Traveling can be an exhilarating experience, offering the opportunity to explore new destinations, cultures, and cuisines. However, even the most seasoned travelers can fall victim to common mistakes that can put a damper on their trip. While overpacking is a well-known blunder, there are numerous other pitfalls that travelers should be mindful of.

Lessons Learned the Hard way

Here are some of the top lessons we have learned the hard way:

• Double, no triple check dates, locations, & other important information when booking hotels, rental cars, flights and other travel reservations.
• Back up your photos ASAP. At minium every night.
• Make sure you have everything you need for the day before leaving your hotel. Double check each other.
• Double check you have all of your belongings before leaving a hotel, taxi/Uber, restaurant or airplane.
• Call to confirm any special requests like Pet-Friendly rooms, or adjoining rooms prior to arrival.

In order to help you remember these easier, let’s delve into some of the travel mistakes that we have made over the years. At the very least you can have a little laugh at our misfortune.

The DINKs

In every trip we’ve taken, there have been a handful of mistakes, from taking a wrong turn to more significant ones, like forgetting my medication and needing a prescription refill in a state where RNs couldn’t prescribe medication. Of course, my prescription was filled by an RN. Fortunately, we’ve become adept at shaking off these mishaps. We understand that everyone makes mistakes, and the sooner we let go, the sooner we can get back to enjoying our vacation.

• Booking Rental Car at the Wrong Airport: Imagine arriving at your destination, and the rental car company doesn’t have your reservation. You look up the email confirmation only to realize that your rental car reservation is at a different airport. That was us on a multi-island trip to Hawaii and I had flip flopped the dates on the two different rentals we needed. Luckily they were able to see the reservation since they were both booked through the same company and made the change without an additional fees. But it’s a great reminder to always double-check the location and date of your rental car reservation and ensure it aligns with your arrival airport to avoid unnecessary hassle.
• The Importance of Backing Up Travel Photos – A Cautionary Tale: Traveling offers the opportunity to create lasting memories and capture breathtaking moments through photography. However, failing to back up those precious travel photos can lead to heartbreak and regret, we learned the hard way during their first European trip. We had just returned from an unforgettable Mediterranean cruise, filled with awe-inspiring landmarks, picturesque landscapes, and unforgettable experiences. We diligently documented every moment, from romantic sunsets in Palma De Mallorca to bustling markets in Naples. However, because we were on a cruise ship each night without internet we were not able to back up our photos. Tragically, disaster struck when, in a rush to get to our hotel, we absentmindedly left our cell phone behind in a taxi. Despite retracing our steps and contacting the taxi company, the phone was never recovered, leaving us with a sinking feeling of loss and regret.

• Pet-Friendly Hotel but no pet-friendly Rooms: I won’t name names here but we booked a pet-friendly hotel for a weekend at the beach. Drove 3 hours down that morning and spent the day on the beach with our dog. Around dinner time, we went to check in & drop the dog off before we headed to dinner. While they had our reservation, they did not see my note that we had a dog and all their pet friendly rooms were taken. To say it was frustrating to show up at a hotel with our furry friend, only to find out there are no pet-friendly rooms available is an understatement. We ended up driving the three hours back home as there were not any other pet-friendly hotels available in the class we were looking for. Now I am always sure to call to the hotel to confirm the availability of pet-friendly rooms and any restrictions they might have (pet size, breed limitations, etc.).
• Leaving something Important in the Hotel Room; I think everyone has left something in their hotel room when checking out. However, this day we were just leaving for the day. We opted to stay at a charming hotel just outside the city center, planning a fun-filled day of exploring the sights and indulging in some local brews before the evening game. We were armed with a jam-packed itinerary and headed off on the train into the city. As our train rattled past the stop for the stadium, the excitement for the game began to buzz, and… wait a minute. A cold dread crept in as I fumbled through my bag. The tickets! We didn’t have the tickets! They were safely tucked away at the hotel… miles away in the opposite direction. Let’s just say there were some panicked exchanges and a healthy dose of “I-can’t-believe-we-did-thats.” Thankfully, we had built in some buffer time, so the mad dash to retrieve the tickets and catch another train wasn’t entirely disastrous. We rejoined the city, a little flustered but still determined to enjoy our day. (Now we opt for mobile tickets and make sure our phones are charged and that we have a backup battery with us.

The Family

You know, when Mom takes charge of packing for everyone? Well, in our case, that usually ends up with everything we need… except for a few crucial items.

• Packing Debacle: Like the time we arrived at our destination only to she had forgotten to pack underwear for one of the kids. Oops!
• The Sandal Shuffle: Another time we were packing light for a quick all-inclusive getaway. It sounded like a great idea until we realized I had packed two left sandals… and that was the only pair of shoes I had brought for myself! Needless to say, I got creative with my footwear for the trip.
• Swimsuit Snafu: Picture this; you’re on vacation in Hong Kong, ready to hit the pool, only to discover you forgot to pack your swimsuit. And to make matters worse, the resort’s largest size is two sizes too small! Thank goodness for a tank top to save the day.

Our mistakes don’t just stop at packing.

• Club Lounge Confusion: The more and more we use lounges, the more comfortable we get with leaving right at boarding time. This one time thought we were being smart leaving time to get to the gate with minutes to spare… but encounter an extra security check. We lucked out an made it right on time but a little too close for comfort.
• GPS Gone Wrong: In Costa Rica, we decided to be prepared and purchased Costa Rica maps for our GPS, just in case our phones didn’t have reception. Little did we know, our GPS would lead us on a wild ride through the mountains on dirt roads so steep, you couldn’t see the road ahead. It was an adventure, to say the least, but also a terrifying one.