Travel tips and advice: The top 10 best travel mistakes you'll ever make

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This was published 6 years ago

Travel tips and advice: The top 10 best travel mistakes you'll ever make

By Ben Groundwater
Updated
Getting lost when travelling can be a great thing.

Getting lost when travelling can be a great thing.Credit: iStock

Everybody makes mistakes. It's a given. Whether it's choosing the wrong shirt-and-tie combo for a job interview or attempting to buy property in inner-city Sydney, there are regrettable decisions you make every day of your life.

And so it goes with travelling. Travellers make mistakes; they commit errors in judgment that inevitably foil even the most carefully planned vacation. They get on the wrong bus. They turn down the wrong lane. They miss their flight. They realise that they didn't do any of the research that they really should have. It happens.

Ordinarily, you would try to avoid as many of these mistakes as possible. However, we're here to tell you that sometimes, an error of judgment is a beautiful thing. Sometimes making a mistake while you're travelling is the only way to truly enjoy yourself.

In this story, we're shining a light on the most glorious, most serendipitous errors that a traveller can make. These are the mistakes that you'll not only survive, but will look back on later and silently congratulate yourself on having made such a momentous blunder. We're talking about getting lost in the maze that is Venice; ordering blindly off a Chinese menu; forgetting to book your place on the Inca Trail.

Everybody makes mistakes – and these are ones you'll want to commit over and over again.

GETTING LOST

Get lost in Venice.

Get lost in Venice.Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE Though plenty of cities can seem discombobulating to first-time visitors, it's Venice that takes the cake as the most confusing. The minute you let your mind wander in this city of bridges and canals, alleyways and footpaths, you'll cease to have the faintest clue of where you are.

THE SOLUTION The problem, in this case, is the solution: allow yourself to get lost. To lose yourself in Venice is to discover what the city really has to offer. You'll probably spend your entire day trying to get back to where you started, but oh, the things you'll see along the way. All of a sudden the hordes of tourists have disappeared, the canal-side alleyways are peaceful and quaint, the bars selling "cicchetti", the Venetian-style snacks, are filled with locals, and this becomes a city of real people, lived in and loved.

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DO IT Emirates flies direct from Australian ports to Venice, via Dubai. See www.emirates.com. Summer in the city is extremely busy, so it's best to travel in autumn or spring, or even winter to avoid the hordes. See www.en.turismovenezia.it.

See: The 20 must-do highlights of Venice

TAKING THE WRONG TUBE

THE MISTAKE It's easy enough to do – it's rush hour in London, everyone is bustling past you, you're trying to figure out if it's the Piccadilly line or the Victoria line or maybe even the Northern that you should be on, and all of a sudden you're on the wrong train heading in the wrong direction.

THE SOLUTION Pick a station at random, and get out. Make your way up to street level. Look around. So much of what makes London great exists outside the touristy zones of Embankment and Charing Cross, Green Park and Knightsbridge. Maybe you'll stumble on the trendy bars of Dalston. Maybe you'll end up in an old pub in Richmond. You might find yourself shopping in Mile End, or eating a curry in Whitechapel. Alternatively, of course, you could pop out somewhere like New Cross Gate, near Millwall FC's homeground, and get right back on that train. But it's the thrill of discovery that counts.

DO IT Qantas flies daily to London, via Dubai. See qantas.com. London is a great year-round destination. For information on riding the tube, see www.tfl.gov.uk.

See: London's Night Tube will transform your next visit to the city

PLAYING "FOOD ROULETTE"

Food in China can be an adventure.

Food in China can be an adventure.Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE On the face of it, this seems like a terrible idea: walking into a restaurant in China, staring at a menu written completely in the local language, pointing at something you think you might want to eat, and then waiting in fear to see what that thing actually is. Jellyfish? Brains? Unidentifiable animal protein? This is going to get interesting.

