Describe your first-time traveler mistakes

Does it have to be only on the first European trip? I still make mistakes, including that I still overpack.

First trip to Paris, we booked an air/hotel package, didn't investigate the hotel much
and it cost too much.
It turned out to be a soulless business-style or tour group style hotel, with modern white plastic furniture, in an inconvenient location in the southern 14th.
It wasn't a disaster, but it certainly didn't enhance the trip. Taught me to investigate hotel locations on my own and to not trust travel agents, (that was pre-internet access.)

I was 21 and on my way to Spain with 3 girlfriends and I didn't bring an emergency change of clothes on the plane with me. So when someone spilled their tomato juice all over me, I just had to live with it. I cleaned it up as well as I could but basically I had to finish the flight, do the cab ride, and check into my first European hotel with a big red stain down my front. And I so badly wanted to look like a sophisticated European traveler! Now I always bring at least a sweater or jacket that can cover up any disasters that may occur.

I was lucky because my first trip to Europe was to stay with a friend who lives in Switzerland. So I didn't have to plan much or figure out the logistics most people do the 1st time around.

First trip to Venice, Italy. DH and I were so thrilled with being on the Grand Canal just outside the train station that we stood on the vaporetto landing waiting for it to begin moving. Apparently, all my research of the vaporettos beforehand was deemed useless once the magic of Venezia hit me.

Luckily it wasn't long before the actual vaporetto showed up and we realzed our error.

On my first trip to Europe, Spain 2001, I took traveler's checks and have never since. What a waste of time when the ATM is so much more convenient!

And I tried the Rick Steves thing of using a backpack. I ended up purchasing another bag and a folding luggage cart as my back pained carrying that thing around like a pack mule.
The best thing I think I did was take a journal and write daily. I love reading it and reliving the trip. I do this with every big trip now but rarely write in a journal while at home.

Statia reminded me that on our first trip to Venice (just this year) on our first day there it started to rain hard. We thought we'd take the vaporetto back to our hotel but got on going the wrong way and had to go the full length of the Grand Canal and back. Still, it turned out to be a long, romantic ride on a rainy Venetian evening so how could we complain?

My big mistake was to trust a travel agent with reservations - I didn't have a computer yet. She only made plane (good!) and hotel (so-so) reservations, so the trip was not bad.

My wise decisions always are: just get up and go somewhere you haven't been before

We have made several big mistakes, and we still make mistakes, but live and learn, right?

Our first trip to Europe was a trip to London. We decided to rent a car and drive it around the countryside one day (checking out stonehenge, Cardiff, etc.), drive it back to our hotel in London, and drive in the direction of Leeds Castle the next day. Well, the biggest mistake was driving in London, of course. It was a horrible mess of a situation, and now we avoid driving in Europe's major cities at all costs.

On our first trip to Rome, we booked a hotel that was supposed to be "1/2 mile from the Colloseum". Well, let me assure you that the Domus Sessoriana (near Santa Croce in GeruSalemme) was nowhere near much of anything. While it wasn't a horrible situation (we were near the S. Giovanni metro station), it wasn't within walking distance of much. Like elaine, we too research our hotels more thoroughly before we book.

The last major mistake we have made is trying to do too much. Sure, you could do 3 cities (and numerous daytrips) in 10 nights but it left us exhausted. We have also learned to cut some of the daytrips down and at shorter distances (for example, 3 hours drive to Cesky Krumlov from Salzburg was not an ideal daytrip).

We discuss what we would do different after every trip we take, and learn from our mistakes and experiences.

Tracy

Edward, I was right there with ya, the overpacking thing was the first and last time time I made that particular mistake.

It is always a quest of mine to pack lighter and lighter each time I travel, lol. I am rather obsessed with it, ha. However, my obsession has paid off because I find that I can often pack lighter each and every time.

Looking forward to read the rest of the posts on this thread.

Thanks, Tiff

Faina, Oh, heavens indeed, I have made that whole 'trusting the travel agent' mistake too. Booked with an agent when I too young and naive to know any better. NEVER made that mistake again. One of the things that led to Fodors so long ago, from that point on, I did every bit of research and booked it all by myself.

Statia, I loved that story of yours, I remember it from another post, and it is so cute. I am sure it wasn't cute at the time, lol, but it is precious, and I loved hearing it again.

My rookie traveler's mistake (and I still haven't learned): if you see something you really want that you can't get at home - buy it. It won't be there later that day.

Not sure if I would qualify for this thread as I just returned from my "rookie trip!" But I would say my biggest mistake was not throwing in those extra pair of khakis that I was going to at the last minute before I left and everyone told me not to. I was trying to do the "pack light" thing, and it back-fired. I was bored to tears with my wardrobe, and the weather turned suddenly cool, and I only had 2 pants (very lightweight!) to wear - all the while thinking of my nice khakis hanging in my closet at home!

Best decision was to go ahead with the road trip through Spain idea that my S/O originally had. I really thought the public transportation that everyone had told to do was the way to go, but he was insistent and I am so very, very, very happy we did it his way! The trip was absolutely perfect because we got to do what we wanted, when we wanted, at our own speed!

Ira,
This is my rule at home too -- if you love it and can afford it, buy it when you see it. It won't be there when you go back.

But it's especially true when traveling. I can't tell you how many times I've regretted not buying some little thing that just cost a few dollars. In fact, when I was in a minerals store on the main square in Taos, I saw a little metal standing frog that was a sphere holder. I've been obsessed with it ever since. If anyone knows where I can get one...

Overpacked
Took traveler's checks
Bought roundtrip ticket instead of investigating open-jaw
Hadn't found this Forum yet (it took until '99)

I too agree with ira. If you want it and it's within reason, buy it, and it's a lesson I also keep forgetting.
Sometimes on a trip I see the expenses mounting up, and I start to be concerned, and then I see something that really is reasonably priced, or memorable, and I forego it. Either I then obsess about it and in my mind, it becomes the biggest lost opportunity of all time, or, it just becomes an unnecessary regret.

And to follow on ira's comment, if you go back to the store later, the item will either be gone, or the store will be closed.

Glad you got a chuckle again, Tiff. I actually pride myself on mass researching and being prepared in order not to make rookie mistakes, so thankfully that was one of our few in all our trips.

I'm sure I'll be in for a new one or two on our upcoming trip, even though we've been to Venice already. I'll report back!

Good question. My first trip to Europe was to Spain in 2000. I went with two friends, which in itself was a mistake. They are best friends, even though I've known both of them longer than they've known each other. I often felt left out, and it put a strain on us (no worries; we're all very close now). Even without that dynamic, I prefer to travel alone or with an even number of people. No matter how many go along, I believe it's important to discuss the trip and potential problems before you leave and to travel with people who have similar temperants, travel philosophies, energy levels, etc.

For a variety of reasons, I didn't do a lot of planning for the trip and I had only a vague sense of what to do and see. None of us were very prepared, and it showed. It seemed like we went around in circles much of the time. I'm all for spending a certain amount of time with no real agenda, but I think it helps to know something about the city, it's attractions, layout, neigborhoods, restaurants, etc. I do a fair amount of planning and research when I travel now. In fact, I have the opposite problem now in that I become obsessed!

Third rookie mistake is that we took a tour bus, organized through the company from whom we'd purchased our hotel/air package, from our resort in the south of Spain to Seville. The bus ride took FOREVER because we had to pick up groups of two and three in all these little towns. Many of the people on the bus were rather petulent, and after a short time, my nerves were frayed. Once we got to Seville, we barely had four hours before we had to return to the resort. It was a long and tedious day.

A suprisingly wise decision was to bring my checkbook. I presumed that I'd be able to get money from an ATM. Well, my friends didn't have any problems but I did. I ended up having to write a check at an American Express office to get cash. Now I always have a "backup" plan for money when I travel.

