Top 12 Itinerary Mistakes To Avoid For A Perfect Trip

Our Search for the Perfect Journey—It’s a Never Ending quest.  A solid itinerary is the crux of a stress-free trip, simply put. Want to become a Master Planner? Here are 10 itinerary mistakes you probably make—and how to avoid them.

Not researching the destination

What to avoid: The first and foremost mistake that people make is to do what others are doing. Just because the destination is trending and people you know are flying to the place, doesn’t mean you have to! Not researching your travel destination thoroughly before planning a vacation can leave you dissatisfied and could lead to a waste of precious time and money!

Solution: Exploring the best vacation packages, the budget-range of the destination, whether it fits your idea of ​​vacation, whether it suits the interests of you and your travel companion, if any, are among the most important things to consider before planning a trip.

Not Planning the Budget

What to avoid: Running out of money in the middle is no fun – and not projecting your expenses correctly could mean you have to cut short your travels.

Solution: Think carefully about all possible expenses – and double-check prices. It’s cheaper to travel in Asia, of course – but like everywhere else, a good meal or hotel will still cost you dearly. In such cases, you can go for travel deals by various reputed travel agencies. 

Overcrowding Your Itinerary

No, you can not explore ten places in a day. It is totally justified that you want to justify the money you have spent on one trip but that doesn’t mean you should squeeze 10 destinations in just 2 days. Overcrowding on an itinerary can make you tired and possibly turn you into a cranky traveller and this is one of the most typical travel planning mistakes you should avoid.

Solution: Choose an appropriate number of destinations, leave enough time between sightseeing and take time to breathe, relax and enjoy the moment instead of rushing all the time!

Local Transport

Depending on your destination, Taxis may or may not be the most cost-effective way to get around. Just because a city has a rideshare doesn’t mean it’s actually available or cheap. Many cities have few Ubers or Lyfts, and when they are available, the prices increase significantly, making these ride options very expensive.

Solutions: Many ride-sharing apps have helped customers save money. Also, public transportation is another solution. If possible, you can purchase a city pass and download a few local apps for ride-sharing. This will help you save many bucks. 

Temperature check

Yes, you’ve wanted to visit Kashmir for your next trip but not checking the weather in advance no might cause you a problem. It could be heavy snowfall or landslight, etc. 

Solution: Check the temperature in advance and the best time to travel. Careful consideration of seasonality also helps to travel cheaply: just schedule your trip by high season to avoid inflated prices.

Not eating local food

The beauty of travelling to a new place is it gives you a wonderful opportunity to try new things. This includes eating new foods. Forget about foods you know and have eaten and try the locals in person. It won’t hurt to experience fresh food.

Although this is a simple rule, many people fail to follow it. Eat the local cuisine of the place you are visiting and be amazed by the variety of food items available. Take part in their culture and take thousands of photos with them.

Forgetting to check visa requirements

Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months before issuing a tourist or visitor visa. You will need six months of validity on your passport, even if you only plan to stay a week. Other countries require outbound tickets before they are allowed in your country.

If you are an Indian passport holder there are 30 countries you can travel to without a visa – even more if you count the countries in which you can get a visa on arrival or a convenient electronic visa. Some popular counties include Maldives, Indonesia, Fiji, Mauritius, Qatar, etc. 

Booking Flight at Wrong Time

Flight tickets are probably the biggest part of any travel expenses. And if you’re not a frequent traveller or have to include a lot of air travel in your travels, it can get really expensive. Not booking your flight on time is an itinerary mistake that can cost thousands of rupees.

Solution: Just like booking last minute can be very expensive, booking ahead of your travel dates can also be costly! Always use an incognito browser window when searching for and booking flights to ensure that your browsing information is not used to inflate prices. Another best way is to book from a mobile application and try to avoid searching the same flight on multiple platforms as it will make you a unique visitor and that’s why the price goes up. 

Tip: While booking your flight ticket, select the ‘Cancellation Protection’ option and pay a nominal cancellation premium and enjoy zero penalty if you choose to cancel the booking. Cancellation protection is applicable on select domestic flights and starts at Rs.149 only.

Travel Insurance

If you are not aware of the term travel insurance, you should read about it and get one. It is useful in case of emergencies like accidents, trip cancellation, personal property etc. 

Not Prioritising 

Just like overcrowding, itinerary is not something you should do, not prioritising your vacation time is another travel mistake that you should avoid altogether. Plan your itinerary as per likes and dislikes of the people you are travelling with.

Solution: If you’re travelling with your partner, then sightseeing will be a better choice than some mueseum. 

Putting Comfort Over Experience

Indeed you can book a luxury hotel and chill with your loved ones. But what about the experience when you visit a new city or country? Instead staying in apartments or AirBnb can open up different opportunities to meet amazing friends and travel buddies.

Solution: In general, you pay less and have a lot more fun when you leave the need for a high-end hotel out of the equation.

Overpacking

Carrying around a huge, heavy suitcase can put a serious damper on your vacation. Too many packaged items can lead to a messy hotel room, hard to carry and too much laundary.