Top 5 Travel Mistakes to Avoid in 2024

There are numerous travel mistakes to avoid in 2024, especially if you’re traveling abroad. Whether you’re spending Christmas in an Asian tropical paradise or celebrating your wedding anniversary in Paris, you must avoid these mistakes that can ruin your trip.

Terrible heatwaves, air traffic control meltdowns, and sky-high prices will not get in the way of your travel goals next year. However, you must avoid travel mistakes such as deals with unscrupulous online agencies, rogue car hire companies, and scammers. Here are the top five tips to avoid travel melancholy in 2024.

1. Evade the scammers

Some deals are too good to be true. One of the travel mistakes to avoid is handing over personal details to online agencies you’ve never transacted with before. Always check website URLs and online reviews to avoid being scammed over an initially enticing accommodation booking, flight, and other deals. This is to ensure you’re on a company’s official site and not in a fraud’s hands before you seal a deceitful deal.

2. Leave the conventional city breaks

2024 will be the year of destination duplications. Hotel prices in several European hotspots were ridiculously high last summer, bolstered by pent-up purchasing power (especially from the Americans and the strong dollar). This year, it is unlikely that prices will get cheaper anytime soon. This year, swap cities you want to visit with their more affordable counterparts. For example, avoid big cities like Venice and visit smaller yet just as enticing cities like Valencia.

3. Always book direct

Some of the common travel mistakes to avoid are fully trusting and using prominent online travel agencies (OTAs). This is understandable as everyone wants to snag what seems to be the best accommodation booking or flight.

However, you might spend more and go through unnecessary hassle if you’re not wary. Check prices directly with the hotel or airline website before grabbing these deals. Some hotels will often throw in a free breakfast or wi-fi, or if you’re really lucky, a room upgrade, even!

4. Don’t get swindled on luggage

Don’t assume that tacking on baggage prices to a cheap fare is a good solution if you cannot pack light. Some basic fares are good if you only take a small backpack capable of fitting under your seat. Chances are; however, they’ll turn out to be unbelievably expensive if you’d like to add a hold bag. For example, Malaysian Airlines’ economy lite fare is inclusive of 7kg hand luggage. The catch is, you’d have to pay exorbitant excess luggage prices if you add hold bags.

5. Make travel insurance a priority

The best example of some travel mistakes to avoid is presuming that travel insurance is unnecessary. You do not want to crowdfund for an air ambulance back to the UK or pay hefty hospital costs after a terrible accident.

Buy travel insurance immediately when you book your trip. This way, you have cancellation cover should you be sick on the date and can’t go. This cover will begin as you pay for single–trip cover, yet you must specify a start date for yearly policies.

Don’t be tempted to acquire the cheapest policy as they have higher excesses to pay most often.

Always remember these travel mistakes to avoid in 2024 as you travel to different destinations around the globe. They’ll help you save money while keeping you worry-free as you set out on new adventures.