Hello Edward, the biggest mistake ever made was not the first trip to Italy. It was a later trip.

Before then I was always so organized. Clothes planned out way in advance, small size toiletry items purchased etc.


Well guess I got a bit cocky about the whole idea of going to Italy. I didn't plan anything. The Friday evening before our flight out very early Sunday morning I figured we would get packed, do what ever shopping had to be done Sat. morning etc.

First of all we had a terrible plumbing problem with one of our rentals. Got home Friday night close to midnight. OK, no problemo, will pack Saturday morning, do the bit of shopping Saturday afternoon, pack the carryons.

Saturday arrived and so did all kinds of family members and friends. It was like a wake, LOL. People in and out all day without a break because they all wanted to see us before we left and wish us a wonderful trip.

OK, figured I would pack Saturday evening, figure out the carryon's somehow. One needs to stay relaxed, right?

Saturday evening the phone rings. One of the married children wants to come back to the house, they have a little going away present for me. They arrive and stay and stay and stay! I guess I din't "kick" them out as by this time we were like zombies.

Around midnight we started packing. What a mess, LOL. We finally got the packing done and the carryon's packed (with large bottles of shampoo etc.

Finished at 4:00am and had to leave the house at 5:00am to get to SFO. That gave us a whole hour for showers, dressing, locking up the house etc. etc.

We already had jetlag when we arrived at SFO BEFORE our flight to Italy.
When we arrived at Malpensa one of our friends was there to meet us. We were not expecting him. He took one look at us (he was on the tarmac when we got off the plane because he worked for an airline) and said "oh my goodness, I see you had a really terrible flight!!" I am sure we looked like we had died hours before and didn't know it. And you cannot believe how heavy the carryon's were!

Believe it or not we never even took a nap that day. Just got to the hotel in Milan, unpacked, showered etc. and took off with our friend for wine and lunch. Fortunatly we were staying in Milan for a few days so we didn't pick up the rental car immediately. I am sure we would have been an accident waiting to happen!

I laugh now but I sure didn't that weekend. Lesson learned. Always pack ahead of time. And tell everyone that you will not be available the day before you leave. Wise travel planning to all!

LoveItaly, LOL!
I have been known to tell some friends and family that I'm leaving a day earlier, and returning a day later, than I really am. Gives me some prep and decompression time. If I change my mind, I can always say 'oops, sorry, I gave you the wrong date.'

Of course that was a problem once when a friend sent flowers to my hotel, and I wasn't due there until the next day.

Hi elaine, that would be my luck
I have thought of giving wrong dates but have to tell the dear children the correct ones and they are such blabbermouths, LOL, I know I will end up getting "caught". Isn't life great?

First trip to Europe we traveled with friends we had never traveled with before FOR THREE WEEKS in Italy. They hated everything about Italy that we loved, hated traveling in general and pretty much hated us by the time we got home.

The friendship survived (after we stayed away from each other for about a month) but we certainly learned a lesson. Havn't traveled with anyone since.

That old saying "you never really know anyone till you travel with them" is so true!

If you have seen my ongoing Italy trip report, one needs not be a first-time traveler to make a "rookie" mistake. This was my 13th visit to the continent, but it was the FIRST time I ever filled the car with the WRONG gas.

My biggest rookie error was definitely over-scheduling and not staying long enough in one place, but at least I was very young and could keep up with my blistering itinerary.

Not the first trip, but a memorable one: long ago, before there was an Internet or Fodors forum. Lived in England, and we used to drive to the Mediterranean (usually Italy) for summer vacation-on-the-cheap. One year we decided to go to Spain instead: drove south across France, and wanted to see the Camargue -- it sounded gypsy-romantic. We decided to stay at Stes Maries de la Mer. In summer. Little did we know that there was a MAJOR festival that week, and every hotel for miles around was booked solid. Couldn't find a place to stay, so all we could do was park in a safeish (we hoped) place out of the way, near the marshes, and sleep in the car. Since we weren't paying for a hotel, we splurged on a lovely seafood meal, and tried to settle in to sleep.

It was a warm summer night, but the mosquitoes were out in great force so we had to keep the car windows closed. No a/c. And then we developed a touch of "la turista" from our lovely seafood dinner, too...

Won't make that mistake again. Maybe that's one reason why I obsess about research these days!

My very first trip abroad (from England to Germany) was when I was 9. It just didn't occur to me that folks in Germany would speak a different language from me, and therefore all their books would be in that language, too. (I was a bookish only child, never travelled without stuff to read -- still don't.) I quickly read through all my books, and was stuck. As chance would have it, my parents had become friends with some American airmen stationed in Wiesbaden (they seemed very exotic to me). These guys were very kind, and took pity on my plight; they took me to the PX, where I was stunned by the wealth of books to choose from. (I still remember the pictures of "exotic" things like pumpkins and fire hydrants!)

Maybe that's where I first envisioned the US as a place where I could live (and now I do). Funny how life works out.

Eating habits!

1. Not knowing how to eat a pizza! In Switzerland, they make them for one person and you eat it with a knife and fork. Twenty years ago, when I came to Switzerland, people glared at me for cutting slices and eating them by hand. Now nobody really cares and I still make slices (although I've also learned to use my knife and fork).

2. How to eat with a knife in your left hand and your fork in the right. It's very handy because you can use your knife to scoop food on your fork or cut pieces as you eat. Sure didn't do that in the states.

3. Have both hands on the table when eating. I still tend to keep my left hand in my lap and eat with my right hand. You don't see that here!

4. Don't drink your wine till you've toasted everyone. A big no-no.

5. The Swiss put their knife and fork together in the plate when they are done. To show they want more (or aren't finished), the knife and fork are crossed on the plate.

6. Don't eat and run. Enjoy your seat in the restaurant. It's there for you the whole evening. No talk about customer turnover here.

Since I ate with the locals (my relatives) from the beginning of my visit, I was immediately made aware of the differences.

Also: when you enter a room of people when visiting someone, you have to shake everybody's hand (or give them the three cheek kiss). It's definately bad manners if you don't do this. When you leave, you need to go through the same procedure. Sometimes I really hate doing this because I can't remember everyone's names! And it's very time consuming.

A few months after my husband and I were married, we decided to take a whirlwind trip through Paris, Nice, Florence, and Munich. Neither my husband nor I were experienced travellers, we were young, and we were both so busy with school/work we didn't plan very well, i.e. no hotel reservations at all.

We flew into CDG. We caught a bus to the center of Paris and set out in search of a tourism office on foot so that we could book a hotel for the night.

We were too nervous to try riding the Metro, so we walked and walked and walked with our luggage. It was the middle of March, it was raining hard, and my brand new Bjorns cracked right across the middle of the soles. The water seeped up through my shoes until both my socks and my pant legs were soaked from the knees down.

Six miserable hours later we found a tourism office on the Champs Elysee and booked a hotel.

It was a miserable experience but a valuable one. We quickly learned how to ride the Metro and ask questions. We also plan our trips a little better now.

One of my biggest mistakes wasn't on my first trip to Europe, but on the first trip where I used the internet to do most of my planning (in 1999). I assumed the photos that hotels posted on websites were true to reality, and in a few instances, I was unpleasantly surprised when I arrived at my destination! One particular place outside of Florence was a real disaster. It looked like a very romatic and well-restored 12th century villa online (which is what it claimed to be), but it turned out to be run-down, worn and dirty. We got out of there after 2 nights into our planned 5 night stay!

Now I use every resource available to get reviews and information about places to go and stay (like this forum, for example). It's definitely worth the time and effort.

