I'm currently staring at my suitcase trying to avoid repeating history, so I thought I’d ask this sub:
What is the one shoestring travel error you made: missed flights, overpacking, or trusting bad advice that you swore you’d never repeat?
I feel like every seasoned shoestring traveler has that one trip where everything went wrong because of a single bad decision. I’d love to hear your cautionary tales so I can hopefully avoid making them myself on my next trip!
Sleeping on the airport floor is only worth so much. Landing at the airport back home at 8 am when you need to be at work at 10 am is only worth so much.
It's worth $100 to not have to do either of these things, you're not 18 anymore buddy.
I remember being hungover in Vegas trying to get on a 7am flight and wishing I had spent the extra $40 for an afternoon flight and a few hours more sleep.
Same, only my situation was leaving Cancun. Do I take the 6am flight out?, or sleep in, get some resort breakfast then catch the 11am flight out, $25 difference per ticket. Be home a few hours later...no brainer.
For $25, sure. You'll spend that much missing out on the free breakfast. These days it's more like $400 more often than not.
This sort of thing is me more often than I'd like to admit. When booking I pick the cheaper option thinking it'll be fine, and then when I'm actually there I wish I'd paid the extra few quid for the better experience.
I've never regretted buying an upgrade, nicer time, better experience etc., but I've often regretted booking the opposite!
For a 7 AM Vegas flight, I’d have just stayed up all night.
I did this once in New Orleans. Got back from the bar around 4am, showered and changed, grabbed my backpack and went out to get a cab to the airport. Surprisingly, I was not the drunkest person in the security line.
Instead of paying for a hotel room, I decided to drink coffee all night at the airport. Espresso specifically. The two hours leading up to the flight, I spent in the bathroom having the worst diarrhea of my life from all the coffee on an empty stomach. Thankfully it mostly subsided before the flight but lesson learned. Could’ve spent that same amount of money on a hotel room and not almost shit myself on a plane
You spent a hotel rooms amount of money on coffee?
Maybe like a hostel room yeah. So five coffees is about 30$ depending where you are. Add snacks and it adds up fast
Aha! Snacks? So it wasn't on an empty stomach! Lol jk.
Fun fact: espresso has less caffeine than regular drip coffee
If you are doing a lot of travel outside of the USA, getting a cc with priority pass is great. I slept/took naps in lounges in Asia and the Middle East and it was pretty comfortable. I have also gotten meals/alcohol/drinks in lounges and the comfortable seats + good WiFi is well worth the price.
The way I looked at the cc benefits is would I have spent this money even without getting this cc (for example the Amex plat uber credit). If you would have spent money on those benefits without the credit card, then I subtract the money from the fee and see how much I break even/come out ahead.
Other benefits such as free travel insurance, clear, global entry, all makes my travel cheaper and better.
This x100. And there’s WAY more benefits you didn’t even mention. Rental car insurance, purchase protection and extended warranties on items (iPad, tv, refrigerator) you buy if they are lost stolen or damaged, if said item comes with a five-year warranty from the manufacturer then Amex adds one year on top of that, airline credit, hotel credit, hotel/food/toiletries reimbursement if you’re flights more than 6 hours delayed.
I work a 1 month on/off rotation and during my off months travel. Haven’t paid for airport beer/food in so long (unless I’m craving Chick-fil-A.)
What’s a good credit card for this?
The one that has all the benefits I mentioned, and the guy before me mentioned, is the American Express platinum.
There’s tons of hidden benefits just look at the comprehensive list and see if it fits your needs. You definitely need to a bunch be able to use them for it to be worth it.
The important thing about the amex plat is that it has a ~$700 annual fee. if you take advantage of everything it offers it can be worth it, BUT you have to take advantage!
If you travel a lot, and you're in business especially self-employed with expenses, you absolutely need inexpensive pay for travel card and it pays for itself immediately. Of course this is what the credit card wants but you be complicit and run all of your business expenses through the credit card, in my case it was hundreds of thousands of dollars with the caveat, You must be prepared and have the pockets to pay off the card in full, in full every month. Otherwise you're a complete fool for even using a free credit card for the credit allowance beyond 30 days. Flush your benefits down the toilet then. They depend on that, the interest rates and the occasional they charges..
