If you’re planning international travel, you need to hear this story. On my first trip to Italy, I made so many travel blunders! I’m sharing what happened and most importantly, how you can avoid them. I want you to have a fantastic experience on your journey, and not make dumb travel mistakes! Learn invaluable tips for your trip abroad…
Have you heard this quote?
“Hope for the best but prepare for the worst”
Great advice, great quote… It makes me wish I would’ve ACTUALLY LISTENED to those words of wisdom!
What ended up happening instead (on my first trip to Italy) was a series of dumb mistakes. And in hindsight, I could have easily avoided most of them.
International travel can be an amazing and exhilarating experience. But please, whatever you do, don’t make the mistakes I did!
How It All Began
My fiance and I had dreamed of a honeymoon in Italy. It had been on my bucket list for years. I was SO EXCITED once we made the decision to go for it!
I began planning everything, dreaming of all the fun things we would do… all the great food…
Never in your mind when you’re imagining a once-in-a-lifetime trip do you picture a disastrous outcome. We never think bad things will happen to us.
That was mistake #1.
So we blissfully got our passports, booked flights, found hotels, and started making arrangements. As the date got closer and closer we couldn’t wait to get there! It was gonna be the trip of a lifetime. Finally, after months of planning and anticipation, we arrived at LAX to board our flight for Rome.
And then reality set in…
Be Prepared For Delays
Our initial flight from Los Angeles to London ended up being super delayed due to construction at the LAX airport that we weren’t aware of. That caused a domino effect and we missed our connecting flight from London to Rome.
It was so frustrating to be sitting in the airport terminal, seeing our departure time getting more and more pushed back. And feeling unsure of how this delay would impact the rest of our trip. I’m a worrier, so I was just stressing out over everything.
Our time of arrival got pushed back by several hours. It was irritating because that meant we would get to Rome much later, after midnight. Which (as you’ll soon hear about) caused us other problems.
LESSON LEARNED: Stay calm and roll with the punches because it’s partly out of your control and getting upset doesn’t change the situation. (Here’s a quick read about Travel Anxiety And 5 Strategies To Let Go Of Stress)
AVOID THIS ON YOUR TRIP: There are a few things you can control that will minimize the chance of this happening to you. Booking a nonstop flight, flying in the morning (instead of afternoon or evening) and avoiding busy travel periods are all good rules of thumb.
Pack Smart
Once we finally got to Rome, it was a relief to know we made it. We were so pumped to finally be in Italy! The plan was to get our bags and walk to our hotel (which was less than a half -mile from the airport).
At baggage claim we waited. And waited. And waited…
Our bags were nowhere to be seen. So now I’m panicking because we have barely anything in our carry-on bags. No spare clothes, minimal toiletries. We packed light because we were lugging around my wedding dress and didn’t want to be weighed down. Such a bad decision.
The airline told us our bags were stuck in London and it would be a few days before we would have them.
A FEW DAYS?!?! This was turning into such a disaster.
So we had no choice but to head to our hotel with only the clothes on our back. I felt so mad at myself for not being smarter about what I brought with me on the plane! I was naive to think I didn’t need to plan for the worst.
LESSON LEARNED: Be smart and bring essentials with you in your carry-on bag. Better safe than sorry! (Read more about What To Pack and The Genius Method You Need To Try)
AVOID THIS ON YOUR TRIP: Most airlines allow you one carry-on bag and one personal bag. Take advantage of this and pack a spare outfit or two, medicine, toiletries, and other important items in your carry-on bag. It’s slightly more to drag through the airport, but the alternative (stuck with nothing for a few days and have to buy tons of stuff) is much worse.
Read The Fine Print
So the story continues, and we walk (in the rain) to our nearby hotel.
At this point, we’re just exhausted after 18 hours of travel. We find the hotel, which isn’t easy because, in Italy, their hotels aren’t large and easy to find like a Marriott with a large, lit-up sign. They blend in with the surrounding buildings, especially in a city.
We finally found it, with help from GPS, and knocked on the door.
No answer….
Knocked again, and again. No luck.
You can imagine the desperation. Here we are, exhausted, soaked from the rain and angry that we can’t even get into the hotel that’s already paid for. We’re stuck standing in a cold, dark hallway of a random building and thinking that we might have to crash here for the night.
I should’ve read the fine print. I would’ve known that in Italy, most hotel lobbies aren’t open 24/7. You have to contact them ahead of time and arrange for them to let you in. It was a dumb oversight that caused us a ton of frustration and got our trip off on the wrong foot.
LESSON LEARNED: Read the fine print! Don’t assume that things work the same way in a different country. International travel = different policies and procedures. (Learn more about First Steps To Plan A Trip Abroad)
AVOID THIS ON YOUR TRIP: Take the time to do your research on hotel/Airbnb policies and procedures. Be prepared! Actually read the full information you’re given, whether you book directly or use a third-party like booking.com.
Don’t Be Cheap
We’re at the hotel but can’t get in. So we pull out our phones to find a phone number for the hotel, and one for the booking site we used. And then we remember that we didn’t want to pay the pricey international phone plan.. Ugh.
So we can technically use our phones, but now it’s going to cost us a lot more because it’s not part of our plan. We’ll be charged by the minute.
We debated looking for a new hotel to spend the night in, but we’re in a foreign city we’ve never been to, and could barely find this hotel. We bite the bullet and just go for it. We really have no choice at this point.
LESSON LEARNED: It’s critical, especially when traveling internationally, to have a means of communication. No phone data means it’s incredibly hard to make an emergency call or look up important travel information. If you don’t have access to wifi, you’re stuck.
AVOID THIS ON YOUR TRIP: Some things are worth the money for your peace of mind. Check into travel insurance and international phone plans so you have a lifeline if things don’t go as planned.
Enjoy The Ride
Luckily this story has a happy ending.
We did end up getting into our hotel (phew!) and overall we had a great trip and learned what not to do. We experienced a few hiccups (it was indeed three days without our bags), but overall the trip was amazing and we had a blast.
No trip will be perfect, and you just have to embrace both the good and the bad. Take those travel blunders and look at it as a learning for next time. Don’t let it ruin your trip!
The lessons we learned from our trip abroad will help us be so much more prepared for our next trip. And we have an epic and crazy travel story that we’ll never forget.
International Travel Mistakes
This story was somewhat embarrassing to share, but I truly hope it will help you avoid the pitfalls and mistakes we made. It’s really all about hoping for the best (but preparing for the worst!).
And even if the worst-case scenario does happen, don’t let it get you down – be resilient.
You can bounce back from just about anything with the right mindset. Don’t let this story about our international travel blunders scare you off. I have no doubt that your trip abroad will be a great memory you’ll look back on for years to come. You expanded your horizons and took a great leap to explore all the beauty the world has to offer. Enjoy the journey!
Here are a few other resources I would recommend as you’re planning international travel:
- Keeping Your Sanity on Long Flights
- How To Travel Cheap: Secret Strategies To Spend Less and Do More
- What’s Your Travel Style? 12 Chic Finds Every Woman Needs