Diane

schuler, you remind me of a faux pas I did in Italy during my first visit. I knew that the hand shake (or the kisses on the cheek) were required but I did not know that to reach across someone to shake someone elses hand was a no no! I did this and my friends on the left and right of me rather stiffened. I ask one of them later and they explained. Still not sure how one does it though if you are in a group. Walk around to the other person I would imagine. I really do not know if this is just a regional thing in Italy or true throughout Italy.

The kisses on the cheek, arriving and departing. Sometimes it takes ten minutes to say hello and ten minutes to say goodbye, LOL.

[First a note about travelling with "good friends". I don't want someone reading this thread and deciding that's a bad idea. I travel with a friend and she's a terrific companion, interested in most of the same things, similar taste, likes the same restaurants, etc. It doesn't have to be a disaster.]

Now for the real mistakes:
1) Not taking time upon first arriving at the hotel to pull out my map and get oriented (Paris). Somehow I got it in my head that the hotel faced the 5th instead of the 7th. I can't tell you how many times I set out in the wrong direction and I just couldn't shake it. I've learned to ALWAYS get myself oriented right away.

2) This one's on my friend. We were at the Louvre and she went to the ladies room. I walked on into one of the wings and she caught up with me, walking behind for a while. At some point I turned around to talk to her and was surprised to see her jeans neatly rolled up...all the way to the knee!

I calmly asked, "Why did you roll up your jeans?". Well, you should have seen the look on her face...think McCaully Culken in "Home Alone" when he put the aftershave on his face! Aaaaaay! The floors had been wet in the loo. She went behind one of the Marly horses to roll them down, all the while muttering "In the Louvre, of all places!"! We still laugh out loud every time it comes up.

Oh! I left out the best part!

While she was behind the horse rolling down her pants, she put out her hand to balance and suddenly a guard was shouting, "Non, Madame, NO TOUCH!". LOL! It was the horse she was about to touch!

Arriving in Portugal after an overnight flight the same day we started a tour and I kept nodding off. Now we arrive a day or two in advance to get over jet lag.
Buying Euros at one of those money exchange places in the Atlanta airport. It is much cheaper to use the ATM when you arrive at your destination.

First trip to Europe age 21, biggest mistake, taking my younger sister.

Umpteenth trip to Europe, 23 years later, biggest joy, taking my younger sister.

Same sister, different POV...

JeanneB
I often roll up my pants on airplanes, for the same reason as your friend, when going to use the loo.
I once got off the plane that way.
Not as embarrassing as the Louvre, but still I thought they must be thinking,
"Here comes the farmer's daughter."

Not my first trip, rather later on, but the person with only 2 pair of pants above reminded me...

It *IS* possible to pack too light. I did 3 weeks in one very small duffle bag with some clothing that was brand new and didn't work out well for me. While it certainly didn't spoil the trip, I now more generously pack a 22" suitcase with clothes I know and like.

First trip to France – Where to start…. 1. Assuming my brother would a get a phone call from jail in Paris (he didn’t). 2. Smiling and saying hello to everyone just like back home in Kentucky. 3. Leaving Aunt Claire’s borrowed LV bag unattended at the train station forcing me to both work in her office for the better part of a year to repay the debt, and perhaps more tragically, wear a bright red Pedro Guerrero T-shirt and pair of Eiffel Tower boxers purchased at a tourist stand in Paris for several days on the Riviera (chic indeed, but did help with #2) until aforementioned brother resurfaced with more funds (and more Jack Daniels).

My father’s biggest mistake, sending me to Paris at 16 with my only slightly older and far more irresponsible brother.

My first trip was before ATMs and the Internet, and generally, it was swell. I "knew" London from years of studying and teaching English Lit, so that part was great. I stayed in a dorm and people who worked and went to school there were grand to me. Saw and did a lot more than if I had been in a hotel.

But mistakes came later: trusted a travel agent for a room in Paris. It was awful. Tried to find another, but didn't really know what I was doing and didn't succeed.

The biggest mistake was not researching Paris. I learned my lesson and now I am obsessed with travel research.

I'm a good light packer, but I once went to Italy with my seriously deranged brother who had brought books, but only a couple of pairs of trousers and a couple of shirts. He made my mother laugh really hard at breakfast one morning and she sputtered coffee on his shirt. Now he had one. Later that day, he broke the zipper on his pants. Oh, what a pain he was, trying to get around with one shirt and one pair of pants; being too picky to buy anything new; and trying to get his zipper replaced and shirt cleaned in tiny towns that we were passing through.

He is a strange bird. We once went to the French West Indies together, and he packed books, bathing trunks, a rubber lab apron and a gas mask. This is the utter truth, I swear.

Love the vaporetto story. I think I did the same thing waiting for it (the platform) to go.
Actually, not really European but worth a chuckle. Twenty years ago we planned to go to Egypt to see the pyramids but didn't have enough time. So we *trusted* our agent who sent us to CANCUN because there were pyramids...somewhere! She booked us in these huts that looked like big white snowballs. Everything was under construction in anticipation of the big tourist boom in Mexico so we abandoned the 'balls and wandered around Mexico. Ended up being a fabulous experience but NO MORE SNOWBALLS!! Lesson learned: do your own research.

Hi

On a first time trip to Spain recently I attended a flamenco show in Seville. It was sensational. I was so exhuberant I applauded the performers by whistling and giving the thumbs up. I thought I was being glared at but I put this down to theatrics of the performance. I later learnt that whistling at a performer signified your displeasure and that the thumbs up was a rude gesture. I now realise how close I must have been to becoming bull bait. Oh well, Ole!

We put our car key in our checked bag! We made our connection in London but the suitcase didn't. Had to wait at the airport for our bag to arrive on the next flight which thankfully was only an hour later! Now we make sure we have an extra key and didn't even check any bags on our last trip!

I was taking the bus to Paris Orly airport because many years ago, Orly Rail did not go all the way to the airport. I left my carry on bag on the bus and walked off with my suitcase. I went to check in and then I realized, my passport, and tickets were in my carry-on.

There were three different buses making the route. I waited for each one to come by and finally on the third bus, there was my carry-on with my passport and tickets. I made the flight, but don't do this today. The bomb squad will be called and your passport will be destroyed!

I've learned not to let Traveling Partner (TP)book the hotels. He does not do any research. On a recent trip to Austria iver New Years. I had all the other arrangements made. The first hotel was a recommendation from TP's friend only days before we left, it was okay. The second in Salzburg, was medicore but it was the only one available at that time (booked as we were leaving the hotel in Vienna to go to Salzburg). The third was selected by the only English speaking cab driver in Graz after we got off the train. Smokey, dingy, not at all nice. I gave him a second chance when we travelled to San Francisco ended up in Reno on a day trip(long story)at again a smokey, dingy hotel on the strip. He's now assigned the choice of an aisle or window seat on trains, planes or buses. Lesson learned.

Ditto on the vaporetto stop, waiting for it to sail away.

I packed my treasured flea market finds from Paris in my checked luggage, and arrived home without that lovely vintage wooden Peugeot coffee grinder. I now put all souvenirs in my carry-on and check an extra duffel with dirty laundry. Nothing has ever been stolen from that.

I bought the cheap seats for the ballet at the Opera Garnier in Paris. Think I paid twelve euros apiece. They were the most uncomfortable perches I have encountered in any theater anywhere. Next time I bought the expensive seats, which were comfortable with plenty of legroom.

We got on a train from Naples to Rome without validating our tickets. The other direction we had taken the Eurostar, which does not require you to validate them, so I didn't even think about it on the return. The conductor was nice and accepted my explanation that we had to run to get on the train before it left, which was true.