THE SOLUTION The thing you very quickly learn about Chinese cuisine is that, as long as you're a little adventurous, it's good. Very good. Passionate cooks have been perfecting these recipes for thousands of years. The Chinese know how to make food taste delicious. So maybe you'll end up with a bubbling vat of frog hotpot in Chengdu, or a dish of stewed goat in Hainan, or some deep-fried snake in Guangzhou, or even a few cold pigs' ears in Beijing. Chances are, however, that it will taste great. And you'll have a story when you get home.

DO IT Singapore Airlines flies from Australia to six cities in China. See www.singaporeair.com. Weather conditions in China vary wildly depending on which part of the country you're in – see www.cnto.org for more.

See: The 50 dishes every traveller needs to try at least once

NOT BOOKING IN ADVANCE

The Salkantay Trail in Peru.

The Salkantay Trail in Peru.Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE It's the classic traveller's error: arriving in Cusco, Peru, on a whim, all set to hike the famous Inca Trail, not realising that this is an experience you will need to book well in advance. No booking? No hike.

THE SOLUTION Forget about the Inca Trail. That's the easiest and best solution. Though this is the pathway that everyone knows about and wants to walk, it's certainly not the best hike in the Machu Picchu/Sacred Valley area. Far from it. Missing out on the Inca Trail means you're free to do something like the Salkantay Trail, another pathway carved out of the Andes by the Incas, a five-day hike through spectacular scenery with barely another soul around to share it. Or you could do the Lares trek, a two-day journey through indigenous villages and mountainous beauty in the Urupampa range. And you can always get the train to Machu Picchu later.

DO IT LATAM Airlines flies six times a week from Sydney to Cusco, via Santiago and Lima. See www.latam.com For more information on the Salkantay and Lares trails, see www.chimuadventures.com.au.

See also: Six incredible hiking trails you've probably never heard of

NOT USING A GUIDE

Fes, Morocco.

Fes, Morocco. Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE Let's pretend you're in Fes, in Morocco. Let's pretend you're standing there at the gates to the old medina, gazing at that ancient warren of lanes and alleyways, pondering whether to hire the services of a professional guide or to just get in there and tackle it yourself. You decide, eventually, to opt for the latter. And it takes about a minute to realise your folly.

THE SOLUTION The downside to this decision is that you won't understand a lot of what's going on around you. You won't understand that that horrible smell is coming from the tannery – an attraction in itself. You'll be shocked by the camel's head hanging up outside the butcher's shop. You won't know that behind that wall lies a quiet oasis with a fountain. What you will get, however, is an unadulterated experience of medina life, a mazy wander through a time that's already passed, taking in the market stalls, the street food, the alleyways, the cats, the donkey carts, the colours, the smells and the chaos that you would never be able to properly appreciate with someone there to guide you through.

DO IT Emirates Airline flies codeshare flights from Australia to Fes, via Dubai and Istanbul. See emirates.com. To get the best of the Fes experience, be sure to book into a "riad", or traditional hotel, inside the medina. See www.visitmorocco.com for more.

See also: Why tours aren't just for fogeys any more

TAKING THE WRONG TRANSPORT

Riding a chicken bus in Central America is a trip like no other.

Riding a chicken bus in Central America is a trip like no other. Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE It's usually a case of seriously poor planning that sees you stepping aboard one of Guatemala's infamous "chicken buses": old US school buses that have been repainted and repurposed as public transport in Central America. These rickety old things carry all manner of people and produce, including, of course, live chickens. They're slow, unreliable, and generally not advisable if you could be riding in a tourist-friendly minivan instead.

THE SOLUTION Go with it. In fact, plan to ride a chicken bus. This is a tourism experience on wheels, a brush with genuine local life, for better or worse. The chicken buses of Central America are slow, which means you get plenty of time to take in the sights out the window – the mountains, the villages, the marketplaces, the people – as well as get to know your fellow passengers and their livestock. A minivan full of American tourists will never be able to compete with an experience like this.

DO IT To get to Guatemala, Qantas has codeshare flights with American Airlines from Australia to Guatemala City, via Dallas. See www.qantas.com. For information on travel in Central America, see www.chimuadventures.com.au.

