The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
The 10 mistakes we keep making on our travels
Night flights. Arriving at the airport early. Over-packing. We’ve all done it, says Nick Trend – but how do we stop?
Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results… is that the definition of insanity, or is it just what we always seem to do when we travel? Here are some of my worst failings, combined with others I know only too well.
1. Getting to the airport too early… Guilty. I instinctively calculate the worst-case scenario for a delayed journey to the airport and add that to a two hour check-in recommendation. The result? I am nearly always through security two and a half hours before take-off. Add in the inevitable delayed departure and… you do the maths. The cure: I wish I knew.
2. …or too late We all know those eternal (and deeply foolhardy) optimists who calculate the fastest possible journey time to the airport and assume arrival an hour before take-off. The result? Perpetual stress and the occasional missed flight. The cure: Leave home an hour earlier.
3. Flying early-morning… It’s so tempting. That 7am EasyJet departure not only costs £30 less but also gets you there mid-morning – to enjoy an extra half-day on holiday. The reality is that you will have to get up at 3.30am and will barely sleep. Your first evening in your destination will be a write-off. And you have children? What on earth were you thinking? The cure: Work out when you will have to get out of bed before booking.
4. …or late evening It’s so tempting. That 9.30pm Ryanair return not only costs £30 less but also means you can lie on the beach until 6pm on your last day. The reality is that you will get back to Stansted at 23.45 (if on time) and won’t be home until 2am – if you make the last Stansted Express. The cure: Fly home mid-afternoon.
5. Riding the red-eye Fly overnight and you will barely sleep, groggily hating every moment. You will be exhausted either when you arrive on holiday, or when you return home.
The cure: There is often a workaround. Coming back from New York? Most flights are overnight, but United has a 9.30am departure landing at Heathrow at 9.40pm. On other long-haul routes, a well-judged stopover is the answer.
6. Impulse buying in Duty Free You have an hour to kill at Manchester Airport. You spot a bottle of PiperHeidsieck Cuvée Brut Champagne at £32.89 in the duty-free shop. It must be a bargain; it’s duty-free! You snap it up, lug it about in your hand baggage. And then you pop into Sainsbury’s when you get home and find it is on offer for £29. The cure: Google before you buy. Better still, just don’t buy.
7. Packing too much Too many clothes, too many books, too much paraphernalia. The instinct to cater for every contingency means you struggle to get the suitcase zip done up. The cure: Lay everything out on the bed, then put 10 things back in the drawer. Take a tiny sachet of detergent; you can always wash things out and dry them on the hotel towel rail.
8. Packing in too much Cultural overload kills the joy of discovery. There is a limit to how much we can take in on a single visit, but the fear of missing out overrides it.
The cure: Remember, less is more.
9. Assigning the wrong roles Map-reading. Bargaining. Resolving conflicts or complaints. Usually, in any couple (or group), one individual is better suited to the role than the other(s). But they often end up sidelined. The cure: Take a long, hard look at yourself and step back – or step up.
10. Taking your laptop on holiday What are you doing? Are you insane? The cure: See a psychiatrist.