16 Things Not To Do When You Travel

Ready to go for that highly anticipated trip? Here are the things not to do when you travel that will make you a smart traveler.

Often when we plan to go on a trip, all we look out for are the things to do while we travel.

It is no surprise that most articles you’ll find on the internet are about things to do to stay safe while traveling, things to do before traveling abroad, things to do to pack light, and things to do in that particular country.

It is so hard to find articles about the things not to do when you travel yet they are equally important.

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So today, I am jumping out of the norm and focusing on what not to do while traveling.

Even though some of these things might seem obvious, they are actually not and a little knowledge about them won’t hurt.

Things you should never do while traveling

1. Do not exchange money at the airports

I thought this was a known thing until I saw almost all forex exchange offices at the airport full.

Yes, I know they are also in business to make money but as a budget traveler, your goal is to cut down all unnecessary expenses.

Exchange rates are incredibly crazy at airports since they assume you’ll need money as soon as you land in a new country.

So the best way to beat this is to exchange money before you leave your country or wait until you reach the nearest city center to get the best rates.

2. Do not eat at restaurants near famous tourist places

I kind of learned this the hard way! Sometimes the stomach never understands that restaurants at major tourist sites are abnormally expensive but your wallet will later testify.

On my trip to Egypt, after a very fun but exhausting tour of the Giza pyramids, all I wanted was to eat regardless of what I ate or from where.

So I hopped into the first restaurant I could see which was just outside the Giza pyramids gate.

At that time I didn’t even realize that the food was expensive since I didn’t know the real price until I went back to Cairo center and realized that the meal fee was almost 3x higher at the pyramids and less tasty.

So the lesson is not to never eat at restaurants near famous tourist places unless you can’t contain it. It’s better to go to the nearest town/street where the food is cheaper and probably tastier.

Eating at restaurants near famous landmarks is one of the things not to do when you travel

3. Do not think that you know better than anyone else

Sometimes some tourists want to act like they know better than anyone else including the locals just because they think they made extensive research on the internet before their trip.

In most cases, the best thing to do is to lay low, ask questions, and learn instead of acting like you know everything.

Even if you think you know everything, I bet there is something new you’ll learn by just being humble.

4. Do not overstay on your phone

I admit I am like a phone junkie addicted to her phone! But when I travel, I try to minimize the number of times I am on my phone to enjoy the place I am at. ( There is still more work to be done about this though).

I know we all want to stay connected to the world when we travel but how about putting the phone down for a second, socializing with the locals or other travelers, getting out and doing fun activities instead of being hooked onto the phone?

You will have plenty of time to do that when you go back to your home country or hotel.

while you travel, do not over stay on your phone.

5. Do not be afraid to try out new foods

In my opinion, after visiting some of those cool tourist places, the next best thing to do is try out local foods.

Don’t let the fear of getting sick or food poisoning stop you from trying out new foods that might actually turn out to be your favorite — well unless you’re allergic to something in particular.

6. Do not use sign language that might be considered inappropriate in that country

Sometimes having a bad experience in a particular country can start from something as small as using a sign language considered inappropriate in that area.

However innocent sign language might seem to you or back in your country, it might have a completely different meaning that might even be offensive in another country.

So before you travel abroad, find out some of the sign languages deemed offensive in that country or if possible just stay away from using sign languages.

7. Do not dress inappropriately

Many times tourists have this idea of “they will understand that I am a tourist and they won’t care.”

Even though in some places you might get that “tourist pass”, in some places you might end up creating unwanted attention for yourself or even catcalling if it’s just too much.

So do not dress inappropriately while you travel. The dress code differs from country to country, so research what is appropriate for that particular country because what’s considered appropriate for one country might not be for the other.

Related post: Games to play on a long road trip

8. Do not compromise your safety for adventure

Sometimes travelers go overboard for adventure not taking into account their personal safety.

The idea of getting the perfect photos and ticking items off the bucket list is drawing more tourists to the adventure side first instead of safety.

So however much you want to have the best time of your life, do not compromise your safety. Read this post to find out how you can stay safe while traveling.

On top of that, you can also carry an anti-theft backpack to ensure the safety of your travel items. This anti-theft backpack is not only secure but also water-resistant to safeguard your essentials against rain.

Related post: Camping Tricks and hacks you should know

9. Do not pack a lot of stuff

One of the things you should never do while traveling is packing too much stuff.

I think I am never going to stop advising travelers not to pack a lot. Packing too much stuff isn’t just inconveniencing while using public transport but it can also turn out to be costly in paying extra fees for your luggage at the airport.

So try not to pack a lot of things, just pack what you will need and not what you think you might need.

The best way to help you pack light is by using packing cubes. These packing cubes from Amazon are the ones I recommend buying.

You can also purchase a travel luggage scale to help you ensure you don’t exceed a certain weight while packing.

