I watched this video all the way through and was like “huh, I seem to be doing everything right…” but then I remembered it’s because I’ve been watching all of Mark’s videos for years. Currently loving Germany
In the year 2000, we made our first European trip. I planned every minute of the trip. Day one, my wife step off the train and badly twisted her ankle. My extensive plan went out the window. As much as we enjoyed the things we did, we also were sad for the things we had to cut from the trip. Afterwards, we started planning less and enjoying the spontaneous travel. In 2010 we had an last minute opportunity to go back. We booked the tickets one day and flew out the next. We only planned the in and out dates. It was the best trip ever. Without planned expectations, we went with whatever economically made sense. If we didnt see something that trip, it will still be there on our next trip.
Frankly (and respectfully of course) you need to try both ways. It's ok if you well prepared and planned, then just move with the flow and reach only what you can. That way at least you won't miss too important places which was right behind you. You'd also know if there's a late opening (until 8 pm) for a particular day for one of your favorite museums, which otherwise you wouldn't have had the time to visit it. Also, how many times I heard folks regret their visit to a nice city, which I'd attribute to a lack of planning/research, beside their stay in bad neighbor (for tourists). But again, both ways are really nice, and too much planning is pretty tedious.
Excellent comment! When I went to Portugal, I explored the small area, watched local TV, ate at different places and slept, AND practiced my Portuguese. That was why I went! When I took a tour of Spain and Portugal, it was only about four days in Portugal, and I was around our bubble of tourists. A lot of English. American-styled hotels. Spaghetti and meatballs. Once! When I went later, I had grilled octopus, real Portuguese meals and pastries!
Here are mistakes I have made: 1. Go to Beijing and let visa expire. I got fined and deported and had to sleep in a McDonalds. 2. Go to Paris for 6 days, go absolutely insane eating and seeing everything. Don't sleep for 4 days and have a nervous breakdown and have to come home early. 3. In Tibet I slept in on a beautiful day and didn't go hiking, the next day I went hiking, it rained and I didn't see shit. 4. Vietnam. Don't take the 36-42 hour train from Hanoi to Saigon, that was hell! 5. Took Teaching job in Taiwan, didn't get work visa, almost got arrested. 6. If a local person in any country speaks English and is OVERLY nice to you, be suspicious. Some are genuine, but some are not!
The one mistake I made in Shanghai that I will never forget: I got invited to a tea house. That was my most expensive tea ever. Later I found out that this is a very common scam in China - hu. I didnt get scammed in India because I was prepared, but I was very very careless in China
Another mistake I noticed people make is forgetting to research the tipping policies for the countries they’re visiting. It’s also important to explore the cultural differences so you don’t do or say anything taboo that would annoy the locals. Really enjoy your videos and all your tips!
Some mistakes I've seen friends making: 1) not booking all the flights in the same ticket, and facing problems with connection delays and luggage allowance 2) booking very early transportation, which ruins the night before and can be a problem finding ways to get to the station/airport (lots of cities the metro won't run before 6am) 3) using low cost airlines who use farfarfar away airports And one I made Took a romantic train overnight from Rome to Paris, arriving at 6am on a holiday, and our hotel booking only allowed us to check-in at 2pm. The trip was amazing. The morning after, not much.
Some good points. I will say for number 1 -- you don't have to book all on the same ticket if there is plenty of time in between >4 hours is usually ok, 6-8 hours or more is better. Sometimes separate tickets are much cheaper and for multi-country itineraries you often have to book separate tickets. For the romantic trip, the hack here is to book the hotel for the night before and contact the hotel upon booking and then contact them a second time a week in advance to let them know you will be arriving early morning and to hold your room -- they will go ahead and charge your card. But you get to check in at 7am shower and sleep. It works out to be worth it even for overnight US-Europe flights that arrive at 6am or 7am.
@@Originalman144 agreed Regarding the tickets, not so long ago Brazilian international travellers were allowed 2 x 32 Kg luggage (by law), but the internal flights in Europe would allow just 1 x 23 Kg. So either they add extra luggage when buying a separate ticket or they would be charged a significant amount to carry their luggage in short flights. Nowadays the allowance is 1 x 23kg or 1 x 32 Kg depending on the air company. If you pay for more, you'll probably have to do it for each separate ticket. Anyway, I'm totally into flying light. 👍🏻
Definitely don't let small stuff stress you out. When I went to Rome I frequently found out after the fact that I could have gotten a cheaper entry ticket. Sometimes it's cheaper to prebook and sometimes it's cheaper to buy at the door and I always seemed to pick the wrong option. It is what is. If you knew everything, you wouldn't be an excited tourist. The same goes for taxis. What do you care if the local taxi driver manages to extract an extra dollar or two from you? Don't even sweat it. Think happy thoughts 😊
Yeah I feel as a fact of travelling it's inevitable that you will pay a little more for stuff, at least some of the time. I tend to get analysis paralysis whenever I book a flight (am I paying too much, is there a better flight that I didn't discover, etc etc). Do I want to overpay? Of course not. Do I want the cheapest flight I can? Sure. But sometimes, you got to jump in with both feet, or don't. I booked a flight to Paris for about 700 in change (I'm going to fly out of Amsterdam though). I used Google flights and learned that that's a pretty good price for the flight I want; so I took it. I paid a bit more for assigned seats but like you said, it is what it is.
once I had a taxi driver anti-scamming me . a taxi ride which normally was 5-7 € was only 3,80€ and he used all the roads that i couldnt recreate even if i wanted.
Shoes. That one, yes! We just got back from The Netherlands, & most of it was walking. SO much walking & I'm so glad I brought walking shoes & comfy clothes. We averaged 8 mi/day! We used trams & the train too, but as a first time outta the country traveler, it was a little tricky to figure out. I saw so many others trying to walk in fancy shoes on cobblestone streets. Just no. Something we did is NOT plan every single day. We left 3 days to just do whatever we felt like. We accidentally ended up at a graffiti art museum & it was awesome. Planning is good for some events & is required, but it's also good to just chill & wing it! Thanks, WW for your tips!
As a fellow traveler, former tour company manager, and retired regional director for a multi national hotel chain, I always enjoy and usually fully agree with your recommendations. This video is 100% spot-on. When I was younger, I was sometimes guilty of trying to do too much in too little time. I now refer to that as 'sampling' rather than 'savoring.'' I've learned that really getting to meet people and cultures where they're comfortable truly provides the most memorable experiences... being a bit selfless rather than just taking selfies. We've heard the generalizations... France? Rude. Swiss? Non caring. New Yorkers? Crass. And yet, when we've 'met' and experienced individuals rather than generalizations, they're not 'generally' the stereotypes at all. We've made great friends in France, Switzerland, and New York (and hundreds of other places) because we reached deeper and truly opened ourselves to the individuals... all who were helpful, gracious, and fun in return. Canada next week, and Switzerland next month... love to travel. Thanks Mark.
@Wolters World I needed a travel hug today... thanks. I'm also an avid railfan (even taking Amtrak to Niagara Falls next week)... question... your logo is a train... is that a passion for you too?
About weather, in some countries, such mine, Belgium, take always rain and sun clothes, because it'd change from 35°C (95°F) blue sky and sun to 20° (65°F) and heavy rain in a less than one hour. In Eastern Europe, there are very hot summer and very cold winter, be sure to check the right clothes, such as Croatia, not only sun, it's also snow. They even have Nordic ski in Delnice. Worst, in tropical regions, there are the rain season and/or the hurricane season, be sure to check before and not just think "Tropical countries are always sunny".
I followed your advice about packing your suitcase and taking half the things out and all I was left with was underwear, shoes and socks for my trip. I got some very funny looks and spent most of my trip in a jail cell. Thanks Wolters World!
Whilst in Rome I pre-booked Colosseum + Palatine Hill and Vatican Museum for the same day. I should have booked them for separate days as I was under a lot of time pressure and rushed through both attractions and regarding the food, I was doing very well not to be scammed but on the last day, I lowered my guard, chose to eat in a place that looked local and accepted a suggestion from the waiter of a bruschetta as an antipasto which wasn't on the menu, when I asked for the bill....the bruschetta on its own was €45.00!!! My fault for assuming it was going to be anything from €5.00 to €10.00, always ask for the price first if it is not advertised.
Great videos. When I went to St Tropez I bought clothes at Giant' (port Grimaud) it was cheaper than paying the checked luggage charge. Also I bought a cycle and used it for 2 weeks and sold it to a tour rep on day 13 the difference was a fraction of the cycle hire charge. AND you get to ride a brand new bike.
