11 ways your trip could be ruined if you make these mistakes
Some travel mistakes feel like trip-ruiners in the moment but end up kind of funny in retrospect. Like the time my friend locked himself out of his house at 5 a.m. with only a framed photo of Chuck Norris before leaving on a road trip. Or when my sister assumed I understood a text saying, "Do you want to come to Woodstock tomorrow?" implied an overnight to the Catskills and not a day trip. I showed up with nothing but my keys, phone and wallet.
TPG's Senior Hotels Reporter Tanner Saunders even managed to get to his destination eventually after making a self-described rookie mistake of confusing military time ("0130 is not 1:30 p.m.") and going to the wrong airport on the same trip years ago.
Ultimately, these are merely inconveniences that lead to silly "Oh nooo, I have to go shopping!" or "Whoopsie, I missed a flight but got on the next one!" scenarios. Mishaps like these cost, at most, a day or two of a trip. And maybe a little bit of your dignity, too.
But then there are the travel mistakes that can ruin an entire vacation: Do not pass Go. Go directly to jail. OK, maybe not jail, but some of these mess-ups can lead to a return ticket straight home and even a lifetime ban on your favorite cruise or airline.
So, dear reader, I beg you to avoid these epic travel errors.
Traveling with an expired passport (or one that's close to expiring)
Trying to board an international flight with an expired passport is the No. 1 passport mistake to avoid. But many countries could also deny you entry if your passport expires within the next six months. Though you can pay extra for an expedited passport renewal, it still takes two to three weeks, not including mailing time. If you have international travel planned within 14 calendar days, the U.S. Department of State does accept urgent passport renewals, but only by appointment.
Other ID mistakes to avoid:
- Not having enough blank passport pages: Some countries require passports to have two to four blank stamp pages in order to enter.
- Traveling with an ID with an outdated name: If you've legally changed your name — say, following a recent marriage or divorce — you'll also need to renew your passport or license to reflect your current name. Also, don't use nicknames when booking airline tickets — the name on your boarding pass must match the one on your ID, or you may have issues checking in for that flight.
- Getting souvenir passport stamps: On page six of U.S. passports, it says, "Only authorized officials may place stamps or make notations or additions in this passport." So the next time you see one of those cute souvenir passport stamp booths at Machu Picchu or a national park, don't use it, or you could risk being denied entry to a country.
- Misplacing your passport: After seeing multiple TikToks over the last year where people found their "lost" passports that slipped down the back of a drawer, it may be time for all of us to invest in passport holders with a pocket for an AirTag.
Trusting your bags are safe in the overhead bin
While it's unlikely, it's not unheard of for people to get their bags stolen — or accidentally taken — from the overhead bin on a plane (or train or bus, even). Let's be real, it's not uncommon to have multiple navy Away carry-on bags or similar all in the same part of the plane.
It's crucial to not only put something easily identifiable on your bag so it isn't as likely to be confused (and to maybe track it with an AirTag), but also to keep your passport, medications and other essentials that would prevent you from continuing on your trip without them on your person or in your personal item under the seat in front of you, where it's less likely to be taken.
Booking a flight to the wrong airport
Remember that viral mix-up last fall, when two Americans boarded a flight they thought was going "to Nice," and accidentally ended up in Tunisia when an airline employee in Rome misunderstood where they wanted to go? Don't be like them: Confirm the country with an agent when rebooking a missed connection.
The same goes for when you're booking your own flights to Melbourne, Australia; you don't want to end up in Melbourne, Florida. Also note: Birmingham, Alabama, instead of the city in England and Monterrey, Mexico, instead of Monterey, California.
Arriving without the proper visa or travel authorization
Before you book a flight, research if you'll need a visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter a country. This is becoming increasingly common, and the rules are constantly changing: As of last year, Brazil now requires a mandatory visa costing $80.90 for U.S. citizens, and the U.K. is about to end its grace period and raise the fee for its new ETA.
Related: 19 popular destinations you need a visa or ETA to travel to with an American passport
Give yourself more than enough time for visas to process
While the Brazilian visa and U.K. ETA take just days — or mere hours — to process, some visas can take up to a month to complete, and you'll never know when you could face unexpected delays. It's best to start the process ASAP, since some countries will put you on the first return flight if you arrive without a visa.
In 2019, Pakistan deported Ben Smithson, a TPG senior writer, when he arrived before his significantly delayed e-Visa was processed. Though he was able to reschedule the trip and enter without issue a month later, he now allows as much time as possible for visas to be processed since, in this case, "four times the average processing time ... was still not sufficient."
Keep track of other countries' holidays
And just because a country can process last-minute visas doesn't mean its government offices will be open when you think.
"I ran into a visa issue in Vietnam, and it could've been avoided with some basic holiday knowledge," said Emily Lamb, a sales operations manager at TPG, who showed up to the Vietnamese embassy in Thailand to get a last-minute visa and realized it was closed for 10 days for the Lunar New Year.