But you must be prepared to pay off that credit card every month in full whether you are a super high roller or not otherwise the game is zip but the perks are very rich
I've slept in an airport twice. Once as a young, broke enlisted military member taking advantage of cheap flights to head to Edinburgh via London for New Years. And more recently because the only hotel within reasonable distance was about $350 including taxes/fees. The 4 hours I did have to stay at the airport, I curled up on an open booth in a restaurant that was closed. Not fun but I wasn't going to be price gouged like that out of principal.
The first class seat on my flight to the Caribbean more than made up for the uncomfortable brief sleep.
THIIIIISSSSSSSS one million upvotes
Younger me wanted to get every second out of that vacation so I’d regularly fly in late and get up the next day for work. Not current me. I always get back with at least one day in between vacation and work. I need a buffer to get back to reality now lol
It's uncomfortable, but I have to say that sleeping in airports has always been a super interesting experience.
From the bartender giving me a free beer, to watching catatonic homeless people wander into MDW at 2 am (and watching a really skilled police officer help them out).
Makes me think back to when I was 20 and had a 12 hr layover at JFK and just slept on the floor. Could never do that now.
No more third party bookings. Hotels, flights, rental cars are all booked directly now. No amount of rewards or discounts equals a disaster situation and being told to “take it up with the company you booked with.”
Couldn’t agree more. Lesson learned the hard way.
1000% this. One hotel booked via Expedia and them not to have any record of the booking. It’s never worth saving a few bucks to book through these sketchy ass third parties.
Truth.
NEEEEEEEEVER third party book hotel cars and trips. theme parks passes about the only ok thing.
Doesn't booking direct give you LESS recourse? Hotels can still overbook and just refund you and turn you away on the night itself, can't they?
Things still happen and you can get screwed over no matter who you book through. BUT if you book a 3rd party, you have to wait for the 3rd party to refund you (which can take days). Think of it this way, you didn't actually pay the hotel, you paid Expedia. The hotel doesn't have your money to refund you.
Also if you need to change something about your reservation, the 3rd party might not be able to.
This is correct! I work in tourism and third parties are the bane of my existence. So many people show up and we don’t have any record of their booking and are sold out. Like I don’t have your reservation, I don’t have your money, and I don’t have any availability for the next week or more. I say something to the effect of “take it up with whoever you booked with” on a weekly basis.
Also, pro tip: AVOID any third parties that boast about not sharing your contact info with us. We need that to contact you in case something comes up or goes wrong!
I cannot express enough how much more beneficial it is to book directly with companies.
Flying into /out of a far out secondary airport. The money you save isn't worth the time you lose.
Paris Beauvais I’m looking at you
Years ago I was driving around France and never watched the news. Get back to Paris to find an Air France strike.
Airline gives us a secret location at which to meet the next day. Arrive to find buses guarded by police with machine guns! Shuttled to Beauvais where they had to get the cows off the runway!!
Original ticket was a direct flight to Dulles. We flew to NYC and our connecting flight took us to DCA. Our car was at Dulles but we had met at the buses eighteen hours earlier. At two a.m. eastern time I rented a car to go home and went back the next day to Dulles to drop off the rental and retrieve my car.
Only good news was Air France reimbursed me for the car rental and the fight to NYC was first class ( our original flight was economy).
London Stanstead has entered the chat…
Frankfurt Hahn I’m also looking at you. Had friends who accidentally booked their flight to there and didn’t realise it wasn’t in Frankfurt but 126km away 🤦♀️
Burbank airport I’m looking at you
Ontario
Depends on the savings. I’ve saved $6k on a trip by using secondary airports. That pays for the entire vacation.
Athens is crazy. The only airport is a 50 EUR ride from the city.
There’s also a pretty convenient subway ride to the center for a fraction of that.
Yeah, I took the subway from the airport to the ferry port for like €8.
Can’t you just take the bus?
I took an airport bus in Athens. Cost less than 6 Euro.
Understanding that age changes your outlook. I paid for my first cabin upgrade because I realized that at this point in my life, long haul comfort had a value.
Same, but for hostels. I’m not doing 12 bed dorms any more, getting woken up at 3am when the top bunk person gets back and then at 5am when the other bunk has to get up early to catch their flight.
I’ll spend more to get a single at a hostel or AirBnb a room. But good sleep/quality rest are a priority for me.
I flew to Seoul and after that flight I was serious wondering if that was my last long haul flight in economy. The toll on my old body was brutal.
Premium economy seats- between coach and business class- can be a decent compromise between the two. I feel much better at my destination when I can stretch out.