@@woltersworld Thank you I'm all for making money talk. Although most of the time it says goodbye☹️(◠‿◕) I'm also a guitarist and going on a plane with a cherished guitar is Asking for trouble with the baggage "maulers" hence I bought a tiny guitar that I took in my hand luggage to Nice and wore most of my clothes 3 layers to get on the flight. Then I had a guitar to play on the beach. Last day of the journey one of the guys on the beach selling sunglasses and beach towels came along and I swapped the guitar for a beach towel. I still have the towel to this day to remind me. And somewhere in the South of France there's an ex Itinerant Algerian playing his version of "Layla" in a sun soaked beach sipping his pina colada and thinking of the moment that changed his life. Life's good.
I just got back from my 3 week trip to Italy. I followed your advices, thanks Mark. It was amazing, seeing it all was surreal. What I notice and it’s a great tip for all is that sure a lot of public restrooms charges to use the restroom which I encountered in Venice and Florence but look for little chains of places, that sell sandwich in the city, there you can use the restroom for free, at least we did. I asked if we had to buy something and they said no. Sometimes we had no cash after spending it all. Just try instead of looking for public restrooms. We didn’t have to pay for restroom in Rome and Milan. Very friendly locals. Have fun enjoy
Hotels are also great places to use the restroom. They don't know right away if you are staying there and if you walk in and ask where the toilet is, they will usually tell you -- especially at nicer 4 or 5 star / boutique hotels. This is great advice for traveling around the US or major cities in the US as well. I would never use a gas station restroom in the US when I can go to a nice Hilton or a Holiday Inn Express that is going to be very clean. If you have women / children with you this is a must.
We ate fish n chips and had a pint at a LHR while going from Michigan to Finland (again!) and played 'Spot the American Tourist Bingo!' It included fanny packs, American flag hoo-ha, Euro Disney hoo-ha, boisterousness, etc. Great fun!
I made the mistake of not knowing taxi rules in the Philippines. During rush hour, they automatically add 100 pesos to the meter. I got out figuring the guy was trying to rip me off. Of course the front desk wouldn't call me another cab. It took me over an hour to walk to the nearby mall and get a taxi at the que. All that for less than 2 USD. 🤦 Duh... Also, should have figured the exchange rate and payed the extra $2 even if it wasn't a rule.
There is an alternative called Grab (Uber-like app-based ride). They aren't perfect and still have lots of improvement to work on, at least you won't get ripped off
Sometimes it is really cool to see how the McDonald’s abroad is different or not in the one you’re used to. When I was in Italy, I ate as much local food as I can but when our meeting point was at a McDonald’s, I really wanted to see in Italian McDonald’s.
Agreed. The McDonalds quality of ingredients in Europe, Middle East, and Asia is also much better than in the US. Some unique items on menu that cater to the taste buds of the local people. I haven't eaten McD's in the US in 5+ years but will occasionally get something while abroad.
It's also interesting to eat at other non-local restaurants. For example, what we usually get in the US is Chinese-American food, not Chinese food. When in Italy I went to a Chinese restaurant just to see how it differed. Vietnamese in London was the same as in Houston, though. There's a Mexican restaurant in Bologna, but I haven't tried it yet.
Thanks Mark, as always Great info. A couple more thoughts: The problem with river cruises, is that you only get a small taste, just a half-day, in any given city or town the boat stops at. And, don't get all wrapped up taking photos. The Internet has thousands of them. Too many people spend valuable time staring through their camera lens, instead of just enjoying the sights and sounds around them. (Who are you ever going to show all of your photos to, in any case?)
I'm Swiss and I am often on trains with lots of tourists. one thing I can't understand is tourists staring into their phones while they are travelling through beautiful landscapes, they actually paid and came all the way for to see. But they behave as if for example the Swiss alps only exist once they got to their hotel in Interlaken and stand on that specific Instagram spot they were looking for. All the while they could have seen the most amazing panorama of the Swiss alps coming into Bern from Basel or Zurich, if they'd only have lifted their eyes and looked out the window for a moment.
Hello Mark. Thanks for your videos - so helpful! I just returned from 10 days in Ireland. Took your advice and we stayed in Kinnitty Castle as our first stop. Loved it but did not know we would need to haul our luggage 3 flights up to our room. So glad I did not overpack!
When travelling as a group (family or group of friends) I think its really helpful to discuss and agree on what each person wants to do on the trip. Trying to do everything together can work, but sometimes be flexible and let people do things in smaller groups or on their own. When we travelled as a family with young kids my wife and I would often support each other to have a day off from child care to do something they really wanted and swap over etc. Important thing is to communicate and check in with each other 😊
My family did this one day while in Paris. My husband wanted to go to a local gathering place to watch the World Cup. The kids and I weren't interested, so we used that day to go to Euro Disney. Normally, we wouldn't have thought to "waste" a day in Paris by going to Disney, but it worked out great. We felt like we had a vacation within a vacation.
Hey Mark, happy to say that I've committed NONE of these mistakes only because I've followed your channel. Just got back from Greece and all of your advice was spot on. I can see why you married a Greek woman; the people were so welcoming and super friendly. It was Crete and Santorini. Yes, touristy but beautiful. Safe travels my friend.
Lots of banks and credit cards say it is no longer required to tell them you are going anroad. But I do it anyway. This week, from the USA, I bought a German train ticket. The transaction was declined. I got an email asking if it was legit. I said yes and it went thru
Banks are getting lazy. It was actually better when you told them you were traveling and where and the card worked ---- now if you are going to multiple countries there are often multiple declines on one trip and it's annoying. I was on a date in France with a french chick and my card declined twice -- cell service was a bit slow and I got the security text message to confirm my usage 2-3 mins after the decline (at least it felt like that long). A bit annoying as she tried to pay and it was awkward with the person holding the card machine 🤣
When going on vacation don’t make any plans. Just wake up and see how you feel. If you want to go to the beach go, if you to stay in bed then do that. Worst thing is to come from a planned work scheduled to a planned vacay schedule.
I wish I had seen this a few weeks ago. Pre-booking tickets for attractions is a must. We just returned from Ireland and while it was a fantastic trip, we didn’t get to see The Guinness storehouse, the Book of Kells, or New Grange because they all require timed entry tickets that should have been booked far in advance! We did see a lot and do a lot and I really appreciate the advice from this channel!
Pre-booking tickets don’t make always sense, and if you absolutely want to prebook tickets do it when you are at the city, because you don’t always have an exact plan or things my happen which weren’t planned ( unless you are planning your holidays like a military operation). I’ve been to a lot of places where I had to exchange my prebooked tickets online in paper tickets on site ( doesn’t make a lot of sense, I know) so you have to queue anyway.
Thank you for this. I am a very careful person and absolutley not experienced in traveling. I plan on doing more, but so many thinks make me so unsure. Videos like this help so much, because these things are obvious but also not.
Hi Mark! I absolutely love your Travel videos! Me and my family love to sit and watch them! Thank you for all the tips. Me and my husband are off to Amsterdam in January for our wedding anniversary!
Not being vaguely aware of or caring about local etiquette. I was once on a Swiss train where a fellow middle age “hip” American was singing and drumming along with the music he was piping into his earbuds. Another Swiss passenger caught my eye as I glanced at him and I just shrugged, hoping she’d realize not all of us are oblivious.
mine is to be mindful of when things are open. like if you have a day in a city and want to shop, but its sunday and everything is closed. or you want to visit a certain museum but its monday and all museums are closed, etc.
At Jamaica station on the New York Subway after taking AirTrain - going through the turnstile with my suitcase pull handle up. Got caught on the rotating turnstile and I had to struggle to free it.
My biggest travel mistake was when I went to London in 2019. I had an atm at my hostel that offered a conversion rate from pounds to dollars, and I accepted it, every single time. I must of lost about 10 percent of my money doing it, it's a huge scam. I recently returned from a trip from Belgium and the Netherlands with my co-worker/friend, and didn't make the same mistake again (I watched Mark's video on this thing when I returned home from England). I showed my friend what I am talking about, and the Atm wanted 80 euros to convert euros to dollars! She was very thankful I told her about this, because she admitted she would have probably fell for it.
About a few hundred. To be fair it was maybe two atms in Amsterdam that had the 80 euro conversion rate but it doesn't change the fact that you'll lose a ton of money if you accept the conversion rate at European atms.@@elzinga87
Reviews and research! We are living in a very fortunate time in which you can look so much up online before you go. Weather! You used to have to go by what it's "usually like this time of year" but now you can look at a 14 day forecast and have a good idea. Yes, weather patterns change but not always. I spent a very hot week in Edinburgh and had only jumpers, full sized socks and jeans because it was September. Don't just go by the star system, read what everyone's problems are and see if it matters to you. One place, the main thing people were complaining about was that the shower heads didn't pivot. Well, that's not a biggie for me because (a) I prefer baths (b) I'm short and fit under it anyway. Another was that the rooms are too far from the bar - not a biggie for me either. Mostly though - don't go on someone else's holiday. If there are a few of you, everyone picks something but advice from people who aren't on YOUR trip "don't bother with..." It's nice to get advice of out of the way things but ... if you have dreamed of London - DO bother with all the things you dream of. You may be disappointed with some, but it's YOUR trip.
