I’m going to share 10 major Tourist Mistakes Americans make. When they travel to Europe tourist mistakes. That will waste your money your time and in general make your trip. I’ve been traveling Europe for years.
So many Americans including my own friends, and family to Europe for the first time. I’ve noticed several common very avoidable mistakes, and I’ll say I’ve made most of them.
1. Not building walking stamina
It’s all about walking. Whenever you take whatever, Europe trip you’re planning you’re likely going to walk more. Than you normally do at home, the big mistake is forgetting to walk before your trip to build up some stamina I’ve had several instances. Where the people I traveled with were not prepared for how much walking we do on a typical Europe trip. Then after day one there sore their legs, and their feet are bothering them, and it slows them down the rest of the trip here’s.
The deal even fit people struggle with this walking just uses different muscles different. Than cycling different, then lifting weights all that stuff. So if you’re not in a walking habit I’d suggest at least a month, or ideally two months ahead of your trip start going on some walks. They don’t have to be crazy right but take an hour walk a few miles this will help build up the endurance in your feet and your legs and make sure to break in your shoes before the trip too.
I know people love a new pair of kicks before their trip just make sure to break Them in before you.
2. Assuming things are the same
One of the most egregious Tourist Mistakes, I see Americans make. When they Travel Europe is assuming things are the same and I mean. This in a couple different ways first that Europe is all the same that the travel skills you need the cultural etiquette. The Tipping Customs are all going to be the same when you’re in Europe here’s the deal. Europe is a ridiculously diverse continent made up of more than 40 countries and also hundreds of distinct regions with Rich histories and Norms developed over thousands of years. yes, it’s true things like.
The European Union and the Euro have made travel simpler but there are still nuances and uniqueness’s in every different place. That you visit for example it’s incredibly easy to get around VIA Rail in Italy. But in places like former Yugoslavia bus or car is an easier and faster way to go a lot of times the second way we get it wrong is thinking things work the same as at home.
Travelers Make Costly Tourist Mistakes
I see many Travelers make costly mistakes. When they default to what’s normal back home for example staying in a westernized skyscraper hotel at a familiar brand first of all. This typically costs way more. But it also doesn’t connect you to the place you’re visiting a lot of times. It puts you farther from the points of interest and stuff like. That meal times are going to vary tipping Customs are going to vary you may. Think you need a rental car but public transport could be an incredible alternative.
Where you’re at speaking of rental cars? here’s an example of a really costly assumption. That I made on our own travels, we had this diesel rental car and in the USA. The handle for diesel fuel at the fuel pump is usually green not the case in many parts of the world and. So, when driving through rural Croatia I filled up our diesel rental car with petrol. Because I assumed it was diesel our car broke down we pulled up to the pump with the green handle. But I’m pretty sure I put unlet fuel in this car. This is what assuming will get you go ahead and laugh at my stupidity.
3. Forgetting Travel Insurance
The next big Tourist Mistakes and it’s good timing because I just ruined a car remember is forgetting about travel insurance. So thankfully one the car wasn’t totally ruined. But we had travel insurance that was able to cover what needed to be covered and there’s all different kinds of travel insurance, and certainly you need to know. What’s covered and what isn’t but your personal health insurance likely is only going to cover you in the United States your little extra insurance.
That you buy with your plane ticket is only about your plane ticket usually this isn’t a recommendation for any particular kind of travel insurance. But you should think about.
What you do in the case of a medical emergency how to cover your personal belongings if they’re lost or stolen and other things like trip Interruption. We also once had a death in our family in the middle of our six-month sabbatical, we were on a pretty tight budget and so short notice flights to get home were, outrageously expensive.
But they were completely covered by our travel insurance many travel credit cards. These days come with certain elements of insurance as well one area, that always comes in handy is rental car insurance coverage.
The important thing to know there is to actually enable that Rental Car Coverage you reserve. The car with that credit card and then you wave. The coverage that the rental company offers. When you’re booking
4. International Phone Plan Issues
A big Tourist Mistakes are not knowing how you’ll use your phone our phones are pretty crucial these days for things like Google Maps and talking with a host or a local guide. And something, I see a lot of Travelers put off till, the last minute or forget altogether. Is how they’ll use their phones abroad there’s a bunch of ways to go about this right but some are more convenient. Than others and some are very expensive in my early days of Europe travel.
I was the Wi-Fi only guy I was only using my phone at the hotel, or at places that had free Wi-Fi for years. I tried my carrier’s international data plan at $10 a day, which quickly added up to $100 or more for a 10-day trip with all. These really frustrating data caps all. I really wanted was something simple land in a new country with my phone ready to go without a massive cost, or data caps and so I’m going to tell you when we travel.
E-Sim Technology – Tourist Mistakes
Which is Olaf uses technology which makes it easy to stay connected in over 180 destinations, worldwide with no roaming fees and 117 plus of those destinations offer, unlimited data Olaf partners, with the cellular carriers typically. The best ones of whichever country you’re visiting and their mobile app makes.
It easy to purchase you simply browse for the country or region you want to visit pick and purchase. A plan and then you’re giving a QR code, that makes the install process very easy PS there’s. A way to Simply take a screenshot of the QR code and install it. That way booms your phone will automatically connect to the network in that country. The app also makes, it easy to get 247 customer support in just a few clicks.
One of my favorite things about Olly is there are no hidden costs unlike other providers. That don’t offer unlimited data what you see is, what you get and there’s no need for additional data top UPS if you’re ready to stop paying for expensive international data plans hit.
