Common travel mistakes and how to avoid them

Insurance Insights | July 6, 2017

Common travel mistakes and how to avoid them

Travel mistakes can be costly and while it’s good to learn from your mistakes, it’s best to avoid them altogether. Although we cannot predict unexpected events like extreme weather or rapid political changes, there are many mistakes of our own doing that we can easily avoid with a little extra preparation.Read on to find TSG’s top tips for avoiding common travel mistakes.1. Don’t get hung up on priceIt helps to think of the phrase “you get what you pay for.” Many people insist on finding the cheapest insurance possible. They are not satisfied until they shop around and find the lowest rates. However, this is counterproductive because you may not be meeting your needs by simply reaching for the lowest rate.Yes, you should compare rates and instruct your broker to find a cost effective solution, but this must not come at the expense of coverage. If you have an emergency on vacation and your policy does not cover you, it won’t matter how much you originally saved on the premium.Find out your risks and exposures and obtain coverage that is up to the task when the occasion calls for it as opposed to saving a few bucks.2. Check the expiry dates on your documentsDon’t make travel plans with expired or close to expiry documents such as your passport. Instead, renew documents as needed before planning travel to avoid disruptions to your trip.Another reason to keep your documents fresh is that some countries require your passport to be valid for a set period of time after arrival. Imagine being turned away at your vacation destination because of an expired passport. Worst of all? Your travel insurance may not cover costs incurred for being refused entry.Moreover, some travel insurance policies may be void if your passport is expired; others may not cover expenses during your trip because of this.3. Be mindful of phone use overseasSmartphones, tablets and other mobile devices provide us with extreme convenience and meet many of our daily needs. They can be indispensable, but there’s so such thing as free lunch as we have to pay for data use and other goodies.On vacation, this translates into benefits such as locating restaurants and wayfinding, but data can be eye-wateringly expensive overseas, especially if you lack an international plan. Some people can simply leave their devices at home, but for many, this isn’t an option.If this applies to you, don’t fret, because there are many solutions to this problem. You can get a temporary overseas plan, avoid data use entirely and stick with free WiFi, or buy a local SIM card to temporarily replace your default card.Finally, consider buying (or renting) a prepaid phone for your travels.4. Pack smartPlan ahead and try to predict exactly the items you will need on vacation. By the same token, consider each item carefully and whether you’ll really need it. Make sure to factor in the unique demands and challenges of your destination into your packing needs. For example, don’t pack short sleeve shirts if your destination has many mosquitoes or bugs.Travelling lightly also reduces your baggage fees and you stand to lose fewer items if you lose or damage your baggage. Check your airline’s baggage guidelines and measure your bags to avoid costly handling fees and other surprises.What do your vacation preparations look like? Comment below or tweet us @TheShepherdGroup