We just spent about 10 days in Tuscany traveling around wine country. One mistake I think people make is going in the height of tourist season. If you can, research to find the "shoulder" season...the time of year that's not quite tourist season but seasonal enough to enjoy the area. There were days that we walked around those small Tuscan villages and had them all to ourselves (except for the locals, of course!). Also, these Wolter's World videos were invaluable planning out our trip!! So many great tidbits and pieces of advise. Plus as a Georgian and a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan, it's great to see you guys sporting the "G" and seeing your wife wearing a National Championship UGA shirt!! Go Dawgs!!!! Sic 'em WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!
One problem with DCC is waiters might press the yes button for you before you can stop them. I have had that. Even though the card I was using doesn’t charge the usual fees for usage abroad.
Regarding mail delivery while you're gone: The USPS has a form for temporarily holding mail delivery. Just indicate the start and end hold dates, and they'll pause delivery during that time. I was out of town for two weeks recently and they paused my mail delivery while I was gone, delivering it all on the first business day when I returned from my trip, which was my specified return date. I've used that feature multiple times - it's really nice!
The best option for connectivity abroad are eSim cards, that you can buy before the trip, they work in multiple regions, and are pretty cheap. Real game changer to have internet access as soon as the plane lands.
One common mistake I see tourists make when visiting the Alps/Alpine region of Europe is they underestimate how quickly the weather changes. Sunny…boom…chilly and rainy in the same day. So, dress in layers all year. A local older lady once told me to always look at the mountain top as a temperature predictor: snowy mountain top (cold temperature in lakes) no snow (lakes are warm). Just because it’s sunny, doesn’t mean the water is.
The mistake I most often make visiting a new country is that I would hear how nice and friendly the locals are and although this is nearly always true, it doesn't in any way mean that people who come up to you can start a friendly chat isn't going to scam you or want something from you. This is especially true I find in Egypt, Turkey and India. People in these countries are generally very friendly, possibly much more so than in your own country, but the ones who approach you and starts a nice conversation probably want to scam you.
AGREED! We packed the wrong shoes for our current trip - should have brought rain boots to Japan in the summer! We also made a mistake yesterday that looked quite like your thumbnail photo on this video. It's always an adventure when traveling with kids. 🌺Heidi
Most of my travels since 2000 has been to the US even if of course I have visited European countries as well. In the US I have over the years visited large cities like NYC, LA, SF, NOLA, Seattle, Boston and more, but I prefee smaller towns. In 2022 I visited places like Walker, IA, Naubinway, MI, Green River, W Y, Elk City, OK, Gatlinburg, TN (small town, too many tourists), Ferguson and Wilkesboro, NC and more.
The great thing about traveling in Europe is the train. Sometimes I'll hop on with a generic distention, a round trip for a low price (this was in the Tuscany region of Italy), but if the train stop in a small village that look cool, I'll get out and explore, knowing that the next train would be at most in an other hour.
@@wncjan I 100% disagree. I don't find it boring at all. I love it. I find it relaxing, and enjoy the view. Plus if you book the right train, not the express ones, the pretty much stop at every town.
@@DrVVVinK I like to control my travel. If I see something from my car, I can stop and look at it. Not possible from a train. Also just siiting in a train is boring ax I simply can't read or anything while on a train..
Glad finding you're channel sir, really good advice, especially the learning a few words, they really appreciate this. Also see whats all to do next to the tourist "traps" Really good food for thoughts😊
Travel adapters, the unsung heroes of international connectivity. Neglecting them is like embarking on a digital detox, where your cherished electronic devices turn into expensive paperweights. Enjoy that unplugged vacation, my friends.
Very good video and very useful tips indeed. I would recommend only that you also encourage tourists to avoid what I call a "checklist approach" to their travels. You touch on this (by implication) when you advise your viewers not to do too much in a short time. And yet you also advise us to do ample research about a place before making our trip. And if the focus of the research is only on "seeing the sights," tourists will be much less likely to absorb the nature of a place and its people, and they will be more likely to fall prey to the pressures of a travel checklist and the self-imposed need to "see it all" - notwithstanding your admonition to the contrary. Travel can be such an enriching experience, but if our focus is on "the sights," we cannot but turn a vacation into a superficial Instagram log (and all the time pressures that go with it), to wit... Eiffel Tower - check. The Seine - check. The Louvre - check. The Arc de Triomphe - check. Granted this is subjective to some degree, but when I first visited Amsterdam, I made a point NOT to research everything. I did some modest reading, but part of the pleasure of my travels is the serendipity it affords. When it comes to cities, I think more in terms of "urban spelunking." After all, in the industrial West, we live such regimented lives in a tyranny to the clock, and the last thing I want to do is to shackle my vacation travels with this same unforgiving orientation to time. Of course there's nothing wrong with seeing the sights. I enjoy this myself. But if by taking a more relaxed approach I happen to miss a few of them, it's completely okay. I don't need to see everything. I'm more likely to experience the richness of a new country by setting down the guide book and meeting the place on its own terms. Besides, in the case of my trip to Amsterdam, I happened by chance upon a cafe and pub that I learned later was featured in one of the guide books anyway. Sure, for some things (such as the Anne Frank House or Van Gogh Museum), one may want to make specific plans ahead of time - as you advise. But the beautiful freedom that comes when time stops and we no longer need worship at the altar of a rigid schedule far exceeds the value of a given tourist sight. My trip to Ecuador is a case in point. An unwavering allegiance to a guide book would have diminished the experience I took from the Ecuadorian culture and people. Still, to each their own. Thanks for your excellent channel and the contributions you make.
A great video! I just came home from a trip to Croatia and Montenegro, and getting ripped off at a restaurant in Kotor still haunts me (prices were higher than advertised). It's just sad how the mind gets focused on one single bad aspect even though I did have a great time for the rest of the trip.
Awesome video, love the editing and detail put in. Also wanted to say a massive thank you for the amazing videos you have made because they are proving very useful in the planning of the trip me and my mum are doing so thank you so much 😁
A big mistake I have made is not researching the public transport system beforehand. I went to Olbia, Italy last year and found that the buses that go south of the city weren't part of the Olbia district bus service (and the whole time we were there we couldn't figure out how that bus system worked) which stoped us visiting some towms we wanted to see. The bus service with in and to the north of the city was very cheap though and we ended up using that a fair bit although the services are quite infrequent so you always need to have your eye on the time.
I'm quite the seasoned traveler, yet last week in Tokyo made the mistake of not pre-booking tickets for TeamLab Planets. Thought I would be able to get tickets at the spot, and clearly thought wrong, as those were all sold out....
Another lessons learnt re: money, only make cash withdrawls from bank atms on days they are open. I made the mistake of trying to withdraw money from a bank atm on the weekend & it ate my debit card. With no-one around to assist, all I could do was call my bank to reissue a new card while living on a smaller budget for that part of my trip.
Many years we tried taking a train from Paris (Gare du Nord) to Bremen, Germany. Little did we know only half of the train went to Bremen, the other half where we were split and our half dead ended in Brussels. To make matters worse there was no direct train from Brussels to Bremen. We first had to go to Cologne, Germany then another train to Bremen. Certainly an adventure.
One of the things I never get is (and you touched on)....who orders stuff to be delivered WHEN THEY KNOW THEYLL BE GONE?! if I know I'll be in Italy for a week, im not ordering anything to the house. Not just for safety but what do I need it for?
The worst is people who don't interact with local people, not eating the local food, not trying the local language, and going where everybody else is going (other tourists).
One thing I do is look on google maps, zooming in and out to see what pops out before I go on a trip. That is how I discovered a rock climbing gym I visited while in Vienna. I also love visiting bookstores and record/dvd stores, so I always try to find where those are before I go. They are usually in the local neighborhoods.
The first one I'm 100% guilty of and from experience, I can definitely understand what you're saying. For example, I may get a day or flexi pass that allows me unlimited train travel across a wide area, so I would visit about 3 or 4 cities in a day spending an hour walking around each and taking pictures, maybe chilling out somewhere to enjoy the view while I get a bite to eat, then heading back to the station to get a train to my next destination. It's nice for getting a quick feel of different places (helping me decide which ones I want to visit properly later on) and enjoying the variety of trains I ride on and their routes. However, I found that on daytrips where I focus on a return trip to one city to explore properly for 5 or 6 hours (rather than 1 or 2 hours each for many), I generally have a much better experience with the place and have more breathing room to relax and take in what that city has to offer. On the other hand, if I try to do too much in one day, there's too much tension and rushing about that doesn't allow me to properly enjoy the place as much as I want to, especially when one delay or cancellation (or missing a particular bus/train that I needed to catch because I totally underestimated how much time I needed to explore the city centre) can have a knock-on effect on the entire plan altogether.