My biggest rookie mistake, especially since it was a winter trip, was bringing an inappropriate pair of shoes.
The shoes looked very nice, but the leather soles wore out after just a few days of walking. And the blisters were awful. Not to mention the swelling and bleeding. I had to buy a pair of walking shoes with hard rubber (slip-proof) soles in Rome. I remember very well tossing the old pair in the garbage can right outside that shoe store on Via Nazionale.

My friend and I were on a 10 day trip to Paris. We neglected to phone our airline from our hotel to check on our flight home. We schlepped pur bags down the street, boarded the Metro to the train station, took a train to the airport, boarded a bus to our airline and when my friend finally got to the ticket counter the agent said "Problem!" Our flight had been moved up and had left an hour earlier. We were not alone. A nice guy named Mark was also stranded. I was not about to board the bus/train/metro again so I left my friend with our bags and found an airport hotel and a shuttle to EuroDisney. We phoned our husbands and headed to Le Magical Kingdom!! We were out of francs, so we had to use our credit cards, but we made a new friend,had a good day and a great story to tell. The next morning we were at the airport with time to spare!!

I love these stories, even rereading them the second time!! It is always good to know that others "goof up" too, LOL! If we can all laugh at ourselves (at least later) that is great.

I thought I needed travelers' checks.
I didn't.
I also thought I needed local currency before I landed.
I didn't.
I underestimated the promptness and the usefullness of the Swiss train system.

I underestimated how much I would enjoy my trip.

I got over all of them rather quickly.

Wow, I'm so glad to see that we weren't the only ones so mesmerized by Venice that we were waiting for the vaporetto landing to "sail away."

Needless to say, we didn't make THAT same mistake on our most recent trip. I think that is a "one timer."

Rookie mistake: oversleeping
Wise decision: never give up
I was in the 10th grade and on a high school band trip- we did a European Tour in the Summer of 1984 and were there to play in honor of the 40th anniversary of D-Day at St. Lo. I was young and tired- my travel diary from the trip is hilarious because I kept track of every franc I spent, and most of it was spent at various McDonald's. Ughh!
Well, in Munich we were to play at the Olympic Place one afternoon. I was so sleepy and decided to take a nap before the performance. I didn't set the alarm and woke up startled, realizing I was very very late. I ran down to the hotel lobby and saw the buses pulling away in the distance. I was crushed and in trouble- you didn't miss a concert in that band!
I ran upstairs, grabbed all the money I had for the trip and my flute, and literally jumped in the first cab I saw. My 14 year-old-self knew not one word of German, and I just yelled "Olympic Place" over and over. The cab driver had very few teeth, and I wasn't sure if he understood me or if he was just driving aimlessly. At one point we stopped at what looked like a guard shack, and the cabbie and an official had a long conversation- and both looked at me in my band uniform as if I were fresh from Mars.
After a few minutes, I was really getting upset. Just as I was beginning to think I was out of the frying pan and into the fire, the two big band tour buses came over the hill toward the guard shack, from inside the park. I jumped out of the cab and stood in front of those buses and tossed a whole bunch of money at that cabbie. To this day I have no idea how much it was, but I know it was alot because he waved his hat and yelled Danka until I couldn't see him out the window any longer.
I got on that bus and the whole band cheered. It was one of the best concerts I've ever played- I'll never forget it!

Mistake?... Don't sign your passport. In Amsterdam my husband was trying to cash a traveler's check the bank teller told him he didn't have a valid passport. It wasn't signed!!!! We walked a few blocks to the US Embassy, where they told him to sign his, and asked about me... (outside with unsigned passport.) Luckily the same bank teller accepted the previously signed check.

BEST choice.... take the bus (coach) you can see and go to almost everywhere on the bus and meet folks along the way.

This wasn't even a rookie mistake, we've been overseas many times, but I did learn my lesson. We were in Segovia on a Sunday evening, we were going to have an early dinner and then leave town and drive back to Madrid. Our car was in the care of the hotel, so we planned on tipping the guys who parked it about 5 to 10 euros. We went to the an ATM machine down from our hotel and the machine ate the card! Now we could use a credit card for dinner, but not to tip the parking guys and I felt like it wasn't a great idea to leave town, in a foreign country where we didn't know the language and had no cash! It was Sunday and no where was open for us to exchange dollars! We ended up staying the night and now make sure that 1. we never wait until we are down to zero to get more euros, and 2 (most important), bring more then 1 ATM card!! A much bigger mistake is to assume you will have your luggage when you land. Always have something that you can keep warm with, a sweater, blanket, shawl on the plane with you, and make sure you have clean undies and a T shirt in your carry on, just in case. Trust me, wearing the same clothes for 3 days until you get your luggage is not fun.

I didn't bring enough reading materials. Everything at the train stations were foreign language except for "adult" magazines. I was so desperate for a good book, magazine, anything in English. My next trip---War and Peace???

RaleighLaura -- that story was the best!
Very very funny.

Hmm... mistakes I made.

The very biggest was not getting a Visa before I went to Europe the first time. I was a student and it was not nearly so common for college students to have a credit card then, but I could have gotten one with a few-hundred dollar limit. I was counting on the refund from my college to keep me afloat, but their bureaucracy was awful. My mom ended up sending me a bankdraft and my college had to help me get it cashed. There was a period where I was pretty broke, but it all worked out.

I also didn't buy a travel guide before my first trip. I read everything my study abroad program sent, but frankly I didn't know commercial travel guides existed. After seeing my new friends had them, I bought a Let's Go: Europe in Oxford, and everything was fine then.

My mother would say my biggest mistake was not calling her for two days when I got to London. On the first night, I had to try to call with a Sprint card and a pay phone and no one at the night desk of our hostel. I couldn't figure out even how to get the local operator. So I figured it out the next day and called her the next night.

Ira --we follow the "Moscow Rule". It is invoked in all instances when one of us sees something we love, but proceed to hem and haw over the purchase. In other words, if you see it and want it, buy it. It will be gone when you go back, so avoid the heartache and buy it NOW! Needless to say, we learned the hard way.

Very Young, very unworldly:
1) don't ask for a "restroom" in England when you desperately need a toilet/WC.
2) Those big, glass-paned hotel doors aren't as heavy as they look; don't yank hard on them (crash!)
3) those little skeleton keys in the wardrobe doors aren't really meant to be used and put in your pocket when you're out for the day ...causes great consternation among the hotel staff (and a reprimand upon your return)
4) if a male, and a chintzy one at that (my travel partner)--When you realize on the outrageously expensive Riviera that you forgot your swim trunks/costume, don't buy men's colored briefs that look like Speedos instead. When they get wet they leave nothing to the imagination as to the effect of cold water on the male anatomy. I felt bad, but I couldn't stop howling in spite of myself.

5) and lastly the one that literally almost killed me: before diving into the local Swiss Alp swimming pool, verify that it is not fed directly by a local glacier...tends to paralyze the muscles and breathing mechanism in humans.

Schuler: to add to your social etiquette faux-pas...
1) do NOT cut your lettuce, roll it and fold into a neat little package if you have to.
2) coffee is at the end of the meal, not to be consumed with dessert
3) a true "lady" does not whistle

Forgot to mention--DO NOT TOUCH THE PRODUCE! I got yelled at for touching the fruit at an open market.

First trip to Eruope when I was 16:

1) I took way too many clothes in too big a suitcase. I ended up giving a lot of them away to European teenagers I met along the way.

2) I spent way too much time, energy and money buying souvenirs for just about everyone I knew back home. Now, I buy trinkets or T-shirts at the last airport of the trip.