Not really a mistake but just t something I don't do anymore... Booking the cheapest flight regardless of layovers and flight times. When I was really backpacking kinda fulltime, I'd book the cheapest flight. Three layovers? No problem. Takes 30+ hours? Sure. Flight is at 1am and lands at 1130pm? Sign me up. I'd take any flight if it saved money. But now I'm just not willing to sacrifice the amount of time anymore.
When I was young I did not have the money but I had the time.
Now I have the money and less time.
Seasons of life. To this day my only time hallucinating was without any drugs at all, only 36 hours of airport and flying transit without sleep. I was laying on the airport floor whilst petting a full grown tiger. Clear as day.
As I get older, I just cannot recover like I used to. There’s also a time vs energy trade off. I can spend the time but I’ll need extra time to recover too.
At least your hallucination tiger was friendly. It could have been chasing you around the airport.
I did this too except I went to a lecture and I swear to you, the instructor’s head fell off and he kept talking while it rolled around on the podium. I decided the class was less important than my sanity and went to bed.
If you're going backpacking in Iceland, don't buy any of your gear at Walmart. Especially not your waterproofing gear...
On day 3 of the Laugavegur trail I walked for around 8 hours straight with nonstop rain. Glad I had splurged on the bougie rain gear.
That's exactly the one I did, and the pants split on day 1 going up lol. Luckily the rest was very dry, and it was worth it still!
Quality rain gear ain't bougie
I got imprisoned in Siberia because I arrived at the border two days before my travel visa kicked in.
They let me out when the visa became valid.
This was on the Trans-Mongolian railway quite a few years ago.
Woah. What was the prison like?
Not many people get that stat. Were you in a holding cell for two days or straight up Serbian prison?
It was a small cell at the border station on the Siberian side.
The Russian guards were quite pleasant - made us tea in a samovar and stuff like that.
*Siberia
Good catch, very different
Actually, that was pretty decent of them to let you stay at border control until your visa became valid. I would have expected any border authority to turn away someone who tries to enter their country without a valid visa
Always make sure you can make 2-3 different outfits from mixing the clothing items you bring. Especially if going on a longer trip. Also make sure of the airport code for where you’re flying to make sure you’re going to the right airport.
don’t try to beat the heat. It will not cool down at night. Get the accommodation with AC.
Sounds like a South Asian jungle experience.
HA! Coastal El Salvador. Puerto de la Libertad is one place no man should ever visit. (just kidding just get an airbnb with AC)
If you are checking a bag, make sure that you have a change of clothes and any essentials, medications etc, in your carry-on bag. Lost luggage sucks
Missed my connecting flight due to a delayed first flight. I ended up having to get a hotel room and I had nothing but my purse on me because my luggage was checked. Learned my lesson the hard way to pack essentials in a carry on.
Not having multiple ways to access cash. Never really overpacked so that’s something I’ve learned.
If it’s a longer trip (more than a few weeks) don’t overplan. My best experiences came when I was backpacking for 6 mths in se Asia and India and just went with the flow. Had the first few nights accom and a tour earlier in the trip with intrepid. The rest was fluid. So good.
Rolling clothes in my pack is a quality space saver.
I stay in fairly nice/high-end hostels for a lot of the time. Sometimes I’ve done weeks on end in coworking hostels that aren’t the nicest but help the money stretch. One thing I will never compromise on is accom after a long haul flight (even if it’s a nicer hotel for 1-2 nights after I land before I go to a hostel).
It’s sooo much nicer coming off a long flight, heading to the accom and straightaway showering/having a clean/quiet place to regroup and lie down. I remember once I arrived in Bali after a 15 hour flight, joined the 1-hour-long-queue visa on arrival crew (never again), and had to take a grab bike 1 hour to Canggu - all at 11pm. What helped was knowing I booked myself two nights at a nice hotel that had 24/7 reception etc.
For me, I can skimp on the transport to and from the airport (cheap grab bikes vs taxi) and even fly a cheap airline (jetstar), but I need a good place to rest my head for a few nights when I reach the destination!
If doing Europe in the summer, always make sure your hostel, airbnb, guest house or even your low budget hotel has AC. Set the search filters to give you AC only results.
I once booked a place with AC in Italy in May. Get to the hotel and was told the AC doesn't work because of "council restrictions"??
This happened multiple times too. Still not sure if it was real or just a scam.
We booked a hotel in Italy through a reputable travel agency and it wasn't cheap.
The website said it had air conditioning in every room.
Well, it HAD air conditioning, but it was not TURNED ON.