See: On board the chicken bus

KEEPING UP WITH LOCALS

It's a mistake to assume you can keep up with the locals when in a pub in Ireland.

It's a mistake to assume you can keep up with the locals when in a pub in Ireland. Credit: Getty Images

THE MISTAKE It is a grave error to assume that just because you've been inside an Irish pub before, and you've drunk a few pints of Guinness in your lifetime, that you're in any way qualified to keep up with the locals during a session in Ireland. Many have made this mistake before, and many will again. It will end with an almighty hangover and a whole day dedicated to recovery.

THE SOLUTION This is not, however, an experience to be avoided. There's no better way to experience Ireland than inside a pub, chatting to locals, listening to traditional music, eating good food, and soaking up the lounge-room atmosphere of this great institution. You will make friends in an Irish pub – that's not some fantasy travel cliche, but a certainty in the likes of Cork or Killarney, Galway or Dublin. You will also be encouraged to drink with these new friends, something you'll attempt with foolhardy bravado. And you will wake up in a fairly shocking state that will ruin your morning's sightseeing. But that's what Ireland is all about.

DO IT Emirates Airline flies daily from Australian ports to Dublin, via Dubai. See emirates.com. The best time to visit the country is in summer, though the shoulder seasons can also be pleasant. Choosing the perfect pub is easy: they're all perfect. See www.ireland.com for more.

See: 20 reasons to visit the home of Guinness

BUYING TACKY SOUVENIRS

THE MISTAKE You go on holiday convinced you'll return home with a few tasteful, carefully chosen souvenirs that will be proudly displayed in your home for the rest of your life. You end up coming back with a couple of miniature Eiffel Towers, an "I heart NY" T-shirt, and a snow globe.

THE SOLUTION The truth about souvenirs is that it really doesn't matter how tacky or ugly they are – as long as they remind you of a good time had in a place you love, then they've done their job. Yes, it would be nice to have the presence of mind to buy things you're going to be truly proud to display once you get back home. But that's not always your first priority when there are sights to see, and people to meet, and experiences to be had. So go ahead, buy the snow globes and the tea towels and the tacky key rings. As long as you're reminded later of good times past, they've done their job.

DO IT Qantas flies from Australian ports to the home of miniature Eiffel Towers, and one gigantic real one, Paris, daily via Dubai. See www.qantas.com.

See: How to master the art of buying souvenirs

TRAVELLING TO A DANGER ZONE

Mortuary Temple Of Hatshepsut, Egypt.

Mortuary Temple Of Hatshepsut, Egypt.Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE There are plenty of reasons you can find to cancel your plans. The Smart Traveller website is warning you not to go. Your family is telling you not to go. The reports on the news are also strongly encouraging you to give this one a miss. And yet you've already booked your trip to Iran, or Colombia, or Turkey, or Egypt, and so off you go.

THE SOLUTION There's plenty to recommend travelling to a place that everyone else is too scared to visit. It's very often nowhere near the mistake others would have you believe it is. For those happy to take on a few risks, for instance, there's rarely been a better time to be a tourist in Egypt than now. All of those huge crowds at places like the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings have disappeared – you'll have them all to yourself. Same goes for the historic sites such as Persepolis in Iran, not to mention the amazing welcome you'll receive there as one of the few Western tourists to pay the country a visit. Turkey, too, though experiencing significant troubles at the moment, will provide a warm welcome for intrepid travellers.

DO IT Emirates flies from all Australian ports to Cairo, Tehran and Istanbul, via Dubai. See emirates.com. Though the warnings are sure to scare you, it's best to check www.smartraveller.gov.au for the latest updates on security in these places before making your decision to visit.

See also: If you said you were coming here 30 years ago, people would say you're crazy

GOING OVERLAND

The roads in Kenya can be rough.

The roads in Kenya can be rough.Credit: iStock

THE MISTAKE There's always going to come a point when you gaze up into the sky and spot a plane high above and secretly wish you were aboard that plane instead of bumping down interminably long dirt tracks knowing there's a few more hours to go before the sweet release of tarmac. There's a reason fly-in, fly-out safaris are popular in Kenya and Tanzania, and that's because they allow you to avoid roads like these.