I multiple what Ira said. I am a HUGE shoe fanatic, and I left Italy without a single pair of shoes (or practically anything else for that matter). I found several pairs I loved in Sorrento and Rome, but didn't buy them because I was sure I would find amazing shoes in Florence. Well, we ended up hating Florence (see post about where you spent too much time!), leaving it a day early, and I came home with no shoes!!!!

Being hypogylcemic and driving around Carb-Country Ireland without a suffficient supply of protein. I don't remember parts of that trip!

There have been many, but one stands out. On my first trip to Venice, I had a great room looking out over the Grand Canal, but without air conditioning. When I went out for dinner, I left the windows open and the lights on (it was unbelievably hot in Italy that summer). When I returned, every mosquito in the city was on the ceiling of my room. It made for an itchy night.

Travelling with a person who has no humour. Avoid this at all costs!

sallyjane - ick. I get the same problems sometimes. I know to keep food on me at all times, but that doesn't make it suck any less...

My two biggest were (1) relying on travel agent to find me a hotel instead of researching hotels myself to find what I like, and (2) thinking I had to stick to my "to do" or "to see" list, even if the weather was bad or there was something else that caught my eye.

Italy for 16 nights/17 days

Minuses:

1. Overpacked

2. Ate mostly BB as already prepaid with the lodging

3. Did not use any guided tours for the " Big 3 "

4. Poor itinerary planning for 17N as packed/unpacked a zillion times, spent
too much time on trains, planned as if we'd never get back there

4Rome, 3Sorrento, 3Florence,
3Umbria, 3Venice

5. Travelers checks

6. All of the above as I didn't know about this forum yet (2000)

Pluses:

1. Flew 1st class

2. Prearranged private driver for long haul, Naples station to Sorrento hotel

3. Spontaneity

4. Learned basic phrases for manners, food, directions, etc

5. Bought a postcard to ensure a good photo of something for my journal

6. Used Fodor's guidebook.

Everything balanced out.

I'll confess my stupidest mistake and it wasn't even my 1st trip. We were on a group choir tour...Germany, Austria, Prague, Budapest. Pre-Euro, remember how many currency conversions one had to do? We had just arrived in Prague...I bought a very cheap sandwich and got the currency confused and paid with a German bill...OF COURSE the person in the shop didn't correct me. I paid about $18 for a $3 sandwich. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Cute shoes. After a week in London, I was in WAY too much pain to enjoy Paris.

Seriously, it was bad enough to do some permanent damage.

Washing dishes in fabric softener in Italy. Needless to say, my husband's underwear dried rather crispy that week since I thought the fabric softener was dish washing liquid and never used it in the washing machine.

bookmarking

First time travel mistakes??? Too big of a suitcase and a guide book with too little info. Our first trip was to Northern Spain -- it was like the blind leading the blind. We also did one night in each place which turned out to be too tiring.

Each trip since has gotten better!!

MY

On our very first trip (Switzerland), we WAY overpacked. A carryon must for the Minolta, filters, lenses, film (now it's a tiny digital). This was before rolling bags with telescoping handles, too! We had a near disaster boarding out train back to Zurich. The doors were open only seconds. When they closed, me and half the bags were on the train with the rest of the bags and my husband on the platform. Miraculously, and mercifully, the doors opened again. Worse, we had no contingency plan (or cell phones back then).

On our first trip to Paris, I decided it would be cool to fly Air France (before direct flights from Boston). We flew from Boston to JFK where we had to collect our bags and get ourselves to the international terminal, then sit around for two hours. Coming home, we sat around for three hours. From now on, it's only non-stop flights for us!

Also, that trip to Paris was booked with AAA. Just to be sure, I phoned Air France to make sure we had seats, but not until the day before departure (relying on a travel agent!). We didn't! And, we had PAPER tickets purchased in January for September. We left on a Saturday. I cannot even imagine what I'd have done if I hadn't found this out until we arrived at the airport to check in (and there would have be no getting AAA on the phone!).

I still make the mistake (though I vow not to next time) of leaving my sandals home depending upon the forecast. Nearly every trip I wish I had them. I did buy a pair in London on one trip, but still dearly wished I had my pair at home with me.

I made two very simple yet stupid mistakes initially:

Carrying around a guidebook in full view of everyone

Buying my train tickets from RailEurope

in 1994 I took a trip to Kenya. Mistake number 1, 1st leg sfo to jfk-
what a nightmare! you have to retrieve your luggage from your domestic flight, drag them miles to the international terminal, recheck the bags, horrible. I have never included jfk in any international trip since.
Mistake number two, concerned about water in Kenya, included in the above luggage was 36 bottles of water!! which of course was part of the luggage I was schlepping through jfk!

Traveling in French country-side on a Sunday afternoon. If you miss the train, it is impossible in some little towns to rent a car, there might not be any open hotels and it costs an arm and a leg to hire a cab to take you to another train station. But it makes for a good adventure story of what happened when we were stranded in whatever town it was.

Also forgetting our clean laundry at the B&B in Guernsey Island. The airline was nice enough to delay the plane while our laundry was sent in an empty taxi to the airport by the B&B owner. (always do a room check!)

And forget the backpack thing. The locals hate being hit in the head as you pass by them in your Quasimoto ensemble.

What a fantastic thread. Thanks as I'm off to Europe for the 1st time next year.

My travel mistake relates to a trip to Sth America when i was 15. My parents told me to ignore the beggars, when they weren't looking I gave the beggar kids some food, soon i was surrounded by at least 20 kids who were being very rough with me to get anything they could, my parents and several onlookers had to help.
#2 Also in Sth America, parents and brother walking a little bit ahead, me smiling flirtatiously at a bouncer, bouncer picks me up over his shoulder and starts carrying me away, my dad then has to get agressive to get me back(not in his nature).

My list of mistakes goes on but hopefully now that I'm much older and married I will be a bit smarter at least.

Oh, another travel tip-don't fly with an ear ache/ infection, my eardrum nearly paralized me with pain on landing in Tokyo and ears bled for 2 weeks.Hearing has never been quite the same again.

My first longhaul trip was to Asia and the biggest mistake was trying to do too much in too little time - Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok in 14 days and of course we wanted to see "everything"! By the time we got to our final stop in Bangkok we were thoroughly exhausted and just not in the mood to fully appreciate it.

My rules nowadays for longhaul trips are to allow at least 5 nights per destination and to build in plenty of relaxation time, particularly during the last few days, to give my aching feet and brain enough time to recover before I have to go back to work!

Yes, I remember taking traveler's checks and realizing even then that ATMs were better. But a mistake another time was leaving the traveler's checks back on the bedroom table! These days we are even bigger believers in making lists.

ozarksbill

MaddieAstrid, that sounds like some story. Care to expand?

worst mistakes: wanting to eat dinner at 5 p.m. (well, if you are used to rising at 5:30, working/maintaining a family in U.S., that's reasonable!) and thinking that tapas were free.
best: asking locals for advice anywhere (trying to speak the language)--people everywhere love to help (esp. with food advice!). And, keeping a little journal of places and impressions--a treasure to read later.

Oh, my gosh! This thread has reminded me of a disastrous but somehow still enjoyable camping trip two friends and I took in Turkey and Greece many, many moons ago--in about 1970. Apparently the Turkish gas was too low-octane for my VW 1500 and it finally died on a lonely road somewhere in the Turkish countryside. Three nice Turkish men in a Mercedes towed us for about 75 miles, using pieces of rope to tie our car to their bumper. When the rope broke, they even bought another piece from a little boy who was using the rope to tie a basket to his donkey. I kid you not.

We finally reached the hills near a town called Cannakale and couldn't go any farther, so we locked up my poor car and went into town in the Mercedes. It took all our money to repair that car. We had about $20 left to make it back to Heidelberg, where we were living.

I don't know if there's really a mistake in there. Who could know that the Turkish gas would be wrong for my car?