So, technically correct but of no use to me.
Cannot say this enough. Was in Amsterdam in OCTOBER and the place had AC, but it was garbage and I didn't sleep for an entire week due to how poor the ventilation was. I don't know how Europeans do it. If I wasn't with a friend, I would have changed hotels and eaten the cost no question.
Never book something with no reviews. Left one place one time because it was so bad. Luckily airbnb sided with me and gave me a refund and replacement hotel.
Second always book the first night after a flight. Was running around the city where everything was fully booked until i found a hotel after midnight.
"I wonder where I'm going to sleep tonight" is a thought I never want to have again, not in my everyday life, not when traveling. It's fine to stay flexible, but even on road trips we book the next stay at least 24 hours ahead of time.
Even moving locations sucks with light luggage. Last trip, I broke my accommodations up to two locations. Finding the second place at the last moment and not having a relaxing place to just chill in the heat of the day until check-in time sucked. Realized I preferred a familiar area over a shorter daily commute.
If I’m taking an overnight flight that gets to my destination early in the morning, I will never again lurk around coffee shops or public places with my bag until my accommodation will check me in- now I book the air bnb or hotel for the night before and inform them I won’t be arriving until the morning. That way I can go right to my room, sleep for a couple hours if I need it, shower and then I’m off exploring. Worth every penny!
That's a great idea!
I always ask the airbnb if we’re able to leave our bags. Hotels should allow you to leave your bags with them until check-in time.
Came here to say this. When I was younger, I was fine checking my bag and going to explore until check in time. But now it's absolutely luxurious (and very much worth the extra cost) to go straight to my room to stretch out and/or shower whenever I arrive.
In the past couple of years, i've booked several accommodations (both low and high end) that let me check in much earlier than specified. Sometimes, it's worth it to roll the dice.
If someone comes up to you with a map printed on paper pointing and speaking broken english, it’s most likely a distraction technique. Learned this the hard way in Paris train station at 18… first stop on a 3 week inter-railing trip
Btw my wallet got stolen and this was before the days of apple wallet…
Oh you must have been horrified when you realized. What did you do?
Paris!!! Beautiful but a pickpocket's haven. Avoided a major attempt in both of us in the metro. One of the gang got a nasty blow in the stomach!!
This!☝️ There is no reason why two helpless looking young Eastern European girls would ask 2 clearly American tourists in a Paris subway station for directions. I immediately grabbed my backpack and held it against my chest and put myself between them and my gullible friend and got us the F out of there! As we were quickly departing I saw a bunch of young men joining them. I knew immediately what they were up to.
I tell myself everytime that I’m not going to over pack this time… but I still always do
Take half the clothes and twice the money! I think that comes from Rick Steves or something
You and me both, bro!
If I take a red eye I pay for a hotel room for that night so I can check in at 8am or whatever time I get in, especially if there is no early checkin. Having a few hours of sleep in a bed is a must for me now.
Happy C A K E Day!! 🍰🍰
Overpacking is the worst- you can always pick something up if you need it- go as light as possible- makes it easy going up to the 4th floor, on cobblestone roads- putting your bag up on the train/plane
I am usually of the "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" mindset but I have recently been making travel an exception. Unless im going to be camping in the middle of nowhere, most everyday essentials like toothbrushes, shampoo, underwear, USB cables, SD cards, etc. are going to be sold in a store somewhere nearby.
I just started paying extra money for only 1 layover and to pick my seat and board earlier, so my carry on doesn’t get checked and I don’t get a middle seat. I’m getting too old for that shit.
Know by heart the phone numbers of people who can help even remotely. Always have enough to pay for a hotel room and 3 meals with you (the bra is great for that). Finding out about customary law avoids being woken up in the middle of the night by gunshots because it's a celebration of I don't know what in the field where you're camping. Not buying bottled water isn't saving money, it's trying to die. Do not believe that a sentence in English in a non-English speaking country really says what the person means. Always rephrase
Watch out for pickpockets. I carry my money, credit cards and passport in a clear plastic holder around my neck. I tuck it in the inner pocket of my sport coat. A friend I was traveling with got his pocket picked on a crowded train between the airport and Paris. Another friend was in a town square. A couple asked her to take their picture. She set her bag down, took the picture, turned around and her bag was gone. Be vigilant.
This is why I always travel with shorts or pants that have zip pockets.
I got pickpocketed many years ago in Barcelona - luckily they only got a packet of smokes and a few coins.