Showing up at the wrong airport (Shanghai). Left our hotel so early we were able to take the bus between the international airport and the domestic airport.
A big one is not going with the flow. I had a riverboat ride cancelled in New Orleans due to a hurricane warning and just found something else to do with my evening before everyone was ordered inside to wait as the storm passed. A bunch of other people swarmed the tour guide to complain - really counter productive and not very friendly either!
My very recent travel mistake: not checking when are national holidays in the destination country, because it can be ether overcrowded or it can be dead quiet. In Europe, some countries close on Sundays. So, have to plan accordingly e.g. arrive on Monday and leave on Saturday.
Also a lot of Europeans take the whole month of August off to holiday. Then they travel they usually go to the US, or to a beach town/resort, or camping somewhere along the meditation or Swiss Alps. But the cities, like say Florence, where many Americans may travel to will be empty. The tourist places will be open, of course, but the local restaurants, cafes and shops - the authentic places where the locals go, will be close the entire month, due to Europe more lax vacation polices.
I'll be leaving to the US on June 14th and I've already got the letters for my neighbors ready, including emergency contact information, to let them know as I won't be back until September 7th. A friendly couple I know in the US is planning to travel to Amsterdam in December, so we've already planned a session with them where I'll be giving them some advice. After all, I was born here and I've lived here for 57 years 🙂 I would have volunteered to show them around, but I'll likely be back in the US by the time they get here 🙂
Hi, Mark. I really enjoy your videos and tips. One question: I'm planning a trip to Paris and would like to try some French foods. However, I am a vegetarian. Any suggestions for this plant-based eater? Thanks. Best to the family.
Traveled to Vegas for the first time in 22 and didn’t check the weather, we were totally unprepared for 40f and raining the whole weekend and we thought we were seasoned travelers 🤦🏽♂️
My neighbors were great when we had to go to Milan. Lol my mom's best friend came to check on the house and my neighbor didn't know her. She told me he gave her such a look 😂. My aunt didn't get the same treatment because she looks like us (we're Chinese). 😁. Also a good idea to bring back a little something as a thank you!
It's actually good that most tourists continue to eat in/near tourist spots because imagine if there is a drastic shift to the non-tourist eateries, it's going to intrude on the lives of the locals, yet again.
I agree and Birkis can come in prints and patent leather. I love mine for years and one can even have them resoled. Fashionista blogs say not chic? Closed toe shoes are needed for airports as I have stubbed my toes or had them stepped on and of course and hiking.
We were definitely burned out on our US West Coast round trip. Spending about minimum 6 hours driving daily and maybe 4 hours per park. For 2 weeks. No Ragrets 💅
I saw St. Louis and its Gateway Arch when I heard the mention of Natchez. The only commonality between the two is that they're on the Mississippi River, that's it.
When packing, there are three piles: What you will definitely use (5 days of clothes only); what you might use; and just in case. You don't need "What you might use", if you need it, then go buy it. The only "just in case" thing you must take is medicine (and take several days more than you might need, in case of delays) any thing else, if you need it, go buy it and you will have a souvenir of your trip. I've never been anywhere in the world, where I couldn't get what I need. Any seasoned round the world traveler will tell you "Take more money, take less stuff." I might disagree about staying outside of the center of a city to save money. I stayed in Toledo instead of Madrid and loved it. However, I also stayed at Place d'Italie instead of the Left bank in Paris and regretted it.
I can't believe you said Natchez, MS was cool. 😅 I'm a government contractor and was sent there for work for 3 weeks, and I was ready to jump off a bridge! 😂
When i went to cabo verde in november 2021 then i got surprised. The souvenir sharks overcharging, it makes the airport the cheapest place and the local guy leading you to a store making you spend there... I am of to thailand and i booked my airport transfers in advance through get your guide app. Some moments are expensive tutor moments where you pay a lot to learn a simple thing...
My wife and I were in Italy and got screwed by a worker in an ice-cream shop . Long story but ended up paying 30 euros for two cones! She was pissed but I just laughed and vowed to start paying more attention! No sense in letting some little scam artists spoiling my vacation!😊
Awesome video Mark, you've mentioned a lot of these in other videos and this is a fantastic summary. I'm saving this one to my travel favorites and I'll share on LinkedIn as that's the only social media I do anymore. Another surprise restaurant charge to Americans if they do fast food whether it's McDonald's or Quick burger in France, at the latter in 1988 there was I believe a 5% charge for dining in. I think I saw the same at Supermac's in Ireland which by the way has a fantastic chicken sandwich at the one I tried in Limerick. And if you really Miss American food in Ireland there isn't a Supermac's anymore without a Papa John's, for better or worse. Regarding packing you said exactly what one of our professors said: consider everything you plan to take and cut it in half. On my second college trip the professor strongly encouraged one large backpack. We all did and then when it was time to move on the term became "turtle up!" My second college trip was 9 weeks total, the first 4 weeks in Scandinavia, 24 days in the Soviet Union, and time in Germany. Before going to the USSR we packaged up souvenirs in Helsinki and mailed them home so we had room for all those super cheap Soviet pins, banners, flags, and posters which we still have. On our two week trip to Ireland I packed enough socks and underwear for 4 days and used the free hotel shampoo to wash them. That helped me save some packing room too.
Yes! I had an embarrassing moment in England last year when my cards were blocked by my bank and I had to ask my ‘I just met them three days prior’ friends to pay for lunch. All because I didn’t tell my bank I was travelling. Won’t make that mistake this year…
Don't feel bad. I did notify Bank of America exactly when and where I would be in India, and they still blocked my card and left me in the same situation you were in. I contacted them when I got home and told them what happened, and they told me that they sometimes lock the card anyway "just as a precaution."
I have travel around the world two times. What is said in this video is true for first time travelers. My traveling has always been, get a hotel in city center. Yes, I pay more but most sites, activities and restaurants can be walked if not a short public transport ride. If I like a country, I will go again away from the well-known cities and emerge myself into the country culture. Key is to have a good translator and laugh a lot. Do not take anything said personal. You are the guest to enjoy the experience.
Good tips, Mark, especially about scheduling too much. One of my best vacations was to Florida: one day Disney, one day pool, etc. Getting local is good but doing the big sights also. It’s a balance. And every shred of research helps. Happy travels! Thanks!! 🇺🇸🇩🇪🇫🇷
I agree to pretty much everything on this list, except for the ”dont expect your card or phone to work where ever you go” - unless your going somewhere exotic, you will be able to pay with your card pretty much anywhere in the world today. And same goes for using your phone, just check that roaming is on. Dont know about the phone costs if your american going to europe, but for europeans the phone costs are not going to be high unless you go out of your way to make it expensive. You can use your phone without worrying.
I watched this video all the way through and was like “huh, I seem to be doing everything right…” but then I remembered it’s because I’ve been watching all of Mark’s videos for years. Currently loving Germany
Welcome to Germany! I tried to have some sunny days ready for your trip ;)
In the year 2000, we made our first European trip. I planned every minute of the trip. Day one, my wife step off the train and badly twisted her ankle. My extensive plan went out the window. As much as we enjoyed the things we did, we also were sad for the things we had to cut from the trip. Afterwards, we started planning less and enjoying the spontaneous travel. In 2010 we had an last minute opportunity to go back. We booked the tickets one day and flew out the next. We only planned the in and out dates. It was the best trip ever. Without planned expectations, we went with whatever economically made sense. If we didnt see something that trip, it will still be there on our next trip.
Frankly (and respectfully of course) you need to try both ways.
It's ok if you well prepared and planned, then just move with the flow and reach only what you can. That way at least you won't miss too important places which was right behind you. You'd also know if there's a late opening (until 8 pm) for a particular day for one of your favorite museums, which otherwise you wouldn't have had the time to visit it.
Also, how many times I heard folks regret their visit to a nice city, which I'd attribute to a lack of planning/research, beside their stay in bad neighbor (for tourists).
But again, both ways are really nice, and too much planning is pretty tedious.
Excellent comment! When I went to Portugal, I explored the small area, watched local TV, ate at different places and slept, AND practiced my Portuguese. That was why I went! When I took a tour of Spain and Portugal, it was only about four days in Portugal, and I was around our bubble of tourists. A lot of English. American-styled hotels. Spaghetti and meatballs. Once! When I went later, I had grilled octopus, real Portuguese meals and pastries!
Here are mistakes I have made:
1. Go to Beijing and let visa expire. I got fined and deported and had to sleep in a McDonalds.
2. Go to Paris for 6 days, go absolutely insane eating and seeing everything. Don't sleep for 4 days and have a nervous breakdown and have to come home early.
3. In Tibet I slept in on a beautiful day and didn't go hiking, the next day I went hiking, it rained and I didn't see shit.