Like most folks, my biggest mistake was overpacking but by far the thing I won't take again is my laptop. There was a chance I might have to work while there and despite all assurances to the contrary, access in Italy was inconsistent and limited in types of service...no uploading, no downloading, basically only email. I ended up using the laptop to backup photos from my digital camera. What a huge hassle it turned out to be.

Klondike,

The glacier water in the Swiss Alps is dangerous? Has anyone had an experience with this?

My bigest mistake I ever made on A trip to Europe was not on my first but after many of them. However on this trip I had 25 young Boy Scouts on we were on our way to the Island of Cyprus.
We had a two day lay over in Paris (Planed)and asked our travel to make sure our hotel in Paris was a good one.
What she got us was right in the heart of the RED LIGHT DSTRICT. I dare say the boys thought it was very funny but I had to keep such a tight rain on my boys that they could hardly breath. The other chaperones found nothing funny about it and was alway yelling at the boys to remember they were American Boy Scouts and to act as they were proud of the fact.
I thihk we all would have had a better time if we had just laughed it off and let the boys be boys, Scouts or not.
When I traveled with Boys Scouts after that I made sure that we were in a respectable neighborhood even if it cost a little more. I have made four more Scout trips since that first one

Oh takie, your Scout story put a smile on my face as it took me back to being a teenager and volunteering to work at the world scout jamboree-ah to be that age again. You certainly would have had your work cut out for you how funny.

ttt

I was in Cannes attending a tradeshow for work and had a rental car (paid for by the company) at my disposal to use to wander through Provence for a week following my work commitments. Our last night in France was spent in Nice. The hotel instructed us to park our rental car in a nearby car park that we assumed was open 24 hours. Imagine our surprise the next morning when we realized that the car park did not open until 9:00 AM (our flight from Nice to Paris departed at 7:30 AM). We had to leave the rental car in the car park and I left the keys and a note telling them where the car was parked at the Avis rental desk (which was closed at the time). Fortunately for me, I never heard anything from either our accounting office or Avis about the fate of the car, but I was sure upset over the whole thing. What a disaster!

This is not a first time traveler mistake its a putting off shopping mistake.

In Paris Thanksgiving 05. waited to get to the airport on return to buy chocolate. The selection was terrible compared to what I found in central Paris. I was in terminal 2, NEVER AGAIN WILL I WAIT TO GET TO THE AIRPORT TO BUY ANYTHING CHEAPER. The champaign, perfum were also in sizes that encourage more money....very disappointing.

Not a first time traveler but I have not paid attention to duty free shopping in a few years,,,,won't pay attention in the future either, on return.

Unfortunately it wasn't as a first timer, but rather as a "third-timer" to Piter...

In an attempt to look European, I purchased shoes right before my trip that I thought were less Americanized... what a mistake!

Made worse by the fact that finding comfy shoes in St.Pete at the time (1995) was no easy... feat (no pun intended). So I was forced to suffer with them.

Forgive me seasoned travelers... I was only 17, afterall...

Packed far too many clothes, didnt bring enough cash all travellers cheques, and biggest mistake of all trusting airline schedules!

OUR FIRST EUROPEAN VACATION WAS IN 2000, I WAS 23 AND MY WIFE 24. WE GOT A TRAIN PASS FOR 17 COUNTRIES I THINK, THAT WAS GREAT. PACKED ONLY BACKPACKS, THAT WORKED FINE ALSO. HOWEVER I INSISTED ALL OUR CLOTHING BE WIND/RAIN PROOF AND WE WORE A TYPE OF WINTER SNOW BOOT. I WAS SURE IT WOULD BE RAINING OR SNOWING EVERYWHERE, IT WAS ACTUALLY WARMER X-MAS DAY IN FUSSEN THAN CENTRAL FLORIDA. IF WE SPENT ALL OUR TIME AT A SKI RESORT I'M SURE WE WOULD HAVE FIT RIGHT IN. STROLLING THE STREETS OF AMSTERDAM, VENICE, MUNICH, LUXEMBURG, ETC. IN OUR SKI JACKETS AND SNOW BOOTS WE STUCK OUT LIKE DORKY, MISPLACED, FASHION LESS SORE THUMBS. AFTER A WEEK OF SNICKERING AND STARES WE DID SOME SHOPPING. LAST YEAR WE VISITED ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, BELGIUM, AND AMSTERDAM AND WERE MUCH MORE PREPARED WITH OUR ATTIRE AND WERE GLAD WE WERE.

Every trip we usually make at least one big mistake. I remember my first trip to France...in Paris we had a horrible meal our first night and the service was not very good. I was told the service charge was included in the bill but it is customary to leave a few coins in any case....I left 7 small 10 Franc coins thinking it was 70 cents. The next day when I was making a purchase at a street vendor...they gave me back my change and I thought they had shorted me...when I questioned he said no madame...10 Francs these coins are worth...It struck me...Aaaahhhh!! I had tipped the waiter the night before 70 Francs...about an additional CAD18.00 on top of the included service fee for the worst meal of our trip.

A common mistake is to get on a train that says the Name of the place it came from and you thought it was the destination it was going to...make sure if you are running to catch a train and do not have time to look at the board that you check when you get on to make sure that it is going in the right direction.

Those are just one of many mistakes we have made...we are human after all.

I think about everything we've all run into has been mentioned. Our tale of whoa...is the VAT which we got schtuped on. We should probably read up on it but anyway, my wife purchased a watch (expensive) in Italy on our first trip and we should have been able to receive a VAT refund. The store owner assured her she didn't need any paperwork from him and it would all be taken care of at the airport. Well, without some needed document from the store there would be no VAT refund. Of course, you're at the airport leaving, you're not going back to the store.

First time in Paris, on my honeymoon ten years ago, I was excessively frugal with the food budget. We could have afforded to spend a lot more on gastronomic pleasures, but I was intent on penny-pinching. I simply could not let us pass up the free dinner every night at the hotel's brasserie that was included in our hotel package. As a result, my husband and I did not eat at even one Michelin three-star restaurant (nor any one-stars or two-stars). We ate "out" for dinner only on our last evening in Paris. My husband was a saint to go along with my tightwad ways. What a fool I was! This has been one of my big regrets all these past ten years.

In April 2006 we are returning to Paris, and we are going to make amends. We are going to eat well, and with a vengeance!

Love this post!

My husband and I thought our breakfast at a hotel in France was free so we each had a quick cup of coffee and a small (I mean tiny) croissant. When we checked out they asked if we took breakfast and then charged us 11 EUR each. Now we ask if it's included...

On a spur-of-the-moment trip to Ljubljana from Budapest, I failed to book a hotel room ahead (or do much research at all, for that matter). Imagine my surprise when, at 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon, we arrive to the Slovenian capital and find not one open establishment!!

(Then we stranded our car in a snow drift and had to walk 20 minutes in the rain and cold before we were able to find anything open--the most expensive hotel we've ever stayed in!)

And, that, dear Fodor-ites, is when I found this forum. (I've been addicted ever since.

A few years ago, as a "second career" I became a travel agent. Of course, all the cities have codes (CDG for Paris, etc.) and my greatest fear was in sending a client to the wrong destination. Little did I know I would do it to myself! On a trip to Italy, I booked a hotel in Pesaro, but I got off the train in Pescara (both on the Adriatic coast). I told the taxi driver the name of my hotel and he had never heard of it. After much discussion with other drivers, one said he would take me for $100. Fortunately, a nice lady overheard the converation and told me which train to take to Pesaro. I hope that is my one and only "wrong city" booking!

