{"id":5020,"date":"2017-11-14T14:55:13","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T14:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=5020"},"modified":"2017-11-15T12:32:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-15T12:32:00","slug":"8-classic-travel-mistakes-stop-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/8-classic-travel-mistakes-stop-making\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Classic Travel Mistakes You Need To Stop Making"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Thanks to travel websites like Skyscanner, <\/b><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/dream-on-unique-getaways-make-it-to-the-top-of-airbnb-uks-wish-lists\/\"><b>Airbnb<\/b><\/a><\/span><b> and <\/b><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/\"><b>isango!<\/b><\/a><\/span><b> too, we\u2019ve become better than ever before at nabbing a good holiday deal &#8211; and more than a little smug about it.<\/b> <strong>Though what actually happens when we head off on our travels\u00a0is\u00a0often not something to brag about. While there&#8217;s plenty of travel mishaps that you can\u2019t avoid, &#8211; stolen passports, deplorable weather and lengthy flight delays, we&#8217;re looking at you &#8211; there\u2019s lots of things you can do to make sure you&#8217;re as prepared as possible for when it does all go wrong.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Here\u2019s a rundown of the classic travel mistakes we\u2019ve heard of (and we admit, have made ourselves) and how to avoid them.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Arriving at the wrong airport<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l4hLUTv6EwTN9tKsU\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A few months ago, a\u00a0pal\u00a0told us of the most rookie travel error\u00a0made by her friends, who were visiting London recently&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cI waved goodbye to my friends and sent them on their merry way to Heathrow airport for the next leg of their trip. They left well fed, in high spirits and with plenty of time to spare &#8211; there was just one problem. Their flight was leaving from London Gatwick, not Heathrow.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wild-eyed panic and mad races through airports and the underground ensued. It was a sight that would put the\u00a0McCallister family from Home Alone to shame.\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the skin of their teeth, the friends of friends\u00a0travelled all the way\u00a0from Heathrow to Gatwick and made their flight, promptly collapsing from exhaustion as soon as they got on board.<\/span> As much as we love <span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/travel-well-stay-healthy-on-the-road\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>upping our step count<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, this blunder just isn\u2019t worth the stress. Before flying, double and triple-check your departure details.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Feeling so chuffed with your valid passport that you completely forget about your visa<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l0MYB17ZzaTTpl8S4\" width=\"480\" height=\"361\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So you\u2019ve got your hands on a valid passport and you have more than six months until it expires, well done. For many destinations though, the paperwork doesn\u2019t stop there. At least a month before you jet off, check if the country you\u2019re visiting requires a visa and if so, apply for one well in advance &#8211; they often take a few weeks turnaround. All that sorted? Make digital and paper copies of your essential travel documents, just in case.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Sticking only to the sites listed in your guidebook<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>Considering our line of work, it shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that we\u2019re big fans of exploring the attractions and seeing the sights each destination is famous for. Though as much as we love taking in the Berlin Wall, we&#8217;re also just as keen on getting to know the cooler, lesser-known neighbourhoods of Freidrechstrasse and Mitte. Take your cues from us; the sum of the city lies just as much in its obscure laneways and local haunts as it does in its cultural institutions. Wherever you&#8217;re headed, don\u2019t stick solely to the tourist spots.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Waiting in line to wait in another line<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/d2qJhxeaaWXPG\" width=\"480\" height=\"357\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At top attractions, crowds are unavoidable. What is avoidable though, is the ticket line. Many travel websites (ourselves included) sell advance tickets for cities\u2019 best attractions. This means you can avoid the painful process of lining up to purchase tickets on-site. Some pre-booked tickets even guarantee admission during a certain time\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slot, so all you have to do is show up at the specified date and time and waltz straight past the poor\u00a0souls lining up. For pre-booked deals and easy access to the world\u2019s top attractions, head to <\/span><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/\">isango!<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Overestimating your time between flights<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>We&#8217;ve already mentioned the agonising frenzy\u00a0that occurs\u00a0upon arrival at the wrong airport, and not leaving enough time between connecting flights can cause similar hysteria. 45 minutes between flights may seem ideal for those looking to skip arduous airport waits, but when flight delays, security processing and huge terminals are at work, it can easily become a game of chance as to whether you\u2019ll make your next flight. Avoid heart attacks &#8211; always leave at least an hour and a half between connecting flights.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Packing too much <\/b><\/h4>\n<p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/10tdUsVSBp9i4o\" width=\"480\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We adopt the \u2018pack your bag, then halve it\u2019 rule when getting ready\u00a0for any trip. There\u2019s nothing worse than lugging around 20 kilos when you could have survived with five. Think of all the untouched, crumpled, clothes you\u2019ll inevitably have to take home and wash again, and pack light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Forgetting about travel insurance<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forgo travel insurance for the sake of a few pounds. If your luck is anything like ours, the one time you don\u2019t get it will also be the one time you\u2019ll need it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Having a packed itinerary with no room for leeway<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/wXQLZ2vfV7Sko\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raise your hand if you plan your holidays to military-like precision? *Raises hand* The allure of a tight, fun-maximising itinerary is for many obsessives, hard to resist. But by rushing through the token attractions and sights, you&#8217;re unlikely to see or appreciate any of it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s some tips that will help rein in your inner-Monica. Firstly, allow for at least four days at your chosen destination, this will take out the initial time stresses that inevitably cause us to rush around like a headless chicken. Then, have a rough outline listing the\u00a0activities and attractions you&#8217;d really love to see and do while away, and tick them off depending on your mood each day. Finally, factor in some downtime. Beyond just relaxing, this time can then be used for any random, spur of the moment activities that crop up. Remember, the best memories are made when you least expect them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What are your biggest travel fails?<\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get back in control.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,12,60],"tags":[446,447,448,456,457,458],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>8 Classic Travel Mistakes You Need To Stop Making<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With so much to think about when traveling it&#039;s easy to forget something or take the wrong turn. 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We all make travel mistakes but it needn&#039;t be that way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/8-classic-travel-mistakes-stop-making\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Guidebook - isango!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/isangotravels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-11-14T14:55:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-11-15T12:32:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/airport.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"225\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alice Griffin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@isango\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@isango\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alice Griffin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"8 Classic Travel Mistakes You Need To Stop Making","description":"With so much to think about when traveling it's easy to forget something or take the wrong turn. 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When she\u2019s not befriending every dog in sight, Alice is travelling. The whole of Europe is on her list. After years of acting like it\u2019s her job to know all the inside travel info, she can\u2019t quite believe she\u2019s actually getting paid to do this. She humbly hopes her pieces will stop you from boarding the wrong bus, visiting mediocre museums or showing up at Stansted airport when your flight is at Heathrow\u2014all of which she has done before\u2014but she\u2019s not making any promises. 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