4. Vietnam. Don't take the 36-42 hour train from Hanoi to Saigon, that was hell!
5. Took Teaching job in Taiwan, didn't get work visa, almost got arrested.
6. If a local person in any country speaks English and is OVERLY nice to you, be suspicious. Some are genuine, but some are not!
What’s with you almost getting arrested 😂😂😂 ❤
The one mistake I made in Shanghai that I will never forget: I got invited to a tea house. That was my most expensive tea ever. Later I found out that this is a very common scam in China - hu. I didnt get scammed in India because I was prepared, but I was very very careless in China
@@fuchurZero Yup the Tea scam in China is a classic. So is the art scam.
@@everythingbutthegirlfan762 Good to know - it cost me 300 $ 😖 after my journey I read about it
Another mistake I noticed people make is forgetting to research the tipping policies for the countries they’re visiting.
It’s also important to explore the cultural differences so you don’t do or say anything taboo that would annoy the locals.
Really enjoy your videos and all your tips!
I dont tip outside of the USA. It's just a scam they picked up from greedy US corporations that is spreading like a disease.
Some mistakes I've seen friends making:
1) not booking all the flights in the same ticket, and facing problems with connection delays and luggage allowance
2) booking very early transportation, which ruins the night before and can be a problem finding ways to get to the station/airport (lots of cities the metro won't run before 6am)
3) using low cost airlines who use farfarfar away airports
And one I made
Took a romantic train overnight from Rome to Paris, arriving at 6am on a holiday, and our hotel booking only allowed us to check-in at 2pm. The trip was amazing. The morning after, not much.
Some good points. I will say for number 1 -- you don't have to book all on the same ticket if there is plenty of time in between >4 hours is usually ok, 6-8 hours or more is better. Sometimes separate tickets are much cheaper and for multi-country itineraries you often have to book separate tickets.
For the romantic trip, the hack here is to book the hotel for the night before and contact the hotel upon booking and then contact them a second time a week in advance to let them know you will be arriving early morning and to hold your room -- they will go ahead and charge your card. But you get to check in at 7am shower and sleep. It works out to be worth it even for overnight US-Europe flights that arrive at 6am or 7am.
@@Originalman144 agreed
Regarding the tickets, not so long ago Brazilian international travellers were allowed 2 x 32 Kg luggage (by law), but the internal flights in Europe would allow just 1 x 23 Kg. So either they add extra luggage when buying a separate ticket or they would be charged a significant amount to carry their luggage in short flights.
Nowadays the allowance is 1 x 23kg or 1 x 32 Kg depending on the air company. If you pay for more, you'll probably have to do it for each separate ticket.
Anyway, I'm totally into flying light. 👍🏻
Definitely don't let small stuff stress you out. When I went to Rome I frequently found out after the fact that I could have gotten a cheaper entry ticket. Sometimes it's cheaper to prebook and sometimes it's cheaper to buy at the door and I always seemed to pick the wrong option. It is what is. If you knew everything, you wouldn't be an excited tourist. The same goes for taxis. What do you care if the local taxi driver manages to extract an extra dollar or two from you? Don't even sweat it. Think happy thoughts 😊
Yeah I feel as a fact of travelling it's inevitable that you will pay a little more for stuff, at least some of the time. I tend to get analysis paralysis whenever I book a flight (am I paying too much, is there a better flight that I didn't discover, etc etc). Do I want to overpay? Of course not. Do I want the cheapest flight I can? Sure. But sometimes, you got to jump in with both feet, or don't. I booked a flight to Paris for about 700 in change (I'm going to fly out of Amsterdam though). I used Google flights and learned that that's a pretty good price for the flight I want; so I took it. I paid a bit more for assigned seats but like you said, it is what it is.
once I had a taxi driver anti-scamming me . a taxi ride which normally was 5-7 € was only 3,80€ and he used all the roads that i couldnt recreate even if i wanted.
Shoes. That one, yes! We just got back from The Netherlands, & most of it was walking. SO much walking & I'm so glad I brought walking shoes & comfy clothes. We averaged 8 mi/day! We used trams & the train too, but as a first time outta the country traveler, it was a little tricky to figure out. I saw so many others trying to walk in fancy shoes on cobblestone streets. Just no.
Something we did is NOT plan every single day. We left 3 days to just do whatever we felt like. We accidentally ended up at a graffiti art museum & it was awesome. Planning is good for some events & is required, but it's also good to just chill & wing it! Thanks, WW for your tips!
As a fellow traveler, former tour company manager, and retired regional director for a multi national hotel chain, I always enjoy and usually fully agree with your recommendations. This video is 100% spot-on.
When I was younger, I was sometimes guilty of trying to do too much in too little time. I now refer to that as 'sampling' rather than 'savoring.'' I've learned that really getting to meet people and cultures where they're comfortable truly provides the most memorable experiences... being a bit selfless rather than just taking selfies.
We've heard the generalizations... France? Rude. Swiss? Non caring. New Yorkers? Crass. And yet, when we've 'met' and experienced individuals rather than generalizations, they're not 'generally' the stereotypes at all. We've made great friends in France, Switzerland, and New York (and hundreds of other places) because we reached deeper and truly opened ourselves to the individuals... all who were helpful, gracious, and fun in return.
Canada next week, and Switzerland next month... love to travel. Thanks Mark.
Thanks Steve. I may use your sampling instead of savoring line, thats a great way to put it. Have fun on your upcoming trips! Travel hug from Lisbon!
@Wolters World I needed a travel hug today... thanks. I'm also an avid railfan (even taking Amtrak to Niagara Falls next week)... question... your logo is a train... is that a passion for you too?
About weather, in some countries, such mine, Belgium, take always rain and sun clothes, because it'd change from 35°C (95°F) blue sky and sun to 20° (65°F) and heavy rain in a less than one hour.
In Eastern Europe, there are very hot summer and very cold winter, be sure to check the right clothes, such as Croatia, not only sun, it's also snow. They even have Nordic ski in Delnice.
Worst, in tropical regions, there are the rain season and/or the hurricane season, be sure to check before and not just think "Tropical countries are always sunny".
I followed your advice about packing your suitcase and taking half the things out and all I was left with was underwear, shoes and socks for my trip. I got some very funny looks and spent most of my trip in a jail cell. Thanks Wolters World!
Whilst in Rome I pre-booked Colosseum + Palatine Hill and Vatican Museum for the same day. I should have booked them for separate days as I was under a lot of time pressure and rushed through both attractions and regarding the food, I was doing very well not to be scammed but on the last day, I lowered my guard, chose to eat in a place that looked local and accepted a suggestion from the waiter of a bruschetta as an antipasto which wasn't on the menu, when I asked for the bill....the bruschetta on its own was €45.00!!! My fault for assuming it was going to be anything from €5.00 to €10.00, always ask for the price first if it is not advertised.
bruschetta for 45 Euros?? man you were scammed
Great videos. When I went to St Tropez I bought clothes at Giant' (port Grimaud) it was cheaper than paying the checked luggage charge.
Also I bought a cycle and used it for 2 weeks and sold it to a tour rep on day 13 the difference was a fraction of the cycle hire charge. AND you get to ride a brand new bike.
Thats cool
@@woltersworld Thank you I'm all for making money talk. Although most of the time it says goodbye☹️(◠‿◕) I'm also a guitarist and going on a plane with a cherished guitar is
Asking for trouble with the baggage "maulers" hence I bought a tiny guitar that I took in my hand luggage to Nice and wore most of my clothes 3 layers to get on the flight. Then I had a guitar to play on the beach. Last day of the journey one of the guys on the beach selling sunglasses and beach towels came along and I swapped the guitar for a beach towel. I still have the towel to this day to remind me. And somewhere in the South of France there's an ex Itinerant Algerian playing his version of "Layla" in a sun soaked beach sipping his pina colada and thinking of the moment that changed his life. Life's good.
Great advice, I agree with all of It! Do your research and spend your time and money wisely. Your trip starts when you book, not when you arrive.
I just got back from my 3 week trip to Italy. I followed your advices, thanks Mark. It was amazing, seeing it all was surreal. What I notice and it’s a great tip for all is that sure a lot of public restrooms charges to use the restroom which I encountered in Venice and Florence but look for little chains of places, that sell sandwich in the city, there you can use the restroom for free, at least we did. I
asked if we had to buy something and they said no. Sometimes we had no cash after spending it all. Just try instead of looking for public restrooms. We didn’t have to pay for restroom in Rome and Milan. Very friendly locals. Have fun enjoy
I might add that some toilets in Italy do not have seats. Be prepared.
Hotels are also great places to use the restroom. They don't know right away if you are staying there and if you walk in and ask where the toilet is, they will usually tell you -- especially at nicer 4 or 5 star / boutique hotels. This is great advice for traveling around the US or major cities in the US as well. I would never use a gas station restroom in the US when I can go to a nice Hilton or a Holiday Inn Express that is going to be very clean. If you have women / children with you this is a must.