You don’t need to buy something fancy, even this cheap one from Amazon will do the job perfectly well

Need more tips to pack light? Read this great article to find out how to pack light while traveling.

do not pack a lot of things while traveling

Nevertheless, packing light doesn’t mean leaving behind the most important Travel items. Here are some of the things you should never leave home while traveling.

Travel Essentials you should never leave home.

– A universal travel adapter: Since different countries use different adapters, I’d advise you to buy one universal travel adapter to cater for all regions. You can buy one from here if you don’t have it yet.

– A Power Bank: One of the things you should never leave behind while traveling is the Power Bank! Phones have now become a great deal of our lives we need to use them for so many important things. So take a power bank with you so that you don’t run out of battery.

This power bank is small, light, and has the capability to charge your phone and other devices multiple times.

– Microfibre travel towel – I always opt for this microfibre travel towel because it is super lightweight, easy to wash, and dries easily.

– First Aid kit: Regardless of where you’re traveling to, you’ll need to pack a First Aid kit for emergencies that might arise while traveling.

Remember it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Just make sure that the one you pack has all the essentials and that it is small and light enough to fit in any kind of suitcase/ backpack.

This first aid kit actually fits all the qualities mentioned above plus it is really cheap for what it offers.

– Collapsible water bottle: I always prefer carrying a water bottle while traveling so that I can just refill it when I run out of water. It also helps be a responsible traveler since you won’t have to use tons of disposable plastic bottles which are not great for our environment.

Any water bottle can work but I prefer this collapsible one as it doesn’t take up a lot of space in my bag.

10. Do not be afraid to shift a little away from your itinerary

I agree that having a well-written itinerary will keep you organized but sometimes being spontaneous to enjoy the moment can be much better and more fun.

Personally, I am not an organized junkie or perfectionist when it comes to planning, I just go with the flow.

And the cases where I was spontaneous, that was when I had the best time while traveling.

So even if you’re a perfectionist planner, do not be afraid to be spontaneous, you might just have the experience of a lifetime by letting loose.

11. Do not try to see everything

Traveling should be a fun thing to do as you enjoy the attraction sites in-depth not racing from one place to another just to tick them off your bucket list.

You should try to enjoy and have a great experience not get burned out doing so many things at the same time.

The best way to do this is to be realistic about the time and money you have and what is achievable with that.

12. Do not expect everything to go your way

I don’t mean to scare you but a little preparedness can help you here.

Sometimes the unforeseen can happen. You might get pickpocketed (I really hope it doesn’t happen), it might rain heavily and you’ll need to cancel the activity planned out for the day or your flight might even get canceled.

When traveling, such things should be expected but this shouldn’t stop you from having an amazing trip. Just dust yourself up and go have an adventure of a lifetime.

Also, be flexible in that if one activity is undoable due to things like weather, have something else lined up so that you don’t kill the entire day sleeping and sobbing about something that didn’t work out as planned.

To prepare for unseen situations while traveling, I make sure I buy Travel Insurance beforehand and the travel Insurance I recommend to all travelers is WorldNomads.

You can easily request a quote online and the claiming process is easily fair compared to other travel Insurances.

13. Do not expect to use your credit /debit card everywhere

You will be so much disappointed if you travel thinking that you’ll be using a credit card for all your transactions.

Yes, in some places like Europe, this could be possible but if you’re traveling to places like Africa or even some parts of Europe, and Asia, having cash on you all the time will make your travels easier.

don't expect to use your credit card everywhere

14. Do not get involved in politics

For the love of God! Stay away from politics. People have different ideologies when it comes to politics and the way they react to it is a totally different story.

So instead of getting caught in the middle of the entire story, just ignore politics-related conversations unless you’re completely sure that it’s ok to talk about it in that country and that the person you’re talking with is open-minded.

Related post: General tips for travelers

15. Do not forget to be street-smart

Frequent travelers know that the best way to have an amazing trip is to be street-smart.

Street theft and tourist traps are very common in major cities around the world and the only way to not be a victim is by being a smart traveler.

Bargain as much as possible not to get ripped off just because you’re a tourist, wear your daypack from the front to avoid pickpockets, and read about general tourist scams to be aware of them before you travel.

All in all, don’t forget to be street-smart as you enjoy your travels. And if you can, buy an anti-theft backpack instead of the normal one to keep your essentials safe.

16. Do not discuss issues of race, gender, and minorities

One of the other things you should not do while traveling is discuss issues of race, gender, and minorities.

In some places like the US, these issues are as serious as politics and religion.

So before you make yourself comfortable and start talking about such topics, be aware of whom you’re talking with. Are they ok talking about such things or they’ll be offended by them?

It all goes back to knowing the person you’re talking to and whether such topics are ok to be discussed in that country.

The best way to handle this is to first ask the person whether it’s ok for them instead of jumping right in because you want to keep the conversation going.

Final Thoughts on What Not to Do While Traveling

Now that you know all the things not to do when you travel, it’s time to head out for an amazing adventure on the road.

And if this post was really helpful to you, consider sharing it with others so that they also get the valuable information you got.

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16 Things not to do when you travel