5. Sticking to Tourist Hot Spots
That really gets me sticking to the tourist hotpots imagine saving for years planning for months only to miss, the real heart of a place venturing just a bit further from those crowded streets can transform form your experience.
It can help you find a more authentic and, in my experience, less pricey atmosphere take food for example, the closer you are to major tourist sites in general, the more likely you’re dining in a tourist trap. Where prices are high and the food I mean how many locals do you actually see here it’s probably just okay but, wander off that beaten path and you might.
Just find the meal of a lifetime in a place. Where the menu is in one language not English my favorite restaurant in Rome for example is one that, I get lost every time. I try to find it and there’s not a tourist in sight don’t forget to research places to eat this. Isn’t just all about food don’t forget to research authentic local experiences.
6. Not Using Points and Miles
A big Tourist Mistakes I see is not at least attempting to use points and Miles. Something, I find many Americans take for granted is the opportunity. We have with travel rewards programs one of the main ways. We had accumulated millions of Hotel points and airline miles through credit card signup bonuses honestly we went a little bit.
Overboard you may not realize this I didn’t for years. But most other countries don’t have programs like these, where you can open a credit card and earn a ton of airline miles, or hotel points one of the smartest moves you can make before planning your dream trip is getting strategic about collecting points and Miles you don’t have to reach points.
Millionaire status like we did. But with a bit of planning you can significantly. Cut your travel expenses if you’re totally new to this and here’s how I start of course. This all assumes that you’re responsible and you can handle having a credit card focus on cards that offer a good. Welcome bonus and have a justifiable annual fee align them with your travel goals.
Think about where you want to go have a Redemption goal in mind and then look for cards. That align with the places that you want to go. What airlines fly there what hotels are available there or best case a transferable points card that gives you options and then maximize you.
Everyday spending looks you’re already paying for groceries utilities dining out stuff like that. Why not earn points while you’re at it we pay for nothing in our household with a debit card It’s all credit card.
7. Not respecting the local way
The Tourist Mistakes that probably bothers me more than any on this list is. When Travelers go looking for America in other countries or they simply don’t respect, the local way of doing things. We talked earlier a bit about defaults right well what’s worse.Than looking for the things that are default at home is carrying around a mindset of oh we don’t do it.
That way at home or oh that doesn’t apply to me having this mindset that America is just Superior friend. I want to urge you behave as if you’re an invited guest in someone else’s home. If you’ve ever been in a shoe off household and your host asks you to remove your shoes.
What kind of guest would you be. If you just said no not a very good one likewise makes an effort to respect. The local customs and the local people leave your arrogance at home. Don’t fall into that trap of constantly comparing things to the way.
They are at home it’s a Surefire way to miss out. Theodore Roosevelt a great American once said comparison is the thief of joy and making comparisons, or not respecting. Someone else’s culture or way of life is the exact kind of thing that. Can give American Travelers a bad reputation travel is such an incredible opportunity to grow grow as a human being.
It’s like accelerated personal development, if you allow it to be but you have to be open-minded and you need humility behave as. If you’re a guest in someone else’s home because that’s what this is
8. Packing Too Much – Tourist Mistakes
Another Tourist Mistakes i see Catch Travelers off guard is not realizing they may want to pack differently than on a typical domestic trip in the USA. I see many Travelers on their first trip to Europe bring a giant checked suitcase. There is almost no reason to bring a giant checked suitcase with you on a trip to Europe most people.
When they travel to Europe plan to hit multiple cities. And they’ll travel between those cities VIA Rail or bus or even inexpensive short Hall flights. The right bag for a European Adventure nine times out of 10 will be lightweight portable and easy for you to manage, one that. You’d be fine walking a mile with. If you had to one that you’d have no issue quickly stepping up onto a train with and that. You’re physically capable of managing over cobblestones up flights of stairs.
While you’re here first try to make carryon only happen if you can. You can do it I Believe in Your compression packing cubes help save space in your bag think about building a capsule wardrobe. Which is a collection of several multi-use pieces of clothing, that you can mix and match don’t bring too many pairs of shoes.
They take up a lot of space, if you do check a bag I would recommend putting an air tag in your luggage. Or something like it because, it will come in handy if your bag gets lost.
9. Talking Too Loud – Tourist Mistakes
Americans talk too loud why do Americans talk. So loud here’s the deal I grew up in a family of loud talkers. I would say that we are both Loud by American Standards. Americans in general are allowed by European standards I don’t know.
Why we do it there’s speculation about this. One theory is possibly because Americans are more concerned about their personal space. We’re used to being farther away from each other and so basically, we shout.
We talk I’m shouting right. Now this isn’t going to ruin your trip or anything. But if you hope not to stand out or you just want to be respectful. You may consider using your inside voice even when you’re outside maybe.
10. Packing Your Itinerary Too Full
The most American Tourist Mistakes on this list is to pack your itinerary way too full the way. I usually see this play out is trying to cover an entire country or even multiple countries, in just not enough time you end up cobbling a trip together.
That’s nothing but hitting the major capitals of several different countries and then you spend half of your daylight hours. While on that trip on a train or in an airport or behind, the windshield of a car. And I know there’s an achievement element to all of this right people share their country. Count like it’s a badge of honor. But did you really see those places or did you just spend one night. There we’re all time strapped and we all only have so many vacation days.
I get that but my preferred way of tackling this rather. Than trying to see an entire country or even multiple entire countries in one trip is to focus on one specific region of a country and go deep.
There I believe 10 days is actually a perfect amount of time to do this. Because you only have to take like one week off work.