We ate fish n chips and had a pint at a LHR while going from Michigan to Finland (again!) and played 'Spot the American Tourist Bingo!' It included fanny packs, American flag hoo-ha, Euro Disney hoo-ha, boisterousness, etc. Great fun!
😂😂😂
Surely someone also spotted you as a tourist having an overpriced and flavorless fish and chips and a beer in the airport. 🤣
You must be a Yooper! I'm from Calumet and will eventually get to the homeland
Just came back from my first solo adventure. Your channel was instrumental. Much love, Mark!
I made the mistake of not knowing taxi rules in the Philippines. During rush hour, they automatically add 100 pesos to the meter. I got out figuring the guy was trying to rip me off. Of course the front desk wouldn't call me another cab. It took me over an hour to walk to the nearby mall and get a taxi at the que. All that for less than 2 USD. 🤦 Duh... Also, should have figured the exchange rate and payed the extra $2 even if it wasn't a rule.
There is an alternative called Grab (Uber-like app-based ride). They aren't perfect and still have lots of improvement to work on, at least you won't get ripped off
@@luke211286 That was before Grab was around. I used Grab in Thailand and they were great.
Sometimes it is really cool to see how the McDonald’s abroad is different or not in the one you’re used to. When I was in Italy, I ate as much local food as I can but when our meeting point was at a McDonald’s, I really wanted to see in Italian McDonald’s.
Agreed. The McDonalds quality of ingredients in Europe, Middle East, and Asia is also much better than in the US. Some unique items on menu that cater to the taste buds of the local people. I haven't eaten McD's in the US in 5+ years but will occasionally get something while abroad.
It's also interesting to eat at other non-local restaurants. For example, what we usually get in the US is Chinese-American food, not Chinese food. When in Italy I went to a Chinese restaurant just to see how it differed. Vietnamese in London was the same as in Houston, though. There's a Mexican restaurant in Bologna, but I haven't tried it yet.
@@CharleneCTX the thing with Vietnamese food is that it’s relatively new in the western world, especially compared to Chinese food.
I agree! I'm currently in Japan and it was amazing to eat at McDonald's. Here it has more choices of burgers!
i eat mcdonald's abroad b/c i can't get the snack wrap in the usa 😭
I pre booked the Anne Frank house and La Sagrada Familia. So glad we did. No reason to be wasting time standing in line😊
I must remember that if I am ever a time traveller.
Thanks Mark, as always Great info. A couple more thoughts: The problem with river cruises, is that you only get a small taste, just a half-day, in any given city or town the boat stops at. And, don't get all wrapped up taking photos. The Internet has thousands of them. Too many people spend valuable time staring through their camera lens, instead of just enjoying the sights and sounds around them. (Who are you ever going to show all of your photos to, in any case?)
I'm Swiss and I am often on trains with lots of tourists. one thing I can't understand is tourists staring into their phones while they are travelling through beautiful landscapes, they actually paid and came all the way for to see. But they behave as if for example the Swiss alps only exist once they got to their hotel in Interlaken and stand on that specific Instagram spot they were looking for. All the while they could have seen the most amazing panorama of the Swiss alps coming into Bern from Basel or Zurich, if they'd only have lifted their eyes and looked out the window for a moment.
Hello Mark. Thanks for your videos - so helpful! I just returned from 10 days in Ireland. Took your advice and we stayed in Kinnitty Castle as our first stop. Loved it but did not know we would need to haul our luggage 3 flights up to our room. So glad I did not overpack!
When travelling as a group (family or group of friends) I think its really helpful to discuss and agree on what each person wants to do on the trip. Trying to do everything together can work, but sometimes be flexible and let people do things in smaller groups or on their own. When we travelled as a family with young kids my wife and I would often support each other to have a day off from child care to do something they really wanted and swap over etc. Important thing is to communicate and check in with each other 😊
My family did this one day while in Paris. My husband wanted to go to a local gathering place to watch the World Cup. The kids and I weren't interested, so we used that day to go to Euro Disney. Normally, we wouldn't have thought to "waste" a day in Paris by going to Disney, but it worked out great. We felt like we had a vacation within a vacation.
Hey Mark, happy to say that I've committed NONE of these mistakes only because I've followed your channel. Just got back from Greece and all of your advice was spot on. I can see why you married a Greek woman; the people were so welcoming and super friendly. It was Crete and Santorini. Yes, touristy but beautiful. Safe travels my friend.
Lots of banks and credit cards say it is no longer required to tell them you are going anroad. But I do it anyway. This week, from the USA, I bought a German train ticket. The transaction was declined. I got an email asking if it was legit. I said yes and it went thru
Banks can see and authenticate translation through their app now.woth my bank you can just leave a note online that you're travelling.
Banks are getting lazy. It was actually better when you told them you were traveling and where and the card worked ---- now if you are going to multiple countries there are often multiple declines on one trip and it's annoying. I was on a date in France with a french chick and my card declined twice -- cell service was a bit slow and I got the security text message to confirm my usage 2-3 mins after the decline (at least it felt like that long). A bit annoying as she tried to pay and it was awkward with the person holding the card machine 🤣
A lot of credit cards let you do the travel notification on their website - quick and easy and you can input places you're traveling to.
When going on vacation don’t make any plans. Just wake up and see how you feel. If you want to go to the beach go, if you to stay in bed then do that. Worst thing is to come from a planned work scheduled to a planned vacay schedule.
I wish I had seen this a few weeks ago. Pre-booking tickets for attractions is a must. We just returned from Ireland and while it was a fantastic trip, we didn’t get to see The Guinness storehouse, the Book of Kells, or New Grange because they all require timed entry tickets that should have been booked far in advance! We did see a lot and do a lot and I really appreciate the advice from this channel!
Pre-booking tickets don’t make always sense, and if you absolutely want to prebook tickets do it when you are at the city, because you don’t always have an exact plan or things my happen which weren’t planned ( unless you are planning your holidays like a military operation). I’ve been to a lot of places where I had to exchange my prebooked tickets online in paper tickets on site ( doesn’t make a lot of sense, I know) so you have to queue anyway.
Marks videos are excellent 👍 keep up the great work for us travellers
Having traveled extensively, I can say with certainlty very excellent tips!
Thank you for this. I am a very careful person and absolutley not experienced in traveling. I plan on doing more, but so many thinks make me so unsure. Videos like this help so much, because these things are obvious but also not.
Oh we LOVE the smaller towns/cities!!! Sometimes it’s what we prefer!
Hi Mark! I absolutely love your Travel videos! Me and my family love to sit and watch them! Thank you for all the tips. Me and my husband are off to Amsterdam in January for our wedding anniversary!
Not being vaguely aware of or caring about local etiquette. I was once on a Swiss train where a fellow middle age “hip” American was singing and drumming along with the music he was piping into his earbuds. Another Swiss passenger caught my eye as I glanced at him and I just shrugged, hoping she’d realize not all of us are oblivious.
mine is to be mindful of when things are open. like if you have a day in a city and want to shop, but its sunday and everything is closed. or you want to visit a certain museum but its monday and all museums are closed, etc.
At Jamaica station on the New York Subway after taking AirTrain - going through the turnstile with my suitcase pull handle up. Got caught on the rotating turnstile and I had to struggle to free it.
My biggest travel mistake was when I went to London in 2019. I had an atm at my hostel that offered a conversion rate from pounds to dollars, and I accepted it, every single time. I must of lost about 10 percent of my money doing it, it's a huge scam. I recently returned from a trip from Belgium and the Netherlands with my co-worker/friend, and didn't make the same mistake again (I watched Mark's video on this thing when I returned home from England). I showed my friend what I am talking about, and the Atm wanted 80 euros to convert euros to dollars! She was very thankful I told her about this, because she admitted she would have probably fell for it.
80 euros? hahaha yeah right? how much was she taking out? a million?
About a few hundred. To be fair it was maybe two atms in Amsterdam that had the 80 euro conversion rate but it doesn't change the fact that you'll lose a ton of money if you accept the conversion rate at European atms.@@elzinga87
Thank you for these great tips!
Reviews and research! We are living in a very fortunate time in which you can look so much up online before you go. Weather! You used to have to go by what it's "usually like this time of year" but now you can look at a 14 day forecast and have a good idea. Yes, weather patterns change but not always. I spent a very hot week in Edinburgh and had only jumpers, full sized socks and jeans because it was September. Don't just go by the star system, read what everyone's problems are and see if it matters to you. One place, the main thing people were complaining about was that the shower heads didn't pivot. Well, that's not a biggie for me because (a) I prefer baths (b) I'm short and fit under it anyway. Another was that the rooms are too far from the bar - not a biggie for me either. Mostly though - don't go on someone else's holiday. If there are a few of you, everyone picks something but advice from people who aren't on YOUR trip "don't bother with..." It's nice to get advice of out of the way things but ... if you have dreamed of London - DO bother with all the things you dream of. You may be disappointed with some, but it's YOUR trip.