Most of my other losses have been thefts by hotel and airport staff.
I started wearing pickpocket proof pants from Clothing Arts. If someone can get into those they better be buying me dinner.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I gotta google these pants now
Dont travel with someone whose on a different budget. It only causes problems.
Flying Spirit.
Same. I learned to only fly them on a nonstop flight that leaves early. Even then, it’s usually not worth it.
Overpacking, overpacking, overpacking....there. I've said it three times.
Due to financial constraints, I am a true budget traveler. But I have found it’s better to pay the $20.00 or so extra to stay at a better hotel. All sorts of reasons - safety, cleanliness, amenities, clientele.
Not cleaning the house before I leave for a trip! Costs me nothing to do and makes all the difference when I get back home- it really sucks to come home to a mess.
Research what kind of hostel you are booking and read reviews on multiple times, if you are hoping to get some rest and don’t really want to party that much during your stay.
Not me, but what i see from other travellers is waaaay over packing, i dont understand how a person need 20 outfits for 2 weeks and having to carry around a huge bag, but then again i pack uber light
Drastically different activities for one.
I've needed a suit, casual clothes, warm weather clothing, cold weather clothing, bicycle clothes all for one trip.
The quick dry clothes are lighter too, easy to wash when needed.
Quick dry and have a good layering system is great for packing light and being comfortable. Convertible pants are great too especially if you are in places like Thailand where you need to wear long pants for temples or have long pants for hiking. It saves you having to pack both a pair of pants and shorts.
These are the same people who can’t get on a train bc their bag is too huge, can’t get it in overhead bin bc it’s too huge, can’t carry it up stairs.
Then complain complain complain about it and act like they didnt know it would be a problem
I'll answer for an exgf. "I don't want the same 3 outfits in all my pictures."
(a lot of people are packing for their own fashion shoot on social media)
I have the same 3 outfits for at least a decade of travel
That, my friend, is peak packing!
ya that aint my style at all, i dont do fashion photoshoots or selfies
Clearly the phrase, " I wanna be fly..." Is not part of your packing considerations.
That's fine. But I understand the 20 outfits...
14-hour layover with plan to rent a car and see the place, but the place was muddy beaches and run down bars and mosquitoes.
Paying more to have a hotel that's in walking or ubering distance to the concert/event venue is better than getting a cheap hotel further away and trying to navigate an unknown city at night or having to pay inflated parking rates for events. Especially if you've been drinking at all, the safety factor alone is worth it to not cheap out.
Last year, I left my bank card in an ATM in Valladolid, 6 hours before my prepaid bus to Merida. The ATMs give you money then your card but at home, in Australia, you get your card before the money. This wasn't my first trip to Mexico and I was well aware of this. I was just distracted.
My plan to work around this was to set up a Western Union account and send myself money. There were no fees on the first transfer and an OK exchange rate. Initially, my bank blocked my attempts, thinking it was suspicious. After calling them, we sorted it out and I transferred 13000mxn. I withdrew this from the closest Western Union branch, which was a shady looking pawn shop. The walk home felt uncomfortable, I was very anxious and my hostel was the other side of a small red light area.
My bank suggested 3 weeks to get me a new card (but I also had access to the new digital card). That coincided with me landing in Bogota. So, I ordered it to my first hostel in Colombia. It feels like the story should have an epic climax here, but it all went super smoothly. Smoother than I expected losing a card abroad. It arrived in an envelope inside a fairly tamperproof envelope, I felt safe that it hadn't had its details taken. I continued travelling for another 3 months before having to head home.
Stopped using shared rooms in hostels a few years ago. Never had a bad experience with shared rooms I just learned I value my space too much!
I'm too old and curmudgeonly now to sleep in a bunk bed in a room with 10 other stinky men to save a buck on a room. I've found that paying for a nice place to sleep makes me feel better every day of the trip.
Despite having been AirBnB Superhosts in the past, unless we’re staying with friends, we always spend a bit more to stay in hotels rather than AirBnBs.
Pack more underwear and charging cables than you think you’ll need.
Bring a spare, unused phone as a backup.
Buy a round trip ticket. Such a rookie mistake!
How so ?
I used to scrimp on my leave in the military. I'd get a late flight back from wherever, often rolling in bed at 2am, and work first thing the next day. I'd be just tired.
I was almost done with my time before I finally started using a leave day after returning. My gosh, what a joy! Have tried to do the same these last 20 years, even if it's a half-day late start.
