Easy Tips to Avoid Nasty Surprises When Traveling

I’m a trusting soul. I worry very little about being cheated, am not paranoid, and think people are honest most of the time. But occasionally I read about things that make me think I totally need to approach life with a CYA mentality! Here are a few easy ways you can avoid nasty surprises when traveling.

Rental Cars

You know that duplicate form they hand you to document all flaws in a rental vehicle? Turn it in, but also make sure you take a video of the entire car at the time of rental. The video will be date and time-stamped to prove that pre-existing damage is not yours. Include a shot of the dashboard showing the mileage and gas level. You should also include a shot of the rental car location as well as any employees you can capture.

But don’t stop here. When you return the vehicle, do it again! Video the entire car, the place you returned it, and any employees you can capture. If there’s ever a question, you have video proof of the condition of the car and when you returned it. This will definitely help you avoid nasty surprises of being accused of car theft or damage when traveling! You can also take a photo of the gas receipt you used to fill up the car before the return in case you are charge a refilling fee.

Luggage

The summer of 2022 was the season of lost luggage. I even carried my luggage on the plane to Denmark because of worry of losing it! I’m over that – I’m definitely checking luggage for my next few trips.

But I will do this. Take a video of the contents of your checked bag. Airlines must compensate you for the value of what’s in your lost bag. A video can help you create a list and also prove what was lost. Make sure to capture brand names. If you have electronics packed, turn them on in the video to prove they work. Take a video of everything individually and then of your final packed suitcase.

Cell Phones

Another thing to consider to avoid surprises when traveling is your cell phone addiction. Many have been shocked after receiving a huge cell phone bill after a fabulous trip! You must know what your cell phone plan covers when you travel, particularly when traveling abroad.

Most cell phone carriers have some sort of international data plan option you can add to your existing plan. Make sure you know what your plan offers, that you have signed up for it, and that you understand how it works before leaving the country.

There are many ways to stay connected while traveling abroad, but they can get complicated. I promised this post to have easy tips to avoid nasty surprises while traveling! But there is one very easy thing you can do to avoid a huge cell phone bill while traveling abroad. Simply put your phone in airplane mode and leave it there the entire time. You can still turn on Wi-Fi and connect to it when it is available. But staying on airplane mode will prevent you from inadvertently using data and racking up a huge bill.

Credit Cards

Sometimes your credit or debit card will be declined when you travel. This can be simply a nuisance, but sometimes it can be extremely problematic. There are two simple things you can do to avoid this nasty surprise.

First, notify the bank of the cards you plan to use of your plans. Include all possible destinations, including the location of any flight layovers. Most banks have a form on their website that you can fill out. Or you can just call the number on the back of the card. One caveat is that some banks don’t allow you to notify them of travel plans in advance. My recommendation is to make the attempt anyway, especially if you are not traveling with a cell phone plan that will allow you to get real-time alerts from your credit card company.

The second easy thing to do is to take more than one card with you. Then if one gets declined, you have a back up. I like to travel with two credit cards and two ATM (debit) cards. I usually leave one credit card and one debit card in the hotel safe and carry the others with me. This way I’m protected if I can’t use one of my cards for some reason, and I also have backups if my purse is stolen.

Passports & Visas

If you are traveling internationally, you always have to have a passport. But when you start planning your trip, take a peek at your passport and make sure it doesn’t expire until at least 6 months AFTER your trip. This seems counterintuitive, I know, but I’ve known many a traveler who has dealt with the nasty surprise of being denied boarding a flight because their passports were expiring in a few months! Always plan to renew your passport at least 8 months before it expires.

Passports should also have at least two blank pages, not including the endorsement pages. If you find yourself traveling a lot, a passport can fill up quickly. Some immigration officials only like to stamp on a brand new page rather than share space with another country’s stamps! Next time you renew, make sure to opt for the non-standard 52 page passport rather than the 28 page passport. It costs the same, and is only slightly more bulky than the smaller version.

Another nasty surprise that can catch travelers off-guard is visa requirements. You must research visa requirements for every place you plan to travel far enough in advance to secure a visa if necessary. An easy way to do this is to consult the U.S. Department of State Country Information website. You can search for the country you are visiting and find out all kinds of useful information like recent travel advisory alerts, what vaccines are required, if visas are required and how to get one, health information, and more.

What are your easy tips to avoid surprises when traveling?

Share them in the comments below. Subscribe to our newsletter and make sure to check out all of our travel tips and hacks on our website!