We just spent about 10 days in Tuscany traveling around wine country. One mistake I think people make is going in the height of tourist season. If you can, research to find the "shoulder" season...the time of year that's not quite tourist season but seasonal enough to enjoy the area. There were days that we walked around those small Tuscan villages and had them all to ourselves (except for the locals, of course!).
Also, these Wolter's World videos were invaluable planning out our trip!! So many great tidbits and pieces of advise. Plus as a Georgian and a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan, it's great to see you guys sporting the "G" and seeing your wife wearing a National Championship UGA shirt!! Go Dawgs!!!! Sic 'em WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!
One problem with DCC is waiters might press the yes button for you before you can stop them. I have had that. Even though the card I was using doesn’t charge the usual fees for usage abroad.
This is SO GOOD, so helpful. You're so good at this stuff, Wolters family, truly gifted. THANK YOU.
Biggest mistake people make is NOT watching Wolters World youtube videos.
Regarding mail delivery while you're gone: The USPS has a form for temporarily holding mail delivery. Just indicate the start and end hold dates, and they'll pause delivery during that time. I was out of town for two weeks recently and they paused my mail delivery while I was gone, delivering it all on the first business day when I returned from my trip, which was my specified return date. I've used that feature multiple times - it's really nice!
The best option for connectivity abroad are eSim cards, that you can buy before the trip, they work in multiple regions, and are pretty cheap. Real game changer to have internet access as soon as the plane lands.
One common mistake I see tourists make when visiting the Alps/Alpine region of Europe is they underestimate how quickly the weather changes. Sunny…boom…chilly and rainy in the same day. So, dress in layers all year. A local older lady once told me to always look at the mountain top as a temperature predictor: snowy mountain top (cold temperature in lakes) no snow (lakes are warm). Just because it’s sunny, doesn’t mean the water is.
The mistake I most often make visiting a new country is that I would hear how nice and friendly the locals are and although this is nearly always true, it doesn't in any way mean that people who come up to you can start a friendly chat isn't going to scam you or want something from you. This is especially true I find in Egypt, Turkey and India. People in these countries are generally very friendly, possibly much more so than in your own country, but the ones who approach you and starts a nice conversation probably want to scam you.
Everything mentioned here is ON POINT.
AGREED! We packed the wrong shoes for our current trip - should have brought rain boots to Japan in the summer! We also made a mistake yesterday that looked quite like your thumbnail photo on this video. It's always an adventure when traveling with kids. 🌺Heidi
Words of wisdom here!
Most of my travels since 2000 has been to the US even if of course I have visited European countries as well. In the US I have over the years visited large cities like NYC, LA, SF, NOLA, Seattle, Boston and more, but I prefee smaller towns. In 2022 I visited places like Walker, IA, Naubinway, MI, Green River, W
Y, Elk City, OK, Gatlinburg, TN (small town, too many tourists), Ferguson and Wilkesboro, NC and more.
The great thing about traveling in Europe is the train. Sometimes I'll hop on with a generic distention, a round trip for a low price (this was in the Tuscany region of Italy), but if the train stop in a small village that look cool, I'll get out and explore, knowing that the next train would be at most in an other hour.
@@DrVVVinK I never travel by train. It's absolutely boring and if I see something out the window I can't stop to investigate.
@@wncjan I 100% disagree. I don't find it boring at all. I love it. I find it relaxing, and enjoy the view. Plus if you book the right train, not the express ones, the pretty much stop at every town.
@@DrVVVinK I like to control my travel. If I see something from my car, I can stop and look at it. Not possible from a train. Also just siiting in a train is boring ax I simply can't read or anything while on a train..
I loved your video a cordial greeting from Mexico City🇲🇽👍👍👍👍👏👏👏
Glad finding you're channel sir, really good advice, especially the learning a few words, they really appreciate this. Also see whats all to do next to the tourist "traps"
Really good food for thoughts😊
Travel adapters, the unsung heroes of international connectivity. Neglecting them is like embarking on a digital detox, where your cherished electronic devices turn into expensive paperweights. Enjoy that unplugged vacation, my friends.
Murakoze cyane. Nta kibazo
Thank you! ❤
Very good video and very useful tips indeed. I would recommend only that you also encourage tourists to avoid what I call a "checklist approach" to their travels.
You touch on this (by implication) when you advise your viewers not to do too much in a short time. And yet you also advise us to do ample research about a place before making our trip. And if the focus of the research is only on "seeing the sights," tourists will be much less likely to absorb the nature of a place and its people, and they will be more likely to fall prey to the pressures of a travel checklist and the self-imposed need to "see it all" - notwithstanding your admonition to the contrary.
Travel can be such an enriching experience, but if our focus is on "the sights," we cannot but turn a vacation into a superficial Instagram log (and all the time pressures that go with it), to wit...
Eiffel Tower - check. The Seine - check. The Louvre - check. The Arc de Triomphe - check.
Granted this is subjective to some degree, but when I first visited Amsterdam, I made a point NOT to research everything. I did some modest reading, but part of the pleasure of my travels is the serendipity it affords. When it comes to cities, I think more in terms of "urban spelunking." After all, in the industrial West, we live such regimented lives in a tyranny to the clock, and the last thing I want to do is to shackle my vacation travels with this same unforgiving orientation to time.
Of course there's nothing wrong with seeing the sights. I enjoy this myself. But if by taking a more relaxed approach I happen to miss a few of them, it's completely okay. I don't need to see everything. I'm more likely to experience the richness of a new country by setting down the guide book and meeting the place on its own terms. Besides, in the case of my trip to Amsterdam, I happened by chance upon a cafe and pub that I learned later was featured in one of the guide books anyway.
Sure, for some things (such as the Anne Frank House or Van Gogh Museum), one may want to make specific plans ahead of time - as you advise. But the beautiful freedom that comes when time stops and we no longer need worship at the altar of a rigid schedule far exceeds the value of a given tourist sight.
My trip to Ecuador is a case in point. An unwavering allegiance to a guide book would have diminished the experience I took from the Ecuadorian culture and people.
Still, to each their own.
Thanks for your excellent channel and the contributions you make.
Thanks so much. Headed to Prague then down the Danube next month. So excited! We travel a lot and your videos are alway incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Glad i could help!
Have a great trip!
A great video! I just came home from a trip to Croatia and Montenegro, and getting ripped off at a restaurant in Kotor still haunts me (prices were higher than advertised). It's just sad how the mind gets focused on one single bad aspect even though I did have a great time for the rest of the trip.
Like your channel ❤
Great video!!! This one was speaking to me in many ways lol
Awesome video, love the editing and detail put in. Also wanted to say a massive thank you for the amazing videos you have made because they are proving very useful in the planning of the trip me and my mum are doing so thank you so much 😁
The Fallen Angel statue near the Leaning Tower of Pisa was neat.
A big mistake I have made is not researching the public transport system beforehand. I went to Olbia, Italy last year and found that the buses that go south of the city weren't part of the Olbia district bus service (and the whole time we were there we couldn't figure out how that bus system worked) which stoped us visiting some towms we wanted to see. The bus service with in and to the north of the city was very cheap though and we ended up using that a fair bit although the services are quite infrequent so you always need to have your eye on the time.
Keep the place a secret. Rental car is a must there.
@@Originalman144 Yeah, we did find that out before hand, unfortunately me and no one I went with had diving licences.
I'm quite the seasoned traveler, yet last week in Tokyo made the mistake of not pre-booking tickets for TeamLab Planets. Thought I would be able to get tickets at the spot, and clearly thought wrong, as those were all sold out....
Another lessons learnt re: money, only make cash withdrawls from bank atms on days they are open.
I made the mistake of trying to withdraw money from a bank atm on the weekend & it ate my debit card.
With no-one around to assist, all I could do was call my bank to reissue a new card while living on a smaller budget for that part of my trip.
I love your channel❤❤🎉
Many years we tried taking a train from Paris (Gare du Nord) to Bremen, Germany. Little did we know only half of the train went to Bremen, the other half where we were split and our half dead ended in Brussels. To make matters worse there was no direct train from Brussels to Bremen. We first had to go to Cologne, Germany then another train to Bremen. Certainly an adventure.
One of the things I never get is (and you touched on)....who orders stuff to be delivered WHEN THEY KNOW THEYLL BE GONE?! if I know I'll be in Italy for a week, im not ordering anything to the house. Not just for safety but what do I need it for?
The worst is people who don't interact with local people, not eating the local food, not trying the local language, and going where everybody else is going (other tourists).
One thing I do is look on google maps, zooming in and out to see what pops out before I go on a trip. That is how I discovered a rock climbing gym I visited while in Vienna.
I also love visiting bookstores and record/dvd stores, so I always try to find where those are before I go. They are usually in the local neighborhoods.