This is solid advice! Always take a day off after returning from a trip. Need time to recharge, do laundry, run errands (ie supermarket), whatever….just chill before getting back to the grind. I started doing this in my 30’s & haven’t looked back.
Flying Spirit airlines
Booking the cheapest flight without taking into consideration the real added costs (in time and money) for checked bags, layovers, hotel, additional transportation, transportation at odd hours, etc.
overpacking definitely, you can always find laundry facilities if not an excuse to go shopping!
Not doing enough research, my first international transit trip i had 19 hours in Dubai airport that has nothing, luckily i approached a hotel counter and they shuttled me to a hotel otherwise that would of been a long day...
Check accommodations reviews regarding security. Break ins etc.
Leaving out of a larger airport early in the morning with no trains running that late/ early in the morning to make your flight and ending up spending the money on an uber you saved from the booking of the flight.
Been there! Taxi from Seoul to Incheon....
Whenever I leave on vacation completely exhausted, little things bother me and I start off the trip negatively. So, I make it a point to take it easy and sleep before taking a trip.
If you get sick while traveling, bite the cost and take care of yourself. Book a hotel. Order soup. Buy meds. I tried to white knuckle camping in Iceland with the flu… still have nightmares thinking about that experience.
Missing a flight
Don’t fall asleep in front of your gate. The airline will not wake you up. I missed a flight to Hong Kong even though I was in a chair asleep in front of my gate. I woke up at 1 am and the flight had already departed. The airline (Cathey Pacific) had to remove my luggage for the plane to depart. I ended up having to buy a new ticket for two days later.
Oh my goodness !!
Ouch my wallet. I was surprised they went through the effort to remove my luggage when I was sitting in front of the desk at the gate. I guess they didn’t realize and they told me they legally cannot wake someone up.
I've fallen asleep twice on my transportation to the airport, which made me miss the airport stop and got me stranded in shitty places.
I luckily didn't miss my flights, but the logistics of backtracking to the airport in time were complicated in both cases.
I don't recommend the 1h walk from "Emirates Metro Station" to the Dubai airport terminal right across the highway, after the metro stops running at 11PM.
Never go anywhere without a solid backup plan for how you will get back to your hotel if shit hits the fan.
Never go anywhere without a solid backup plan for how you will get back to your country if shit hits the fan.
Never go anywhere without a solid backup plan for how you will survive if you lose your phone, break your phone, or if your phone magically decides to shit on your trip and stop working as expected.
Never go anywhere without at least the bare minimum necessary to keep yourself safe and alive.
Spontaneity has a time and a place. And it is most definitely not ALL the time in EVERY place.
I want to know more about your travel experiences that has led to these warnings!!!
Booking one of those cheap flights where you have to self transfer!! It adds time and you often have to leave the airport go through security just to leave again
Booking the cheapest ticket that takes God knows how long to get somewhere.
Cheap flights with connections aren't worth the hassle and delays. I no longer go for the cheapest, quickest flight. The add on costs usually cost more in the long run and the stress is not worth it.
I try to avoid any indirect flights. I don't book the discount airlines. They may be cheap but there's no service before, during it afterwards. I always have a hygiene, meds and first aid bag in my carry on personal bag which fits under the seat. Most important -----one free hand at all times. And pockets that zip closed.
Always bring a change of clothes and basic toiletries/medicine in your backpack, NOT in the carry-on. Had many times lost luggage, both checked and the carry-on they took last minute because the cabin storage was full….
Yep. I don't carry a full change of clothes, just fresh undies and t shirt. Everything else can be worn for more than one day (don't change the clothes, change the people 😆) and basic toiletries.
I now almost always give myself an extra day off from work after returning from a trip (and certainly not first thing the next morning) after the incident that was flying back from SFO in 2018.
Flight was supposed to return to JFK around 8 pm, but kept having delay after delay due to weather conditions. We returned around 2 am. I told my mom that I might as well just pull an all-nighter for my 7 am shift, but she said that I should get a nap in.
Yeah, I slept through all of my alarms (I am a VERY heavy sleeper) and woke up to my co-supervisor calling me at 7:15 to ask if I had ever made it back home (had last updated him before departure)
Not having enough cash - your on holiday and the last thing you want to worry about is whether you have enough cash for something…
Booking a non refundable hotel. It is cheap until it isn’t during a government shutdown.
Ryanair. Never again.
The same for Spirit in USA!
