Eight terrible pieces of travel advice everyone gives

The minute someone finds out you are going on a trip, they seem to have a vast array of travel advice, even if they have never been to the destination or have no experience with the type of trip you are planning. You know: It’s the person who tells you not to talk to the locals, the one who tells you to stay on the resort or the one who thinks every place is dangerous and you will end up being captured and taken hostage.

Everyone has an opinion about travel. Some of the advice is wise, but some of it is unfounded and based on misinformation. Here are some of the most common pieces of travel advice you may hear but shouldn’t take:

1. Don’t go there, it’s dangerous: As soon as you mention wanting to go to a far-away destination, someone will tell you not to go there because it’s dangerous. If you took this advice, you would never travel anywhere – anywhere could be dangerous. Just take normal safety precautions to avoid potential travel threats.
2. Use traveller's cheques: Traveller's cheques were popular in the past, but today, they will likely limit your options. They can be expensive and difficult to redeem, as many locations don’t accept them anymore. Besides, ABMs are available in most locations around the world, which means you’ll have access to cash when you need it.
3. Pack clothes for all seasons: While it’s important to be prepared, trying to pack for all seasons could be a mistake that will have you lugging around more than you need. It will not only be an inconvenience, it will also likely be more expensive, as you will pay more in baggage fees. A better approach is to travel with clothing that can be used in various weather conditions and situations.
4. Do it while you are young: While this advice does have some merit, why would you limit travel to when you are young? This makes the assumption that travel is more difficult when you get older and that you should limit what you do.
5. Don’t trust anyone: People are more generous than we sometimes given them credit for. Travel will teach you just how kind people from all over the world can be.
   “Experienced travelers will tell you they’ve often been targets for strangers’ generosity and unrequited love. Trust your gut instinct when you rely on the trust of a stranger. As always, safety here comes down to common sense. However, if you travel abroad with the attitude that nobody is trustworthy, you’re in for a very lonely trip,” says Megan Jerrard in Elite Daily.
6. Book the hotel when you get there: If you followed this advice, you could find yourself in a very compromising situation. You could even find yourself in a situation where are wandering around with your luggage, looking for a place to stay.
7. You need lots of money to travel: There are countless ways for people to travel on a budget. Once you establish your budget, do some research to find out where you can go; there is always somewhere you will be able to travel.  While it may be more difficult to book everything you want to do during your trip, you can make it work.
8. You don’t need travel insurance: You knew this terrible advice would be on the list somewhere. Travelling without travel insurance is a mistake you don’t want to make. If you require emergency medical care, it could be a mistake that ends up costing you thousands of dollars.

If you are planning a trip in the near future, make travel insurance part of your trip planning. Get a free quote from Blue Cross and travel with the peace of mind in knowing that we have you covered, no matter where you travel.