15 fails we’re all guilty of when travelling
Travelling doesn’t always go to plan. These might not happen every time you travel, but if you spend enough of your life on the road you will recognise all of them. They might not be fun at the time but, with enough distance, anything can become a funny story. Trust us.
1. You will spend more than you plan to.
Always. Even if you make a very comprehensive budget some unexpected expense will come up, either an emergency or that one of a kind souvenir you just had to buy. If you’re one of the very (very) few who never spends too much, please tell us your secret.
2. You will pack too much.
Pack your suitcase. Close the lid. Now open it again and take out half the things inside. Those extra pairs of shoes are not worth the pain of lugging a desperately heavy bag with you. Shops overseas sell shoes too.
3. You will lose something.
Be it a raincoat, your sunglasses or a very expensive camera, it’s going to happen to you at some point. This writer has a particular knack of donating phone chargers to hotel rooms. Always check the plugs.
4. You won’t be able to do everything.
And you don’t need to. Trying to cram every sight into your stay doesn’t make for a fun holiday. Pick the things you really want to do and then leave plenty of spare time for unplanned explorations. Often you discover the most rewarding things when you aren’t looking for them.
5. You will have to wait.
At immigration, at the boarding gate, at the bus stop, at the buffet, at the museum. It might be a few minutes, or several agonising hours. Breathe, smile and pull out your book.
6. You won’t be able to find the light switch.
Why do hotels feel the need to hide that one pesky light switch? After searching every wall, in every cupboard and behind every window, that final light is still shining merrily. Call the front desk and get it over with.
7. You will get lost.
Even in the day of Google maps and a GPS in every phone, you’re still going to look up at some point and have no idea where you are. As long as you don’t seem to be in danger (and you’re not going to miss your plane/bus/ship) just go with it. See point
8. You will encounter some rude people.
Whether they are locals or other travellers, at some point you’re going to run into someone who rubs you the wrong way. There are rude people all over the world, so there’s really no way to escape them. Let it go. You’re on holiday.
9. Your travel partner will bug you.
No matter how carefully you choose your travel buddy, there will be a point in the trip when you would happily ship them home in the cargo hold. Petty disputes will flair up over the itinerary, where to eat or who’s making you late. We can see the appeal of the solo trip…
10. You will need earplugs.
They are a little, squishy gift from God. A noisy plane, a snoring roommate or a late night party down the hall – earplugs can fix them all.
11. You will get sick.
This could range from a few sniffles in a cold London winter to an I-think-I’m-going-to-die stomach bug in India. Take your vitamins, stock the travelling medicine chest and be careful where you drink the water.
12. You will do something really stupid.
We have a theory that your brain cells also take a bit of a holiday when you travel, so you can be pretty confident that you’ll slip up at some point. You might lose your room key, get in the back of a dodgy taxi or get talked into a ridiculously expensive ‘genuine’ Turkish carpet. Laugh it off.
13. You don’t need all that fancy gear.
Specially designed, sweat wicking, zip off at the knees, multi-pocket, trekking pants? Unless you’re actually trekking in the Himalayas, then no. Even if you are they are probably a waste of money.
14. You will always find sand in your suitcase.
Even if you don’t go somewhere sandy. We don’t know why either.
15. You will never regret it.
Fact. No matter how many annoying, unfortunate or downright terrible things that happen to you on the road, you will never regret time spent travelling. It’s one of life’s truly great experiences and should be undertaken at every opportunity.
Image credits: Getty Images