23 Travel Mistakes to Avoid on Your Trip to Europe

I’ve made my share of mistakes as I’ve traveled to and around Europe.

So in this post I want to offer up travel mistakes to avoid.

This way you can learn what NOT to do so your trip is less stressful and more enjoyable.

And … I have to say thanks to one of you who actually suggested this topic.

It’s a good subject to cover and one that I’ve not written about yet.

Let’s get this lengthy list started!

Overpacking

One of my top travel mistakes to avoid is overpacking.

Most of us have probably done this.

I sure have.

I lugged a heavy suitcase that had wheels up steps through winding lanes in Cinque Terre Italy.

Never again!

So, I’m learning more and more to pare it down — even when I’m gone for 4 months.

In all honesty, you don’t need half of what you think you need.

Some travel bloggers will swear to do only carry on.

If you can, then do it.

But if not, then at least don’t have a bag that you can’t lift. 

I have a couple of posts on packing that you may want to check out to help you.

But you will always regret having too much.

And you will never regret having a bag that you can actually manage.

Not packing the correct clothing (for the culture, weather)

As we are talking about packing, let’s also add this travel mistake to avoid — packing incorrectly.

What does this mean?

Well packing summer clothes — shorts, tank tops, sandals — for 2 weeks in Ireland in May — and not packing a rain jacket.

You always want to have the correct clothing for the weather. 

It’s so easy to see what the typical weather is at any given time in any given city or region. 

Pack appropriately so you don’t have to go shopping as soon as you arrive. 

Also be sure that you are culturally sensitive to how you dress.

If you are visiting more conservative countries or regions, then please pack and wear the proper clothing.

For example, when I visited Turkey, I made sure I had shirts that didn’t show a lot of cleavage and had pants and longer skirts as well as a scarf for entering mosques.

 

 

Packing your medicines in your checked luggage

This is a big NO-NO!

And one of the travel mistakes to avoid if you are someone who takes medication to keep yourself healthy.

I remember traveling with my parents to Ireland in 2010.

They both had meds they needed to take.

I reminded them that they needed to put those meds, preferably in their prescription bottles, in their carry on bag — and to take a few extra days just in case something happened and we got stuck somewhere for a day or 2. 

Always, always, always put those life saving meds in your carry on bag.

And have a little extra — just in case.

Not doing enough research so you don’t understand the local culture and history

That last point above ties into this travel mistake to avoid — not doing enough research so you end up being culturally insensitive. 

I believe it’s imperative to know about the destination you are traveling to.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to know every little fact about it.

What I mean is that you need to have a basic understanding.

This way you avoid insulting the locals.

Tourism websites and guidebooks are good tools to use.

 

 

Researching too much

Of course, you can research too much as well.

This is one of those travel mistakes to avoid that you may not consider.

Researching too much may mean there’s no room for surprises.

When it comes to researching a destination, it really is the Goldilocks rule — it needs to be just right.

Moving around too much / too quickly

Whether you have 1 week or 3 weeks, one of the biggest travel mistakes to avoid is moving around too much or too quickly.

I always say that one night stands are not satisfying.

They wear you out.

And leave you wanting more.

So…

Slow down and spend at least 2 to 3 nights in each place so you get to know it better.

 

 

Trying to do it all

This ties in a bit with the above.

Even when you get to a place to stay for 3 nights, don’t try to do it all.

One of the biggest travel mistakes to avoid is cramming your daily schedule with so many tours and activities and site seeing that you don’t build in time to just be. 

To sit in a cafe.

To wander the streets.

To rest or take a nap if need be.

Choose your top few experiences to have in that destination.

And leave time open to let yourself simply be.

 

 

Not knowing a wee bit of the language

To me one of the top travel mistakes to avoid is not knowing a few words in the local language.

It goes a long way to know a few words such as “hello”, “please”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome”.

I’d also add words for entrance and exit, bathroom and some of your favorite foods. 

With today’s smartphones, it’s easy enough to get a translation app.

Even if you mispronounce the words a bit, the locals will appreciate your effort.

Tight connections — air, train or bus

One of my top recommendations to all of my travel clients is to be sure you have enough connection time — air, train, bus.

This is one of those travel mistakes to avoid if at all possible.

And I think you can avoid it if you are paying attention to detail.

For flights, be sure you have 3 hours of connection time as you make your way to or from Europe.

Once in Europe, I’d recommend having at least 2 hours between flights. 

This will depend on which airport you are connecting through. 

Larger airports such as Amsterdam or London will need more time than smaller airports.

And you have to think about whether you need to go through customs.

If you are flying from Atlanta to Paris but then going onto Florence, Italy, you’ll go through customs in Paris. 

Give yourself time for this. 

Better to have more time than miss a flight!

Trains and buses will be the same. 

Know how big the station is and be sure to give yourself enough time to find your way to your next train or bus platform.

Often train or bus connections can be just 5-10 minutes.

But it might be wiser to have 15, 20 or even 30 minutes, especially in larger train stations.

Arriving at the wrong airport or train station

Please note that many of the larger cities will have more than one airport and more than on train station.

For instance, Paris has Charles de Galle and Orly as its 2 main airports.

So please check which one you are flying into or out of.

The same goes for train stations.

Rome has a few with Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina being the 2 major ones.

Double and triple check before and after you make those reservations.

 

 

Forgetting to reconfirm bookings

One travel mistake to avoid is not reconfirming bookings.

As a travel planner, I always do this for myself and my clients.

Sometimes mistakes are made — either by you or by the hotel or tour operator. 

So reconfirming a week or 2 before is always a good idea.

This way you don’t show up thinking you have a reservation when you don’t.

