Don’t make these rookie mistakes when traveling

1.      Don’t put your wallet, phone or any valuables in the plastic dish when you go through security at the airport. Sadly, things are stolen every single day. We know a lovely lady who had her very expensive tennis shoes stolen at LAX when she went through security. Instead, put those items in your purse, backpack or day bag before you put it through the scanner.

2.      If you renew your passport, don’t forget to update your personal information in your travel accounts. (e.g. Trusted Traveler - TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry, airline accounts.) You need to put in the new number (if you got one) and the new expiration date.

3.      Don’t overpack. I see people make this mistake all the time. Savvy world travelers can travel the world for weeks with a roll aboard bag that fits in the overhead and a backpack. We did 7 weeks in Europe last summer that way. And yes, we did laundry along the way. Overpacking is expensive and inconvenient. An overweight bag charge can be $100 or more - for every flight! And dragging around huge luggage or several bags is difficult and can lead to something getting left behind. Plan wisely.

4.      Don’t overschedule - If you plan every single moment of your trip, you will come home exhausted and not really sure what all you saw because it becomes a blur after a few days. We intentionally leave large gaps of time to simply enjoy being in a new destination. Some of our favorite memories are those unscheduled times we wandered through a village, stopped for lunch in a local, quaint, outdoor café along the ocean and watched the children play in the surf.

5.      Don’t get your travel information from social media! I know, we all like to read the posts on Facebook groups for a cruise we are going to take or a destination. Some of that information can be helpful (what to wear, where to eat, etc.) but so much of it is exaggerated, incomplete or downright false. Every month, I get emails, text and phone calls from clients who read something and now they are panicking. Get your information from reliable sources: e.g. the website for the cruise, hotel or tour company. For the new programs - EES, ETA, ETIAS - go to the official government site or consulate. EES: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees ETA for the UK: https://www.gov.uk/eta 

ETIAS: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias . I did a training with the European Consulate who will be rolling out the ETIAS (either 4^th quarter 2026 or later- TBD) and they said they have already identified over 120 fraudulent companies who advertise their help with processing ETIAS. Be VERY CAREFUL who you deal with and with whom you trust your money and personal information. We did our ETAs ourselves and plan to do our ETIAS ourselves as well. It wasn’t hard. If you aren’t tech savvy, I bet you have a member of your family or neighbor or friend who can help you when the time comes and you need an ETIAS.

I hope this information is helpful to you. And remember, an important part of our job as your travel advisors is to help you avoid these pitfalls and minimize the stress so your travel adventures are absolutely amazing.

As we always say,

We save you time.

We save you money.

We save you from making expensive mistakes.

Until next time, your adventure awaits!