Being able to travel is a beautiful privilege, not everyone can experience. When we think of traveling and adventuring around the globe, unforgettable memories cross our minds. But, just as anything else in life, traveling too has its ‘’not so fun’’ side. We did a bit of research to see what the most common things that usually go wrong when traveling and then we realized; that most of these happened to us too. Read below what to do and how to deal when things go wrong.
MISSED DEPARTURE
One of the most common things that could go wrong when traveling is missing your departure; whether it be train, flight, bus, or ferry. Being a responsible adult means getting yourself travel insurance before leaving your country. You should most definitely ask for insurance that doesn’t just cover a few medical bills but rather your tickets, technology, valuable items, and other unpredictable possibilities. If you miss your departure through no fault of your own (deadlock on the road, weather conditions, transport difficulties, etc.) your insurance policy should cover your extra expenses. Just don’t forget to keep the receipts!
LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS
The second most common thing when traveling is flight cancellation. The risk is that once we bought the ticket we don’t usually bother to expect another email from our airline. But so it happens when we are least expecting, we receive that fancy email saying something like ‘’Your flight has been canceled. Please contact for more. Thank you.’’ If you’re lucky enough you will receive it and read it within a few days, but if you are like most people then you’ll find out about it while waiting in the line to do your check-in. It’s good to know your rights and even without travel insurance, your flight operator is liable to cover your expenses (such as hotel, food, etc.) until you are finally able to board another flight. Again, make sure to keep those receipts!
LOST LUGGAGE
You are patiently waiting in front of the conveyor belt at the airport. Minutes have passed, ten, twenty, thirty… There are only a few suitcases left and still no sight of your own. Little doors have closed and the belt has stopped. Here comes the panic attack! Before you start yelling ‘’Where is my damn suitcase?’’ take a deep breath and go straight to the reception desk. Chances are airport staff have either dropped it in the process of transporting it from the plane to the conveyor belt or unfortunately, it wasn’t even loaded on your plane. But don’t panic! The airlines have ways of tracking down your bag and the vast majority of missing luggage is eventually returned. If your suitcase is on the next flight it could take a few hours. However, if it has been sent to a different destination you won’t have it for the next couple of days. Now that is frustrating!
PASSPORT HEART ATTACK
If you thought losing your luggage would give you a heart attack, try losing your passport! We don’t even have to tell you the importance of keeping your documents on sight 24 hours a day. Even thinking of losing them gives us cold chills. The best advice to ease the pain is to have your documents scanned and printed or uploaded on your iCloud where you can easily reach it. Keep your printed copies in both suitcase and hand luggage. Having extra copies means taking way less time for embassy officials to arrange a replacement for your passport and less frustration on your side in the process.
PICKPOCKETING
Though it sounds relatively harmless, pickpocketing is a thriving business. Big and overcrowded cities are like mecca for muggers. Be careful when traveling, especially when commuting on public transport or walking through touristy hot spots and large crowds. Watching an entertainer let’s say, can easily preoccupy your attention, and in the blink of an eye; your wallet is long gone. Though you can claim your lost belongings with your travel policy, the best way to avoid it from happening at all is to keep your bag over your solder and in front of you at all times without leaving the zips on your bag undone. Sounds silly, but a single careless moment is good enough for an experienced mugger.
SMALL FRACTURES AND FOOD POISONING
According to the recent travel research, the most common hospital admissions when traveling are due to the food poisoning and small fractures. Thinking ‘’it won’t happen to me’’ is normal and although we truly hope that you’re right, it’s best to always be prepared. Here comes the famous travel insurance again! Medical bills can cost a small fortune and your policy should cover most of the expenses if not all of them. Fingers crossed you come back home safe and without a missing limb.
Don’t forget that adventuring around the globe means letting go of control since traveling truly is unpredictable. That is the risk you are willing to take, but also the beauty and the real reason why we travel in the first place. Unknown and unpredictable more often than not create long lasting memories and give us that feeling we can’t really describe.
P.s. we really hope that things listed above will be something you just read in a random blog post while sitting on the couch, drinking coffee.
