Mistakes are bound to happen whenever you travel. Every trip teaches me something new so here are a few mistakes I have made over the years and how best to avoid them.
1. Underestimating Travel Time
Just because two attractions look close on a map doesn’t mean they’re a quick trip apart.
In cities like Tokyo, getting from one destination to another often involves walking to the station, navigating transfers, waiting for trains, and then walking again once you arrive. One lesson I learned the hard way was during a trip to Bali in 2023. I scheduled a ferry departure just two hours after my flight landed, thinking we’d have plenty of time. Unfortunately, immigration took nearly an hour and a half, and by the time we collected our luggage and made it to the ferry terminal, we had already missed our departure. We ended up having to rebook our ferry which just added unnecessary stress and expense to the start of our trip.
2. Booking Attractions Too Close Together
On multiple occasions, I have made the mistake of scheduling attractions back-to-back. On paper, it looked efficient. In reality, any delay (whether transportation, longer-than-expected visits, or simply wanting to stop for food) threw off the rest of the day. Travel shouldn’t feel like racing from one reservation to the next. You should be able to relax and appreciate the sites without worrying about the next attraction. One thing I’ve started doing is limiting myself to one (or at most two) timed attractions each day. The rest of my itinerary stays flexible, so if I stumble upon a cool spot, spend longer at a museum, or run into transportation delays, I don’t have to worry about rushing to my next reservation.
3. Trying to See Everything
When visiting a new destination, it’s tempting to squeeze every attraction into your itinerary. I’ve learned that checking every box often means rushing through experiences instead of actually enjoying them. Some of my favorite travel memories have come from wandering a neighborhood or stumbling upon places that weren’t even on my itinerary. Be okay with NOT visiting every popular attraction a city/town has to offer. One strategy that I use is intentionally leaving one day on my itinerary mostly open. I call it my “flex day”. It gives me the freedom to explore an area I unexpectedly discovered, or fit in any attractions I didn’t have time for earlier in the trip. Having that extra flexibility makes the entire itinerary feel much less rushed.
4. Waiting Until I Landed to Set Up an eSIM
On one trip, I waited until after landing to purchase and activate an eSIM and that was a pain in the ***. While airport Wi-Fi helped, it added unnecessary stress and wasted time that could have been avoided. Having internet access as soon as you arrive can make a huge difference especially when communicating with personal drivers, Uber’s, or trying to figure out public transportation. Since the internet is more predictable at home, it is better that you install the eSIM before you leave your home country. Then upon arrival, activate the SIM (which typically doesn’t require internet access).
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll share a few more lessons I’ve learned the hard way.
