We understand it – first time travelers abroad feel too excited to embark on a wonderful adventure
that they sometimes make mistakes that may be costly or at times, life threatening. But if you know the
basic things to avoid, you can make the most of your vacation overseas. You will end up with pure
enjoyment and ditch the hassles.
It’s inevitable that you’ll make mistakes the first time you travel. This list of the most common ones we
observe from people vacationing in Inverness Scotland might help you avoid them when it’s your turn to
come here.
1. Overbooking Tours
When traveling abroad, to make the most of the expenses you used on your plane and hotel, and since
it’s not always that you can travel overseas, it’s normal for you to want to see everything there is to see.
But since it’s your first, you’d want to entrust everything to an agency who knows all the ins and outs of
the location.
It’s tempting, on that first daunting trip away, to get everything locked in – every hostel, every transfer,
every breakfast, lunch and dinner. That way you don’t have to worry about anything, right? But you’ll
soon come to realize that it pays to have some flexibility. Book in the big things, sure. But also leave
yourself space to change your itinerary and take opportunities as they present themselves.
2. Travel Agency All the Way
While it’s now easy for you to book an entire trip yourself over the internet, I can understand the wish
to have the safety net of a travel agent. But that doesn’t mean you have to use them for everything.
Book your flights, and maybe an accommodation package. But you’ll generally save money if you look
after everything else yourself.
3. Avoiding Locals
You can always spot the first-timers, hands subconsciously guarding their money belts, faces set to
“suspicion”, always trying to figure out what the scam is, who’s trying to rip them off. It’s hard when you
first start out to spot the crooks from the friendly locals, so plenty of people just mistrust everyone.
That’s a mistake though. The vast majority of locals aren’t out to get you. It can pay to trust them every
now and then – you’ll make a lot more friends.
4. Being scammed
Tourists can be scammed in different ways. The most common one, though, is in taxi fares. This is why
we always advise tourists to pre-book their rides with Inverness Taxis so they can be safe when it comes
to unfair taxi rates. Another way a rookie traveler can be scammed is booking overpriced
accommodation. Sometimes, agencies do the scamming so be sure to do your homework on finding a
credible agency to book with. If not, book directly with the right hotel staff.
5. Trying to see everything
We mentioned this in the first mistake. This is why the group tours are popular and think that that’s a
good thing. This is your big overseas trip and you want to see as much as possible – you want to tick as
many boxes as you physically can. But that’s a mistake. You have to trust that you’ll travel again. Instead
of trying to see everywhere at once, slow down, get to know one country, or maybe two, and your
appetite will be whetted for a lifetime of similar adventures.
6. Underestimating costs
First time travelers would rely on reviews and blogs they see online to get an idea on how much they
might be spending when they come here. Then they prepare just the exact amount.
But here’s the deal: everything is going to cost more than you think it will. From the flights you saw
advertised for “$600 return” to the beers you’ll buy in a bar somewhere on a boozy night out, everything
will be more expensive. You’ll spend twice as much as you’d planned. And that’s a conservative
estimate. Before you travel, save up more money. The only constant price we know is the taxi fare
declared to you when you booked in an Inverness taxi app.
7. Bringing along too many things
Don’t take a sleeping bag unless you’re actually going camping. They’re useless. Most hostels won’t even
let you use them. Don’t pack too many clothes. Remember, you’ll buy things while you travel. Don’t take
a huge first aid kit. You really just need a few necessities. Don’t take more than three pairs of shoes.
Don’t take more than two pairs of jeans. But do take soap. There are some budget hotels that don’t
supply it.
8. Shopping too much
Shopping will always be a part of any travel, whether it’s local or overseas. It’s tempting to walk into one
of the travel shops and just go bananas. You could spend thousands in there, picking up things like
special travel shirts with breathable material, compression sacks, wire mesh things to wrap around your
backpack, money belts, karabiners, or hiking shoes. But you don’t need any of it. Wear clothes you’re
comfortable wearing. And using a money belt is like carrying around a sign saying “rob me”.
9. Falling to the Panic
Like we mentioned, there’s always a possibility for things to go wrong. And that’s not because you’re a
rookie – things are always going to go wrong. That’s part of traveling. The mistake first-time travelers
make is letting it get to them. So your train didn’t turn up, or your hotel has lost your booking, or $50
has gone missing from your wallet. You’ll sort it out. Getting upset or freaking out is only going to make
it worse.
10. Neglecting travel insurance
You might think it’s just and extra expense when you ride a plane or book a tour but you definitely need
insurance. Even if you’re just planning to lie around in a resort for a week, be sure to avail the insurance.
If you’re in an accident, or you get sick, or your bags go missing, or any one of a million other mishaps
occur while you’re travelling, the travel insurance added to your expense as you ride a plane or book
tours will be extremely helpful, given that the amount of the insurance is just small.
Final Thoughts
Traveling overseas for the first time shouldn’t be plagued with mistakes that can ruin your supposedly
wonderful experience. Research and be prepared for possible mishaps.
Avoid the mistake of getting scammed as you go on your ultimate Inverness vacation by pre booking
with us at Inverness Taxis. With a booking portal, you can feel confident that we’re giving you the right
rate according to the city council’s approved rate.