I was about to ask the if Ryanair and Spirit are siblings lol! I always hear complaints about both airlines.
Cousins of Greyhound bus lines in USA
May I ask why? I hear this quite often. The reason I'm asking is because I fly with Ryanair regularly and never had any real issues.
In Spain they charged me extra for not checking in on time. They said I was supposed to have checked in on Irish time, not Spain’s time. So I was a hour late in their mind for check in. Maybe I’m crazy for thinking that’s crazy. But I think that’s insane.
Then they charged me even more because of something with my bag even though it fit find on board. Can’t remember the details on that.
Less expensive hotel choice or flight with connections versus direct with only a small price variation.
So, I went to Europe and flew into Paris and stayed for 3 days before renting a car to take a road trip in Italy. Since I didn't need the car in Paris, I checked the rental locations in the city/not the airport and was so pleasantly surprised at how much less it would cost me to rent a car in central Paris. And then it started pouring rain, and it got dark, and I had to pay €30 to park overnight. It would have been so much easier to have taken a train back to the airport and rented there.
I'd have to say overpacking. I've made this mistake. It's a pain in the butt to lug a big suitcase full of stuff you don't even wind up wearing. I see especially American travelers doing this all the time. Less is more. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has 3 favorite things that I pretty much wear on repeat every week. It's no different when you travel. Many places have laundry services, there are laundry mats, or even washing stuff in the sink in a pinch. My rule of thumb is ONLY favorite things that I know I will wear, and for no more than 3, maybe 4 days, tops. It doesn't matter how long your trip is. Don't pack accessories- scarves, hats, jewlery- buy them as keepsakes from your trip, while you're on it. Wear your bulkiest stuff on the plane- shoes, jacket, sweater- and pack the T's, tank tops, etc. in your bag. And roll your clothing! It really does save on space!
Flying red eye to save 200$ not getting insurance.
I think many of the mistakes we make come down to whether I NEED to be a shoestring traveler, or whether I am choosing to be.
Many of my problems arise when my frugal values win out over my available cash. If you have a problem, or something sounds bad, and you have the money to fix it or do something else. spend the money.
I will never, ever, ever take Greyhound again. No matter how cheap it is. It was horrible. We were threatened by a dude with an ax, the greyhound staff were horrible, they wanted to go through everyone’s bags and purses because someone’s phone went missing, one bus we were on broke down in the desert between Ca and Vegas….
Not worth it.
Spirit airlines on wheels
On road trips spending more on a nicer motel...esp ones with real breakfasts included...I am over Motel 6/Travelodge/Days Inn etc
Choosing an early morning flight departure time because it was cheaper. Saved a bit on the flight, but ended up spending that in an Uber to the airport because public transportation wasn't running that early.
Bus schedules. I am absolutely horrible at reading them. I was in Ireland and booked a ticket to return to Dublin on a Sunday so I could catch a flight on Monday. I had to take the local bus into town, then get on the commuter bus to Dublin. Since it was Sunday the local busses weren’t running. I had to call a cab to get into town ($$$).
Agree with everyone mentioning not overpacking. However, one mistake I won’t make again is planning to get any particular clothing item I need for my trip once at my destination (because it’s cheaper, saves space, etc). The annoyance of having something to actively seek out wasn’t worth it, and not having some of those key items with me right away made my time less pleasant. Sizing can also be a real pain depending on where you’re going.
It's nice to even have this conversation. I have been traveling since the, "Europe on 5.00/day. " books.
the ability to travel has been and continues to be fundamental to who I want to be. I promised myself pragmatism in order to continue to know this joy for as long as I can. Additionally, if the decision is between, "one trip at 2500. Or 5 trips at 500" . To the same place, well....
My major trio of, "safe, clean and well located" has served me well. I have ignored a lot of amenities over the years to focus on these 3 primary things. I am starting to realize that the years have taught me to be a smarter, safer traveler and that I can start tweaking the 3 things and still be true to my pragmatism.
Upgraded to econ+ on AC for a long haul from Canada to Brazil. The cost was 300 and even then I had to think about it. in hindsight, I'm glad I did. I won't do it every time but it now falls into the "option" category rather than the "splurge" category
When I was travelling on my year abroad and many times moving abroad to work in my twenties, I wish I hadn’t penny pinched taking public transport while having to carry heavy suitcases and backpacks, and had just stumped up for a taxi. In fairness I usually didn’t have lots of money but looking back it would’ve been worth it to pay £25 to get a taxi instead of dragging all my luggage up and down stairs, across uneven paving all over town.
