Things Not to Do When Traveling
Time and time again you hear tips on what you should do when traveling, but what about the things that you should avoid when traveling?
Read on to learn what you should not do when traveling internationally to save yourself some time and headaches. It's better to prevent these situations than to deal with the consequences later on.
Don't Get Transport When You Know It Will Be a Struggle
Let’s give an example: My bus from Milan to Lyon was at 7:30 AM, it required me to wake up at 5 AM, and I knew it would be a struggle after a late night out. I woke up at 6 AM and missed that bus. That one extra hour of time would have allowed me to catch my bus, and prevent a multitude of the problems I encountered later.
Give yourself more than enough time when you are taking public transportation or have strict arrival times, such as taking a bus or taxi to the airport. Cutting your time short will only cause problems, while giving yourself more than enough time will prevent stress.
If you know you will have a problem waking up, consider getting transportation at a later time. Otherwise you might miss it, and that will cost you money to buy a new ticket.
Don't Just Bring a Credit Card
The same day I missed my bus, I found I should always carry cash. To get to that bus, I needed to take the Metro first. And of course, you need to buy a ticket to ride the metro in Milan. Turns out that my credit card wasn’t working when I needed to buy a ticket.
This is just one of many examples of why you should always carry a bit of cash when traveling. You may need money for a ticket to ride the train or bus. You could need a tip for the man who helped you carry all five of your suitcases to your hotel room. Or, that street food cart just looks particularly delicious.
Carrying cash, especially for emergencies, is always wise. Don’t just bring your credit or debit cards when traveling.
Don't Forget to Organize Yourself
On the way to the metro, I realized that I will need a passport. I didn’t organize myself and had to stop walking to the metro to find it in my already packed backpack. This is just one more thing that slowed me down.
Make sure you have everything that you need in an easy-to-access spot before you are tearing your backpack apart. Especially travel documents like your passport.
Additionally, make sure you know exactly how to get where you are going. I did not know that there were two different metro directions on the M1 metro in Milan. Both go the same way, but then they split. I took the wrong one which further contributed to missing my bus.
Don't Forget to Charge Your Device
If you store your trip information in your smartphone, you can't stay organized if your phone is not charged. And most importantly, if you store your tickets there, you will be in trouble.
Smartphone batteries have a bad reputation for a reason━they suck. That’s why you should always carry a portable charger with you. Some means of transportation do provide sockets, but don’t rely on that. Most trains or buses don’t, and not all of the ones that do provide sockets work.
Zendure provides choices that will suit all of your needs. The A1 Portable Charger and A2 Portable Battery are perfect for day trips. These portable batteries will keep your smartphone powered all day long on just one charge.
The A5 Portable Charger and A8 QC Power Bank are perfect for the longer trips when your devices require more power. The Zendure A8 QC comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Technology for faster charging, so you don’t have to wait for your phone to power up.
Do Not Dare to Leave Without Internet Data
In this age of technology, our phones are our maps, our safety, our transport, and our tickets. To download your tickets, view your maps and call for help if need it, require access to the internet or cellular data.
When you are planning a trip or arrive at your destination. Be sure to buy an international data plan or internet package.
Do Have Fun Traveling, Don’t Travel Unprepared
Take it from someone who has messed up while traveling before: take care of these things before you travel as they are absolute essentials. Travel will be hard if you don't take care of these items before you leave.
Written by Michael Smolski.