Not making sure your documents are in order and not having copies of these documents

The biggest travel mistake to avoid is NOT having your documents in order — namely your passport and any visas.

Most of Europe — at least as of now — doesn’t require visas for US and Canadian citizens.

This will change, probably in 2024.

So stay tuned.

For now, you just need to ensure your passport is in order that you have at least 6 months left on it before it expires as some countries want you to have this.

And do get an international driver’s license if you plan to drive.

You also want to ensure you have copies of all important documents — passport, insurance, drivers license from home country, any medical conditions and prescriptions. 

Neglecting the ‘paperwork’ can come back and bite you in the arse!

 

 

Forgetting to notify the banks

One of the worse things that can happen is to pull out your credit card to use it to pay for your accommodation or a meal in Munich and have it declined — because your bank/credit card company doesn’t know that you are in Germany. 

Please call your bank(s) and let them know you are traveling.

They will ask for the dates and which countries you plan to be in.

It’s that simple.

This is one of those travel mistakes to avoid — so you don’t have to worry once you are in Europe.

Having all your money in one place

One travel mistake to avoid at all costs is putting ALL of your money — including those credit cards — in one place.

Put some cash in one spot and some in another.

Same with credit cards.

Got a safe in the room? 

Leave some cash and a credit card there when you go out.

I met a young lady who had ALL of her cash on her and had it stolen when she was out.

Ooops!

 

 

Having only having 1 credit card

It’s always a good idea to have at least 2 if not 3 credit cards.

This includes a debit / ATM card.

You never know if one of your cards just won’t work for some reason.

So always have at least one more with you.

 

 

Not knowing the hidden foreign charges in your credit card

One travel mistake to avoid is not having a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

You can save a lot of money on these ‘hidden’ fees if you check with your current credit cards to see if they have these fees.

And if they do, then think about finding one that does NOT have these fees.

Capital One and Chase are a couple that come to mind.

Only visiting famous sites and destinations

Yes, seeing the Colosseum in Rome or the Parthenon in Athens is worthwhile.

But don’t neglect lesser visited sites and destinations.

If you read this blog or listen to the podcast, you know I’m a fan of getting off the main tourist track.

So one of the travel mistakes to avoid is seeing ONLY the major sites or visiting ONLY the popular destinations.

Include some of those off the main tourist path spots and you’ll find your holiday will be even richer in experiences. 

 

 

Not listening to the locals

One of the biggest travel mistakes to avoid as you travel around Europe is NOT listening to the locals.

The locals will have fabulous ideas on places to go, sites to visit, restaurants to eat at and experiences to have.

When I stayed in an agriturismo near Todi in the region of Umbria, Italy, the owners kept telling me I needed to go to the town of Bevagna. 

Well, this town was not on my radar so I didn’t listen at first.

But they told me again and again to visit this town.

So I finally did.

And it’s one of my favorite towns in Italy!

See.

Listen to the locals.

Not saying ‘Yes’

Don’t be afraid to say YES.

I think this is one of the biggest travel mistakes to avoid.

Why?

Because if you say yes to opportunities — especially the chance to spend time with locals — then you miss out on amazing experiences. 

Sometimes even saying yes to other travelers is a good idea.

Sure.

You need to be smart about what and who you are saying yes to.

But if your gut says to say yes, then do so!

Having unrealistic expectations

One of the biggest travel mistakes to avoid is having unrealistic expectations.

Sometimes, I often think it’s best to go into a trip without a lot of expectations at all. 

This way you aren’t disappointed.

So many of us go on our holidays with high expectations of certain things happening.

But here’s the thing — you can’t make some things happen. 

Often you have to simply let things unfold organically.

Sure, you can say “YES” to invitations.

But you can’t force things.

So, I think it’s best to travel with minimal expectations.

I typically think, “I’m sure I’ll enjoy my time and more than likely hit a few snags. But it will all be good.”

And usually, my expectations are met and then exceeded.

Not having the proper plug/adapters

Oops!

You forgot to pack the proper adapter so you can charge your mobile phone.

This travel mistake is easily avoidable by doing a wee bit of research before you go.

 

 

Not checking on your mobile phone plan

Speaking of mobile phones, a travel mistake to avoid is not checking with your mobile phone carrier to see if you have an international plan and what it entails.

You may not have this on your plan.

But you can often add it — even temporarily.

Just be sure it has what you want and need — especially when it comes to the data.

Forgetting about time zones

Europe does have 3 different time zones — Western, Central and Eastern.

The Western time zone is Portugal, Ireland and the UK, 

Much of Europe falls into the Central European time zone.

The Eastern time zone is Finland, the Baltics, Greece, Romania and handful of others.

So if you are traveling to a few different countries, be aware of the fact that you may have to change your watch.

Of course, with all of our automatic gizmos, you may not need to change it.

But you certainly want to be aware of it!

Not buying travel insurance

To me, the top travel mistake to avoid is not purchasing travel insurance.

Especially in light of what the world just went through with COVID.

Yes, it will cost you a bit.

But you can find reasonably priced travel insurance — that also includes medical insurance — so you are covered if anything goes wrong.

The nice thing is you can typically find coverage for only what you need so you’re not paying for coverage you don’t.

Check out Battleface, a company that Wander Your Way has partnered with, for all your travel insurance needs!

Do you have some travel mistakes to avoid to add to the list?

I know there are more.

So if you have some good advice for mistakes to avoid as you travel in Europe, drop them in the comments below!

Or feel free to send me an email at lynne@wanderyourway.com.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission – at no extra cost to you — if you click on the link and purchase anything from these trusted companies. It helps Wander Your Way, a small business, stay in business. Thanks for your support!

Like it? Pin it!