Staying in the cheapest hotel without looking at lots of reviews first.
Cheaped out on a hotel that looked okay online because I was only going to sleep to catch an extremely early flight. I swear it was a crack house. Actually other than being scary it was so sad to see people and children actually living there.
I will always do the minimal amount of flights. If I have to pay $300 more for direct I'm doing it. Also really small hotels to save a buck just aren't worth it. Recently did that in Japan and I literally had no place for my suitcase and the bed was cheap and nearly broke my back. I will always try and save a dollar if it makes sense but gone are the days of severely inconveniencing myself over a few dollars.
Being 6’5 and not paying for Economy plus
Won't sleep in a hammock in the jungle or if there are mosquitoes. Don't take the luggage space on the bus, when there are no seats left. Make sure you have a plan for the night of your destination. Don't trust dogs. Don't trust local police.
Spending +$200 per night for a salt hotel in the Bolivian salt flats. They were freezing and had no electricity and everywhere else we stayed was gorgeous for about $8 per night
Taking regional flights instead of buses/trains. In India, buses and trains can take days. for me, it’s worth the extra money to get where I’m going quickly and spend the extra time sightseeing.
arrive early, leave late.
Booked a flight to Japan with a stopover instead of just paying the extra £200 to fly direct from Heathrow. As someone who can never sleep on planes the flight was not a vibe.
Always bring a light jacket at a minimum.
I try to not check bags when traveling so I will go to the store and buy a sealed pack of 7-10 shirts in my size (yes they’re plain and boring) and those are my shirts for the trip and I’ll launder them as needed! Then my shirts are covered. A huge space saver in my bag. :) in my travels, I try to mostly wear athletic active wear and then pack a couple of “nicer” fits.
Sleeping in your car to save money (unless you have a large car that can accommodate a mattress in the back, that’s a different story)!
Sleeping in the airport instead of a hotel. Should have just slept in the car or cowboy camped it.
Booking a "hacker fare" where you have a connection on two separate tickets. If anything goes wrong airline #2 dgaf.
Not adding enough cold weather clothing when heading into the cold - am in Sapporo now and don’t have enough cold weather pants…
Thinking hitchhiking/ BlaBlaCar is a viable alternative to a train when I have a time constraint. Would have paid a lot more to hop on that train to Berlin.
Pack outfits not just random clothes.
Get the little square laundry detergent squares. (I don’t mean softeners). Do laundry in your sink.
Never book an air bnb for more than one week. You will always be able to find a more economical place near by that doesn’t advertise on3rd party booking
It’s absolutely fine booking a place a 5 or 10 min drive from the nightlife. I don’t rent cars or motorbikes 🏍️ but Ubers and grab (if in Asia) are super cheap and can save you 25 percent on lodging.
Accommodation does matter. Spend a little more to stay somewhere that’s a little nicer. Also, pay more to be central to the things you want to see instead of spending a lot of time commuting.
over staying a visa
Trying to figure out Public transportation from the airport into a city when arriving tired and jetlagged to a new place just isn’t worth it
For me if you have a long-ass flight and are arriving somewhere in the morning, just pay an economical hotel for the right to check in in the morning. Have a shower and sleep a bit. Get oriented. Trying to just “tough it out” wandering around strange city at 9am while exhausted, sweaty and grimy from travel, and trying to just deal until 3 in the afternoon sucks balls.
Inviting the wrong man 💔
Just paid couple hundred extra to come home Jan 2nd instead of Jan 1st.
Check your rail pass for the fine prints. I bought a Eurail pass when traveling through Europe in the 80s. Took the ferry from Crete back to Athens early in the morning (ferry was covered on the pass). Had very little local cash left but no banks opened on Sunday (this was during the time when each country in Europe still used their own currency) but figured I don’t need much since I’ll be on a train from Athens back to Paris most of the day. Train passed through Yugoslavia (old country that no longer exists). Turned out the pass was not valid in Eastern European countries. Had no money to pay for the portion of the train ride that is needed. Luckily some locals took a pity on me and paid my fare to Belgrade. Got off and went to the local American Express office to exchange money (no ATM/debit card then). Paid a good chunk of money to fly directly back to Paris. Made several mistakes here: should have come back to Athens the night before to avoid the tight connection of ferry/train, not having enough money for emergency and studied my route better to see where the train passed. The last minute flight costed more than if I had come back to Athens the night before.