Be sure to apply for the right kind of visa
TPG's cruise team lead, Gene Sloan, also ran into an issue years ago in Vietnam when the luxury cruise line he sailed on into Ho Chi Minh City secured him a visa only good for arrival and departure by sea.
Though Vietnam now primarily uses an e-visa system that allows entry and exit by air, land and sea, back then you needed a different air-travel visa. So when he got to the airport the next day to fly out, he was stopped at customs and told he couldn't leave. Eventually, the cruise line was able to secure him the right visa to get home, but always be sure to do your own homework and check that you have the correct documents.
Forgetting about the international date line
Pay close attention to booking flights that cross the international date line when flying west to Australia or Asia. "My mom once booked flights for a cruise starting in Sydney and forgot she'd lose a day crossing the date line," recounts Sloan. "She arrived to find her ship had sailed!"
If you're flying from the U.S., those flights usually arrive two days after you depart — but always check the flight details before you book.
Related: 6 cruise mistakes that will ruin your vacation in an instant
Not having the right vaccinations
COVID-19-era vaccine mandates may feel long over, but some countries still require proof that travelers have received other vaccinations before they're allowed to enter.
For example, many West African nations, such as Nigeria and Ghana, require travelers to provide proof of yellow fever vaccination. You can check on the U.S. State Department's international travel information page for each country to see what's needed.
Traveling with pets also has specific requirements: You don't want to be like the Brooklyn man who is now stuck in Egypt until March with his 3-month-old pug, because he didn't realize that even though he was allowed to exit the U.S. with the dog, the U.S. requires all dogs to be at least 6 months of age to enter the country — even if they were born there.
Ignoring other countries' banned substances laws
Most people know not to bring drugs into a foreign country if they don't want to land in jail (I'm still traumatized by the movie "Brokedown Palace"). But did you know that certain over-the-counter and prescription medications are also banned in many countries?
For example, many antidepressants and ADHD medications are banned in Japan, and you risk arrest even with a valid U.S. prescription. The U.S. Embassy in Japan recommends that "All travelers entering Japan with a prescription medication, including medication that is not restricted in Japan, should consider bringing a copy of their doctor's prescription as well as a letter stating the purpose of the drug."
Related: Careful packing: Where your prescription could get you in trouble
Drinking to the point of being banned for life
Even legal substances can land you in a sticky spot.
If you appear too inebriated, airline employees can prevent you from boarding a flight or ask you to disembark before takeoff. If you go quietly, you could potentially just rebook a flight for another day — but TPG's ombudsman, Michelle Couch-Friedman, has written about some passengers who have been banned for life from certain airlines after getting into alcohol-fueled altercations with staff. The same goes for cruise lines, so be careful with those unlimited drink packages.
Also, in some countries, it's illegal to have even one glass of wine with dinner before driving back to your hotel. While most of the U.S. has a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08%, it's just 0.05% in Utah. It's even lower in Iceland and Sweden (0.02%), and in other countries like the Czech Republic and Romania, there's a zero-tolerance law that could land you in jail.
Booking through scammy rental sites
According to Couch-Friedman, "A hallmark red flag of a vacation rental scam is a host who attempts to lure you off that protected platform with the promise of a discount or deal." For that reason, always book through a reputable platform like Airbnb or Vrbo that has built-in protections for its customers. Otherwise, you could arrive at your destination without a place to stay and also lose a lot of money.
Showing up at the rental car booth without the proper license
Just as an expired passport can ruin a trip abroad, road trips can also be wrecked if you don't have the proper documentation on hand.
"Once I tried to rent a car with a temporary license to drive to visit my brother in Maine — my license was in the mail to me, so I had the legal paper one from the state and if my sister wasn't with me with her actual license, they wouldn't have let us rent a car," said TPG's Social Media Manager Annie Black.
Also, note that some countries like Italy, Thailand and Japan require an International Driving Permit to rent and drive a car. Before you book a rental car, check whether you'll need to apply for one in the foreign country you're visiting.
Related: How to apply for an International Driving Permit online
Not checking age restrictions at hotels
It may be common knowledge that states and countries have different age restrictions for renting cars, but fewer realize that many hotels also carry similar age restrictions. So, whether you're a college student traveling solo for the first time or a parent with small children, you could be prevented from checking in to a (potentially nonrefundable) hotel if it has a minimum age requirement.
"Hotels are horrible at disclosing that at the time of the reservation. I booked a hotel for my 20-year-old niece once, and it was a nightmare getting her checked in. I had to sign a waiver saying I took all responsibility," said Andrea Rotondo, TPG's director of content operations.
"Similarly, I almost booked a nonrefundable hotel planning to bring a baby, and it had an age restriction for kids under 12," said Carly Helfand, TPG's director of credit cards and points and miles.
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