Travel Smarter, Not Harder: Lessons Learned and My Top Picks!
Travel can be unpredictable and throw us curveballs. We all dream of seamless adventures, but sometimes, unexpected hitches can quickly turn a dream trip into a traveler's worst nightmare. I've certainly had my share of bumps in the road, but each misstep has offered a valuable lesson. In this post, I'm sharing that hard-earned wisdom from my real-life travel mishaps, along with my top picks to help you sidestep similar pitfalls and journey smarter, not harder.
My journey from Paris to Amsterdam took an unexpected turn when my bag was stolen on the Eurail. I had stored it on the rack above the seats across the aisle from me, thinking I could keep my eyes on it during the ride. Unfortunately, the police explained that people often hop on the train quickly at stops, grab bags, and hop back off just as fast. I never found my bag, and while we reported it to the police in Amsterdam, there was nothing they could do.
💡Lessons Learned:
Always take a bike lock and lock your bags to racks when you travel by train.
Always have travel insurance. The cost to fully insure can vary significantly, but generally, it ranges from 4% to 12% of your total trip cost.
⭐My picks:
Isla's wallet vanished on the subway in Rome – a harsh reminder that popular tourist destinations are also hotspots for pickpockets. She was even wearing a cross-body bag on the front of her body. A group of people caused a commotion on the train and started pushing. Isla took her hand off her bag to brace herself when she got shoved so she wouldn't fall, and that's when the thief took her wallet.
💡Lessons Learned:
Always wear your purse on the front of your body and do not take your hands off the bag in large crowds.
Always have travel insurance. A recurring theme.
⭐My picks:
I packed my Bala ankle weights with great intentions to work out in the hotel room. The airport authorities thought they were bombs in each location when I arrived, so I was searched by the bomb squad and bomb-sniffing dogs in every city.
💡Lesson Learned:
Take exercise bands and/or sliders when you travel. They are much more lightweight and cannot be mistaken for bombs.
⭐My picks:
Last year, when we went on a Mediterranean cruise, our flight from Dallas to Istanbul was delayed. We made our connecting flight, but our bags did not. We were in Athens for three days without any clothes or personal items, so we had to do some emergency shopping. Our bags still hadn't made it to us before we had to board the ship for our cruise, finally being delivered on day three of the cruise. We were without our clothes for over six days, all because we hadn't packed extra clothes in our carry-on bags. The airline only covered $250 for us to buy clothes and essentials, which barely covered the basics.
💡Lessons Learned:
Always take one or two pairs of clothes in your carry-on bag, along with your toiletries and medications, if you plan to check a larger bag. You can always do laundry later!
I repeat….Always have travel insurance.
⭐My Picks:
