These 12 Mistakes Might Be Costing You Money When Traveling - And How To Avoid them

Nov 30, 2018 by apost team

Traveling is more than just broadening; it’s also a lot of fun.

You can make the trip more enjoyable if you jettison some of the bad habits you’ve picked up over the years and replace them with more productive ones.

Take a look at these 12 common mistakes. If you are making any of them, here’s some insight into how doing something a little different will yield a lot of benefits.

It’s smart to not take along a lot of cash, but traveling without some type of emergency cash is never wise. What would happen if your cards were misplaced or stolen? How would you go about getting by until your bank or a relative could help you out?

The smart move is to tuck away a little emergency cash in a less than obvious place. Feel free to drill a hole in bar of soap or take along an empty shampoo bottle to use as a hiding place for your cash. While you may not need it, knowing the money is there provide a lot of peace of mind.

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There are certainly times when booking your hotel, motel, or hostel in advance makes sense. At other times, waiting until closer to your departure time can be smart. You get the chance to learn about more places to stay and what they offer.

Depending on the time of year, you may also come across some great discounts. The result is that you end up with a wonderful place to stay and pay less.

The default for many travelers is to rent a car when they reach their destinations. Instead, why not find out more about all the transport options available. You may find there’s an excellent bus, subway, or train system in place that will get you around with no problem.

There may be shuttles or services like Uber that will also allow you to go wherever you like at a lower cost. Best of all, these alternatives allow you to concentrate on seeing the sights instead of having to keep your eyes on the road.

You find them handy at every leg of the journey. From the moment you board the plan to when you check into the hotel, there are travel brochures and booklets designed to tell you what sights you want to see during the visit. While you don’t have to ignore them entirely, look for spots that are less likely to attract attention.

Spend some time on tourist forums and get some tips about what to see. You can also use apps to locate restaurants and other points of interest once you get to the destination. Don’t overlook asking the concierge or other locals for suggestions. They may have some ideas that you would never find in a travel brochure.

There are several reasons you want to sit down with your banker before embarking on a trip. Your goal is to find out what protections the bank offers if something happens to your debit card or your account is compromised. If the plan is to travel to an international location, find out what transaction fees would apply. You may find it helpful to obtain a rewards card that comes with no transaction fees. Over the course of the trip, that rewards card will save quite a bit of money.

It’s tempting to not buy travel insurance, but resist the temptation. The right plan will protect you in the event of theft, travel delays, and even illness. All it takes is one covered event to make the cost of the coverage worth it.

Consider that investment of a few extra dollars as a great way to potentially avoid having to cough up several thousand dollars if something happens.

Tipping etiquette varies from one setting to the next. You may be used to adding a 20% gratuity where you live, but that’s not necessarily the norm. In some areas, it may even be considered an insult to tip because the wait staff is already paid a proper wage.

Save you and your server embarrassment and find out what customs apply to tipping before you arrive at your destination.

You like to look your best, but sometimes that’s not the smartest move. Take along some casual clothing that doesn’t necessarily make you appear to be someone who was born into wealth. Pickpockets tend to target people who look as if they could afford to be robbed.

Even then, it pays to tuck away your valuables in more than one place. Never take all your credit or debit cards along for a single outing.

Divide cash and cards so they are in several different bags, some should go in the hotel safe, and some could even be secured around your waist in a money belt under your clothing. All these strategies will come in handy if a pickpocket does lift your wallet or manage to get away with your purse.

Did you know that using your bank card likely has the best currency exchange rates? While you will need to get some cash now and then, use the card when possible. If you remembered to get a rewards card with zero fees and one that reimburses on ATM fees, you’ll have more money to spend.

Even if you have ample public transport options at your destination, learn about local ride-sharing opportunities. There may be locals or other visitors who happen to be going the same way you want to go on any given day.

Splitting the cost will save both of you money and you still get to spend more time gazing at the sights rather than doing the driving.

Do you ever check out what’s within walking distance of the hotel or hostel? Using the 6-block rule helps you know if there are plenty of places to eat, clubs to visit, and historic sites to explore. Think of how nice it would be to have all sorts of options close by, especially if you would prefer to avoid getting caught in traffic.

What’s the real value of traveling during the daytime? If you travel at night on a plane, bus, or train, you get to settle in and sleep. There’s also a good chance of less travelers being around, so you can stretch out a bit. Best of all, navigating through terminals and stations is easier.

Consider these tips and how you normally plan a trip. Would some of them work for you? Can you think of other ideas that would save time and money? Show these tips to your friends and see what they think. You might come up with quite a few other ways to get the most from your trip while keeping the costs a little lower.