THE SOLUTION Yes, the roads are bad. There are potholes you could lose a hippopotamus in, and speed bumps that have been set up at random with no signage to warn you they're approaching. But to drive in Kenya and Tanzania is to see the country for what it really is: the villages, the cities, the way the green hillsides of the Rift Valley become the raw plains of the Masai Mara. You miss all of these amazing sights when you're cruising 20,000 feet up above.

DO IT Emirates flies from all Australian ports to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, via Dubai. See emirates.com. For information on overland driving safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, go to www.classicsafaricompany.com.au.

FIVE MISTAKES YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO MAKE

These errors are to be avoided at all costs

NOT TAKING OUT INSURANCE

You need travel insurance. Maybe it's not for the small things, for the handbag that might be stolen or the camera that might get lost. But it is definitely for the big things: the medical emergency in the US; the entire suitcase that disappeared in transit; the helicopter evacuation in Africa. Don't get caught short.

USING DATA ROAMING ON YOUR PHONE

Unless you've researched carriers and found a deal that will let you use data roaming on your phone for a reasonable price, you can rest assured that surfing the net while overseas will result in an eye-bulging bill by the time you get home.

NOT CHECKING VISA REQUIREMENTS

It's a simple equation: no visa, no travel. You might think you're up to date on visa rules for certain countries, but these change all the time, and if you're not checking back frequently, you might find yourself denied entry and sent home.

NOT SAVING ENOUGH MONEY

It's a good idea to soberly and honestly calculate how much money you think you'll need for that big trip away, and then double it. Now you're getting close to what you'll actually spend. Don't be forced to turn down great opportunities because you didn't save enough cash.

NOT BEING ALERT TO SCAMS

Though it's unfair to assume everyone you meet when you're travelling is out to scam you, the unfortunate truth is that at least a few of them probably will be. It pays to do your research and find out the classic scams to expect in your chosen destination.

See also: 11 mistakes first-time travellers make

See also: 10 essential packing tips you need to know

SEVEN CITIES TO GET LOST IN

It's not just Venice that provides opportunities for wanderers

STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR

When your city counts its history in rulers rather than years, and when your streets have been home to Portuguese explorers, Omani slave traders, British settlers, Persian merchants and Indian workers, you can expect things to be chaotic.

CAIRO, EGYPT

The frightening thing about Cairo is that it often seems even the locals don't know where they're going. The streets are chaotic enough, but as soon as you step into an old bazaar, you can consider yourself immediately and irretrievably lost.

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

HCMC has sprung up with little regard for order. There are vast swathes of urban chaos here that, when you add arteries of motorbikes and pedestrians, and a skin of neon-lit facades, really do seem to be living beasts.

BOSTON, US

This old city is filled with winding, crooked streets that legend has it were once cow paths. Boston does have a few sections built on a grid system, though the streets aren't aligned to the compass points ("turn left and you're facing north").

DELHI, INDIA

The most discombobulating thing about the Indian capital is not the streets themselves, but what you encounter on them: the riot of rickshaws and pedestrians, motorcars and livestock, market sellers and touts that leaves you with no idea of where you are.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Manila is a big, chaotic and fairly hodge-podge city that will swallow you up in its crumbling jaws within minutes. The good news, however, is that as long as you're in sight of a metro or light rail station, you're going to be OK.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

There's method to Moscow's madness but you'll have a hard time figuring out what it is, instead spending your time trying to decipher street signs, wondering why one metro station has three different names, and why the grid system was so unpopular.

See: 25 streets every traveller should visit in their lifetime

About the writer

Despite having visited more than 90 countries in his 12 years as a professional writer, Traveller columnist Ben Groundwater still seems to make mistakes. "It's these little errors that usually make the best stories," he says. "From believing that I could drink vodka with Russians to signing on for a three-month overland tour of Africa – these were terrible decisions, but I wouldn't change a thing."

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