Ill be going in July to Europe for the first time so I am so glad to read all of your mistakes! I'm sure I'll make new ones to add when we get home

Packed too light! I went to London with a friend when I was 21 . . . the weather weather turned unexpectantly cold, and I froze. I ended up buying two extra outfits just to keep warm.

In Varenna, there are only a couple ATM machines. We were leaving early the next day and the hotel was cash only, so we headed out to find one. The one we found had some kind of buttons and safety glass doors...I guess to prevent robberies. Once we were at the ATM, the doors closed and we were effectively locked in. After the transaction, we weren't sure how to open the doors. There were two buttons, both labelled in Italian of course. I assumed one was meant to open the door and one was meant to summon the authorities, or set off some kind of alarm. If was late at night and it kind of freaked us out. We eventually chose one button by random, only to have an imposing voice come over the internal loud speaker. I couldn't tell if it was live or recorded but we were sure it was saying, "Stay where you are! Authorities have been notified and you will be indefinitely detained". We started jabbering in English and I can't remember if we stabbed at the other button, but eventually the door opened and we high-tailed it back to the hotel.

ALWAYS make sure you know where your bus stop is and how to direct the driver to let you off! On a recent cruise in the Mediterranean, my husband and I planned to disembark the ship the morning we arrived in Villefrance and take the local bus to a small stop in which we could buy tickets on another bus to go up the mountain to the Medieval town of Eze. We attempted to verify with the driver that the bus would indeed stop at the Eze stop. He seemed to acknowledge. The stop for Eze had a tiny sign that we missed seeing and the driver did not stop. Once we hit Monte Carlo, we knew we had gone too far, but were worried that if we got off the bus, we wouldn't be able to backtrack. So we stayed on until the driver hit the end of the route in Melton. He looked back and saw us and put his hands on his head and apologized. He took us off the bus and over to another. Luckily that driver spoke some English and promised to stop at Eze. They didn't charge us for the trip back and did stop to let us off. We thought we were in the clear after the almost 2 hour delay, only to find that the place to buy tickets for the second bus was closed for lunch. For another 2 hours! We wandered a small, rocky beach, as that was the only thing around us, and a few, shall I say, "mature" women were sunbathing topless (and definitely should NOT have been). Then we decided to sit on a small bench to wait for the ticket booth to open. We spent the next 90 minutes watching the cars go by, learning all of the different European car insignias. We made a game out of correctly identifying each car that went by. We were treated to a few welthy Monte Carlo-ites flying by in their Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, etc. Eze was beautiful, once we got there, and our adventure made for quite an amusing memory!

LOL, this makes me so ashamed!
But as an American - I wasn't used to change in coins... I paid for some pate, cheese and flowers with a 20 Euro bill...he handed me back what looked like quarters - I argued. Ohmymy...the look on his face! At the time, I didn't really realize there were 2Euro and 1Euro coins... duh!

On my first trip, I tagged along on a business trip to Russia with my dad, and then stopped in London on my own for ten days on the way home:

Mistakes
- Drinking the water at a Russian paper mill we visited (I got very, very sick).
- Not learning soon enough the Russian words for "I have an ulcer so, no thank you, I will not take you up on your offer of multiple vodka shots"
- Not testing the key my friend gave me to his apartment in London. I couldn't make it work and I ended up locked out for 2 hours in a dodgy neighbourhood until someone else in the building came home and opened the main door to the building.
- Deciding to stay with my ex-boyfriend in Paris for a few days, on the theory that it would be cheap and romantic.
- Using one of those convertible backpack/suitcase things. Heavy, uncomfortable. I'm now a wheelie suitcase convert.

Good decisions
- Rapidly and discreetly stowing the camera I'd pulled out in a Russian restaurant when the burly gentlemen at the table in front of us suddenly started unpacking and counting stacks of US bills after having unzipped their jackets to reveal very large handguns in shoulder holsters.
- Staying at the women's residence at Imperial College in London. Great value (about 20 pounds a night), very safe, very clean and very central. A good place for a newbie solo traveller to stay.
- Buying a cheap plane ticket to Paris on the spur of the moment.
- Dumping the ex-boyfriend (again) when I realised it wasn't going to be much fun to rehash our relationship instead of exploring Paris.

Oops, I forgot the other good travel decision - accepting my dad's offer of a free trip to Russia. I learned a lot from him (he's an experienced traveller) and we had a great time together.

Unlike many on this thread, on my first European trip (to Spain) I took the packing light admonition too seriously and to save space brought Dr Bronner's Peppermint Soap, purported to be an all-in-one soap, shampoo, toothpaste, detergent, etc. By day three, my hair had become sticky, oily ropes. Luckily, rectifying this mistake and buying shampoo in Spain was not actually difficult. My bigger mistake was focusing on budget travel for the sake of budget travel and not doing things like going to the Picasso Museum or inside Sagrada Familia in Barcelona because I wanted to save a few dollars. Stupid, and unnecessary. I had enough money to actually visit the cities I was visiting. The best thing I did--deciding to change plans and stay a few days longer than planned in Tossa de Mar (sp?) when we found it a beautiful change of pace from the bigger cities and I was captivated by my first glimpse of the crystal clear Mediterranean.

My first European trip was in 1958 as a 15 year-old exchange student. The big mistake was done many years later (and after lots more trips). It was done before Internet access and regular reading of forums such as this. Primary error - not asking enough questions.

For my husband's 55th birthday I gave him a trip on the Whisky Trail in Scotland. His goal to visit heaven on earth, The Glenlevit. My goal - visit Hill House in Helensburgh.

Using a travel agent I arranged air, train and last weekend hotel stay. The plan was to fly to Gatwick, train to Glasgow, rent a carin Glasgow, stay at B&Bs on the trail, then train back to London, spend the weekend in London, then home. Agent got us a package including air, hotel weekend and transfers to/from Gatwick. Agent also got train vouchers for London/Glasgow/London and reserved rental car. Seemed like a good deal. So what were the problems?
1) The transfers from Gatwick to hotel got us to Victoria station. Train to Glasgow left from Kings Cross. No indication in the itinerary from the agent - we figured it out while reviewing a guide book prior to landing so we had time to figure the route and had a good, easy-to-use pocket map at the ready. Fortunately we travel carry-on with wheeled bags so we made the connection with minor stress.
2) My request was to train to Glasgow (convenient to Hill House) or Edinburgh and then return to London from the other city. Because of my repeated request for Hill House, the agent chose Glasgow as our first destination and where we would pick up our car. What he didn't tell us was that the train to Glasgow is via Edinburgh. Nor did he make clear that the car whichwe were to pick up at the Glasgow airport was anotherr train connection to Paisley (ticket included) and than a bus (not included or mentioned).

In anticipation of driving on the left side for the first time, I booked a B&B fairly close to the airport so my husband wouldn't be boggled after a long day traveling. Good thinking but Ihadn't planned on arriving well after dark. We left home at 4 p.m.; we arrived in Paisley about 7:30 the following day. By the time we werea the airport and had claimed the car it was well after dark, a great intro to the UK driving style. The B&B was close and involved only 3 roundabouts before the 90 degree turn between the walled car park court immediatly adjacent to the roadway. We made it though the narrow gate without hitting either side.
3) A good sleep and a great day in Paisley before heading off to Helensburgh. House names and house numbers are not always shown on the same side of a building. Our B&B info was a number on James Street. After driving on James Street until there was no more street and then in the other direction until there was no more street and asking directions of people on the street and at the police station and post office, the owner was called and stood on the corner to wave us in. The entrance was actually on the cross street. We had a lovely stay and have since returned (see next entry). We now know how to find the place.
4) Visit to Hill House did not happen. Because we used our first full day just getting to Paisley, by the time we got to Helensburgh and to the B&B, there was only a half hour before the house closed. We decided to go the next day. The next day was Sunday, the house didn't open until 1 p.m. We decided to get on the trail. We now had an excuse for a return trip which did happen just 10 months later. I've been to Hill House and lots of other McIntosh sites and am happy.
edtravel transfers to hotel and Trip was to fly to London Gatwick. The agent included transfer for the Gatwick Exptess to Victoria Station. This trip was the last time I worked with a travel agent.

