveling experience.