The first one I'm 100% guilty of and from experience, I can definitely understand what you're saying. For example, I may get a day or flexi pass that allows me unlimited train travel across a wide area, so I would visit about 3 or 4 cities in a day spending an hour walking around each and taking pictures, maybe chilling out somewhere to enjoy the view while I get a bite to eat, then heading back to the station to get a train to my next destination. It's nice for getting a quick feel of different places (helping me decide which ones I want to visit properly later on) and enjoying the variety of trains I ride on and their routes. However, I found that on daytrips where I focus on a return trip to one city to explore properly for 5 or 6 hours (rather than 1 or 2 hours each for many), I generally have a much better experience with the place and have more breathing room to relax and take in what that city has to offer. On the other hand, if I try to do too much in one day, there's too much tension and rushing about that doesn't allow me to properly enjoy the place as much as I want to, especially when one delay or cancellation (or missing a particular bus/train that I needed to catch because I totally underestimated how much time I needed to explore the city centre) can have a knock-on effect on the entire plan altogether.
Hey Mark, awesome video and great tips.
Showing up at the wrong airport (Shanghai). Left our hotel so early we were able to take the bus between the international airport and the domestic airport.
A big one is not going with the flow. I had a riverboat ride cancelled in New Orleans due to a hurricane warning and just found something else to do with my evening before everyone was ordered inside to wait as the storm passed. A bunch of other people swarmed the tour guide to complain - really counter productive and not very friendly either!
I'm going to fly into New York City to see the sights for the day before going to Disney world the next day followed by Hollywood the day after.
Do you really think you can cover the U.S from East to West coast in 3 days ? Exhausting.
I would plan to spend at least 3 days in each place. And you still won't see it all.
My very recent travel mistake: not checking when are national holidays in the destination country, because it can be ether overcrowded or it can be dead quiet. In Europe, some countries close on Sundays. So, have to plan accordingly e.g. arrive on Monday and leave on Saturday.
Also a lot of Europeans take the whole month of August off to holiday. Then they travel they usually go to the US, or to a beach town/resort, or camping somewhere along the meditation or Swiss Alps. But the cities, like say Florence, where many Americans may travel to will be empty. The tourist places will be open, of course, but the local restaurants, cafes and shops - the authentic places where the locals go, will be close the entire month, due to Europe more lax vacation polices.
@@DrVVVinK You could try Croatia, Montenegro. Hot in August but everything is pretty much open.
I'll be leaving to the US on June 14th and I've already got the letters for my neighbors ready, including emergency contact information, to let them know as I won't be back until September 7th. A friendly couple I know in the US is planning to travel to Amsterdam in December, so we've already planned a session with them where I'll be giving them some advice. After all, I was born here and I've lived here for 57 years 🙂 I would have volunteered to show them around, but I'll likely be back in the US by the time they get here 🙂
Hi, Mark. I really enjoy your videos and tips. One question: I'm planning a trip to Paris and would like to try some French foods. However, I am a vegetarian. Any suggestions for this plant-based eater? Thanks. Best to the family.
Traveled to Vegas for the first time in 22 and didn’t check the weather, we were totally unprepared for 40f and raining the whole weekend and we thought we were seasoned travelers 🤦🏽♂️
My neighbors were great when we had to go to Milan. Lol my mom's best friend came to check on the house and my neighbor didn't know her. She told me he gave her such a look 😂. My aunt didn't get the same treatment because she looks like us (we're Chinese). 😁. Also a good idea to bring back a little something as a thank you!
It's actually good that most tourists continue to eat in/near tourist spots because imagine if there is a drastic shift to the non-tourist eateries, it's going to intrude on the lives of the locals, yet again.
Touche
Mark! you da man! I want to travel a lot and have a family just like you!
Mark is the man. If he hosted a meetup to grab a beer in Chicago or Europe I would go.
A pair of Birkenstock is essential - comfy in most situations! You can walk all day in them! [ + they last forever!]
I agree and Birkis can come in prints and patent leather. I love mine for years and one can even have them resoled. Fashionista blogs say not chic? Closed toe shoes are needed for airports as I have stubbed my toes or had them stepped on and of course and hiking.
We were definitely burned out on our US West Coast round trip. Spending about minimum 6 hours driving daily and maybe 4 hours per park. For 2 weeks. No Ragrets 💅
I saw St. Louis and its Gateway Arch when I heard the mention of Natchez. The only commonality between the two is that they're on the Mississippi River, that's it.
Love the new graphics look
The boys always wearing the fire soccer jerseys ❤ 🔥
When packing, there are three piles: What you will definitely use (5 days of clothes only); what you might use; and just in case. You don't need "What you might use", if you need it, then go buy it. The only "just in case" thing you must take is medicine (and take several days more than you might need, in case of delays) any thing else, if you need it, go buy it and you will have a souvenir of your trip. I've never been anywhere in the world, where I couldn't get what I need. Any seasoned round the world traveler will tell you "Take more money, take less stuff." I might disagree about staying outside of the center of a city to save money. I stayed in Toledo instead of Madrid and loved it. However, I also stayed at Place d'Italie instead of the Left bank in Paris and regretted it.
I can't believe you said Natchez, MS was cool. 😅 I'm a government contractor and was sent there for work for 3 weeks, and I was ready to jump off a bridge! 😂
Thanks for promoting public transportation
When i went to cabo verde in november 2021 then i got surprised.
The souvenir sharks overcharging, it makes the airport the cheapest place and the local guy leading you to a store making you spend there...
I am of to thailand and i booked my airport transfers in advance through get your guide app.
Some moments are expensive tutor moments where you pay a lot to learn a simple thing...
My wife and I were in Italy and got screwed by a worker in an ice-cream shop . Long story but ended up paying 30 euros for two cones! She was pissed but I just laughed and vowed to start paying more attention! No sense in letting some little scam artists spoiling my vacation!😊
Awesome video Mark, you've mentioned a lot of these in other videos and this is a fantastic summary. I'm saving this one to my travel favorites and I'll share on LinkedIn as that's the only social media I do anymore.
Another surprise restaurant charge to Americans if they do fast food whether it's McDonald's or Quick burger in France, at the latter in 1988 there was I believe a 5% charge for dining in. I think I saw the same at Supermac's in Ireland which by the way has a fantastic chicken sandwich at the one I tried in Limerick. And if you really Miss American food in Ireland there isn't a Supermac's anymore without a Papa John's, for better or worse.
Regarding packing you said exactly what one of our professors said: consider everything you plan to take and cut it in half. On my second college trip the professor strongly encouraged one large backpack. We all did and then when it was time to move on the term became "turtle up!"
My second college trip was 9 weeks total, the first 4 weeks in Scandinavia, 24 days in the Soviet Union, and time in Germany. Before going to the USSR we packaged up souvenirs in Helsinki and mailed them home so we had room for all those super cheap Soviet pins, banners, flags, and posters which we still have.
On our two week trip to Ireland I packed enough socks and underwear for 4 days and used the free hotel shampoo to wash them. That helped me save some packing room too.
Yes! I had an embarrassing moment in England last year when my cards were blocked by my bank and I had to ask my ‘I just met them three days prior’ friends to pay for lunch.
All because I didn’t tell my bank I was travelling. Won’t make that mistake this year…
Don't feel bad. I did notify Bank of America exactly when and where I would be in India, and they still blocked my card and left me in the same situation you were in. I contacted them when I got home and told them what happened, and they told me that they sometimes lock the card anyway "just as a precaution."
@@snowangelnc dump bank of America.... they took the bailout and steal your money.
Another basic tip: don't drink to much in a foreign country, without local friends there. You need to be fully aware if you slip up somehow.
I have travel around the world two times. What is said in this video is true for first time travelers. My traveling has always been, get a hotel in city center. Yes, I pay more but most sites, activities and restaurants can be walked if not a short public transport ride. If I like a country, I will go again away from the well-known cities and emerge myself into the country culture. Key is to have a good translator and laugh a lot. Do not take anything said personal. You are the guest to enjoy the experience.
Rwanda 🇷🇼 🎉❤
I mistake I think people make is just eating by the tourist spots. I've had amazing food in small hole in the walls that was where locals ate
Good tips, Mark, especially about scheduling too much. One of my best vacations was to Florida: one day Disney, one day pool, etc.
Getting local is good but doing the big sights also. It’s a balance.
And every shred of research helps. Happy travels! Thanks!! 🇺🇸🇩🇪🇫🇷
I agree to pretty much everything on this list, except for the ”dont expect your card or phone to work where ever you go” - unless your going somewhere exotic, you will be able to pay with your card pretty much anywhere in the world today. And same goes for using your phone, just check that roaming is on. Dont know about the phone costs if your american going to europe, but for europeans the phone costs are not going to be high unless you go out of your way to make it expensive. You can use your phone without worrying.