Here are nine common
holiday mistakes and how to avoid them
1. Passport,
Tickets, Money? Don’t laugh.
Hundreds get turned away from check-ins
every year due to forgotten travel documents
or visas. Avoid last-minute panic packing
and run through a check-list of essentials
well before your airport taxi is due.
2. Room in your
suitcase for 14 changes of swimwear but no
sun block? The sunburned red raw
holidaymaker remains Britain’s gift to the
holiday faux pas world. Sun products are
best bought in advance as they are often
more expensive abroad and supplies in
isolated resorts and developing countries
can be limited or out of date.
3. Travelling
independently? Don’t get left
behind. Always remember to book your return
ticket home, before you take off into the
great blue yonder. You may think you’ve got
plenty of spare cash to book as you go, but
you’d be surprised quite how much you can
spend on raffia donkeys and tribal rugs. And
you won’t be quite so proud of your
purchases when you’re stowed away or working
your passage back to Blighty…
4. Never leave
home without a decent map. National
borders are slippery things, countries have
an uncanny knack of changing identity and
even famous cities crop up in more than one
location. After all, you don’t want to end
up on the Polish border wailing “I’m in the
wrong Frankfurt!”
5. Keep your
clothes on: Strap lines may spoil
your holiday snaps, but no photo is less
appealing than a prison mugshot. Nudity
remains a no-no on most public beaches,
whilst going topless is still illegal in
many places from the beaches of Goa to
Florida. Check with your travel agent.
6. Making your
cruise debut? Check you’ve got your
sea legs with a short day or weekend trip
before booking a lengthy dream cruise.
Sadly, the only ocean view some first timers
get is the patch of water over the side of
the ship’s hull.
7. Plenty of
Bottle: Drink and brush your teeth
with bottled water not tap water to avoid
tummy upsets. After three days of your
holiday spent constantly on the loo, the
memory of being spectacularly ill all over
that nice couple from Rhyl might start to
gripe. Don’t penny pinch – buy bottled water
to drink and brush your teeth with.
8. When in Rome:
Whether you’re wearing leather in India or
using your left hand in Egypt, it’s all too
easy to upset the local customs of a country
you’re visiting. Even subtle gestures can
have far-reaching implications. Direct eye
contact can be seen as aggressive in Latin
America, while in the Far East, a smile can
be used to cover up embarrassment or anger.
Be sensitive to subtle gestures and, when in
doubt, keep your hands to yourself.
9. Follow
Tradition: Take other countries’
religions as seriously as they do. Always
pack something to cover exposed limbs and
check with your travel rep about local
customs at churches, temples and shrines.