My first European trip was in 1958 as a 15 year-old exchange student. The big mistake was done many years later (and after lots more trips). It was done before Internet access and regular reading of forums such as this. Primary error - not asking enough questions.

For my husband's 55th birthday I gave him a trip on the Whisky Trail in Scotland. His goal to visit heaven on earth, The Glenlevit. My goal - visit Hill House in Helensburgh.

Using a travel agent I arranged air, train and last weekend hotel stay. The plan was to fly to Gatwick, train to Glasgow, rent a carin Glasgow, stay at B&Bs on the trail, then train back to London, spend the weekend in London, then home. Agent got us a package including air, hotel weekend and transfers to/from Gatwick. Agent also got train vouchers for London/Glasgow/London and reserved rental car. Seemed like a good deal. So what were the problems?
1) The transfers from Gatwick to hotel got us to Victoria station. Train to Glasgow left from Kings Cross. No indication in the itinerary from the agent - we figured it out while reviewing a guide book prior to landing so we had time to figure the route and had a good, easy-to-use pocket map at the ready. Fortunately we travel carry-on with wheeled bags so we made the connection with minor stress.
2) My request was to train to Glasgow (convenient to Hill House) or Edinburgh and then return to London from the other city. Because of my repeated request for Hill House, the agent chose Glasgow as our first destination and where we would pick up our car. What he didn't tell us was that the train to Glasgow is via Edinburgh. Nor did he make clear that the car whichwe were to pick up at the Glasgow airport was anotherr train connection to Paisley (ticket included) and than a bus (not included or mentioned).

In anticipation of driving on the left side for the first time, I booked a B&B fairly close to the airport so my husband wouldn't be boggled after a long day traveling. Good thinking but Ihadn't planned on arriving well after dark. We left home at 4 p.m.; we arrived in Paisley about 7:30 the following day. By the time we werea the airport and had claimed the car it was well after dark, a great intro to the UK driving style. The B&B was close and involved only 3 roundabouts before the 90 degree turn between the walled car park court immediatly adjacent to the roadway. We made it though the narrow gate without hitting either side.
3) A good sleep and a great day in Paisley before heading off to Helensburgh. House names and house numbers are not always shown on the same side of a building. Our B&B info was a number on James Street. After driving on James Street until there was no more street and then in the other direction until there was no more street and asking directions of people on the street and at the police station and post office, the owner was called and stood on the corner to wave us in. The entrance was actually on the cross street. We had a lovely stay and have since returned (see next entry). We now know how to find the place.
4) Visit to Hill House did not happen. Because we used our first full day just getting to Paisley, by the time we got to Helensburgh and to the B&B, there was only a half hour before the house closed. We decided to go the next day. The next day was Sunday, the house didn't open until 1 p.m. We decided to get on the trail. We now had an excuse for a return trip which did happen just 10 months later. I've now been to Hill House and lots of other McIntosh sites and am happy.

The good stuff: After getting over my disappointment in the lost time at the trip's start we regrouped, relaxed and went on to have a wonderful trip. We visited 11 distilleries, enjoying a wee dram at each. Ate surprisingly good food every day. We got rid of any schedule and enjoyed each day as it played out. If the "fine Scottish mist" got too intense, we'd stop in whatever village and visit the people, the pub, the parish. We close to return the car at point of pick-up and train back to London from Glasgow. Didn't make the Edinburgh visit on this trip. Decided it had been around for a long time, it would still be there when we had the opportunity to return.

What did I learn? When a train arrival time seems late , find out what's taking so long. Look over your itinerary before leaving home and compare schedules to travel documents in hand. Ask for driving directions before heading out - small villages can be confusing. If you have a guide book, don't just look at the pictures, check out the specifics like open times. Pick up local maps and use them.

What a wonderful post, bringing back all kinds of memories.
1) As a 16-year-old AFS exchange student, being too timid to ask for directions and missing a rendezvous to purchase a Selmer clarinet with an an adult friend's justifiably irate sister.
2)As the mother of a 16-month-old, following my cousin's directions for the cheapest way from Victoria to Liverpool Street stations, shlepping bags of Pampers, et. al., rather than taking a taxi.
3)Not realizing a train from London's stop would be too brief for us to retrieve our bicycles from the baggage car. Having heard trains would stop if a door were opened, I flung open a compartment door on some nonplussed British commuters, enabling my husband to retrieve our bicycles.
4)Trying to save $ by traveling standby on airline employee's ticket, being bumped by a group of 6 in St. Louis en route to Paris the summer of the French World Cup. All's well that ends well: Flew to London during Christmas break, with our only time in France a bargain 4-day "New Years Parisienne" booked in England.
5)Discovering too late the loo at the tea house on Montmarte was of the "Turkish" variety (in 2001!) on the coldest day of our winter visit, the only one on which I had worn pantyhose under my trousers, trying to balance on one leg to keep my lower clothing from getting wet. I didn't even attempt to put the hose back on. Plus I hadn't locked the door and a man opened it while I was in the process. I was so traumatized, I couldn't even tell my daughter, my traveling companion, about it until much later.
6)Sheltering with my daughter under the portico at Les Invalides one evening, leaving my bag of books and prints from the Musee d'Orsay, plus not being able to replace them because the Musee d'O was closed the last three days of my stay.
No disasters, but certainly a few experiences I wouldn't choose to repeat.
Overall mistake: Economizing too much unnecessarily on food and art purchases. I"m getting better though! LOL

Travel mistake - telling my mom where I was staying.

In 1958 I was a 15 year-old exchange student with the YFU program. The mother of the family I had been assigned to suffered a heart attack two weeks before my departure and could no longer take the responsibility of hosting me. A replacement family had not been confirmed prior to my leaving for the Netherlands. The program management people assured my parants that all would be taken care of / not to worry. Off I went on the great adventure - I still can't believe how trusting my parents were. Three days after arriving I finally called my parents to let them know how things were going - remember this was 1958, you had to register to make a trans-Atlantic phone call. When I finally spoke to my mom, she asked where I was staying. I looked out the window of my room, saw a sign on the side of the hotel and told her at the Hotel Amstel Bier. She was pretty innocent too, she accepted my answer without question.

My first experience in Europe was as the wife of US soldier stationed in Germany. For my 22nd birthday we decided to drive from Ansbach (close to Nurnberg) to Rome, for a 4-day weekend. It looked close on the map. We didn't book a hotel, thought we'd do that when we got there. After driving about 20 hours, we got to Rome and ended up in, I think the worst neigborhood there. The guy at the hotel said that the radio might still be in the car in the morning, if we were lucky. We heard car alarms all night, alternating with the sounds of people having sex in the rooms around us. On the way home, decided to stop in Pisa for a look at the leaning tower and drove around in circles for an hour, following arrow signs. I guess the signs just kept you going around and around the tower. We didn't know to buy international travel auto insurance before we left, so on our way back to Germany we were stopped at the Austrian border and the guard requested to see our green int'l insurance card. We didn't have one and had to pay the very last $100 we had in our pockets to pass through Austria with temporary int'l insurance. In a snowstorm in the Alps the fuse on our windshield wipers blew, so my husband drove with his right hand, rolled down his window and scraped the windshield with a scraper. All in all, a pretty funny trip.

My most recent travel screw-up -- renting a car to drive all over Costa Rica.