Worst Travel Tips
 

Our Sunday paper had a neat article in the travel section today. The writer listed, in his opinion, the eight worst travel tips that people give. See if you agree, and if there are more that you have received.

1) Forget about guidebooks.
2) Shop around. (If you see something you like, don't buy it. Shop around, you might find something better.)
3) Skimp on sightseeing. (Entrance fees to places like the Leaning Tower and Empire State Bldg are horrendous--not worth it)
4) Pack Converse All-stars and heels.
5) Find a cheap hotel on the outskirts.
6) Forget about the collision damage waiver on rental cars.
7) Take Dad's old trunk. Don't waste money on expensive luggage.
8) Save money at all costs.

#9. Travel w/someone just to save
money which would qualify for the
"Roomate rom Hell".
#10. Overseas, only eat at American Fast Food joints. After all, you don't want to eat "their Funny Food".
#11. Pack only T's and jeans for
cruises. Goes over exceedingly well
on formal nights.
#12. Do not learn foreign currency.
just put your Hand out w/euros or
whatever and say, "Take what you
need."

*Don't book rooms ahead--especially during peak tourist season and over weekend holidays.
*Select rooms using the philosophy that they are just a place to "crap out"--pleasant surroundings are not important.
*While traveling in Europe, insist on a traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, etc.
*When traveling in developing countries, stay only in well-known chain hotels, avoid public transportation, stay out of parks and other places where locals gather.

I forgot, this is really the worst tip I ever got: "Skip Venice, it's crowded and smelly."

Worry about what people in other countries will think of your attire.

Don't spend money on an air conditioned hotel especially if you are in a city that is humid because it is a waste.

Always rent a car when you go overseas because it is the best way to travel.

The only hotels worth staying in don't belong to any chains.

Only tourists eat in fast food restaurants overseas

The only tourists in foreign countries are from the U.S.

Don't go to any "tourist traps" like the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower because the only people who go there are from Japan

Make sure you have lots of Euros to spend in the UK.

Always take traveler's checks because they are good everywhere you go.

Wearing a money belt makes you look like a tourist and a stupid one at that. You can always thwart pickpockets.

Don't waste your money tipping tour guides; they make a lot more money than you do.

The most expensive luggage is always the best.

13. In wine country, look for the largest wineries with the most tourists. They are that popular, they must be great.
14. Pack extra sweaters and jackets and heavy things cause you never know when it might be cold. (weather.com?)
15. Don't bother learning any of the language or expressions because you will only sound stupid. Merci, madame.
16.Why pay the extra cost of trip insurance?
17. Yes, the roads are bad and unmarked and it's unsafe in many areas, but just use your head.

I wonder how much the car rental industry paid the writer to include tip #6 in the article?

tracy, I looked at that one twice, but think I misjudged it the first time. I think the writer meant it was bad advice to ignore the oportunity to decline the collision damage waiver. Or in other words bad advice to forget about the dameage waiver option. Is that possible? Certainly in my case, declining it saved us about $1000 when we totaled a rental car.

Recently right here on Fodor's when I mentioned that I was surprised to arrive in New York in 2001 to find record breaking 90 degree temperatures, one New Yorker insisted that she would have told me 90 degree heat waves are "quite likely" the first week of May. She also said that she'd advise anyone going to Los Angeles in May NOT to even take a sweater. Now those are examples of bad advice!

18) Leave your kids at home with Grandma.
19) If you can't go when the weather is perfect, don't go at all.
20) If you can't afford to stay a whole month, don't go.
21) Make sure you have everything pre-booked, including meals, taxis, and full day tours. Otherwise you might end up having some free time, and that's travel time wasted!

Be sure not to leave the resort grounds at any time when in the Caribbean - it's dangerous.

This is actually what the writer said about the collision waiver:

"Some people will argue this one, but the collision damage waiver on rental cars can be worth the peace of mind, esp. in a foreign country. The rules of the road (not to mention the signs) abroad will be strange to you, and your chances of getting into an accident are considerably higher than they are back home. Credit cards often cover the CDW; if yours doesn't, skip the rental agency's over-priced policy and buy Travel Guard's $9 daily coverage."

BTW, these are hilarious! What's even funnier is that people have actually given lots of these tips thinking that they really do help! :-D

The Starbucks Card: Don't leave home without it!

Yes, those are the worst of travel tips.

If you're going to spend your money and time, and hope to enjoy the "experience", all of those "tips" are positively ridiculout.

You thought this was a "neat" article?

Now I'm confused. Are you saying that those tips are GOOD and not BAD ones, djkbooks? Or are you agreeing with the article that these are indeed the worst travel tips. And if so, then why isn't the article "neat".

the railway to Zermatt isn't included in my EurailPass. Why don't I stay here in Visp rather than see the Matterhorn

#21 Make sure to take your pets, they like nothing better than travelling, spending time in foreign places, and being left alone while you are off having dinner.

(1) When abroad to avoid an upset tummy only ever eat in restaurants that you are familiar with back at home - Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock, McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC - you can't go wrong with these!

(2) The water in India is actually safe to drink, it's just the difference in mineral content that will upset your tummy, otherwise its fine after 24 hours

(3)After you've visited Tower Bridge in London visit Tower Hamlets

Turn left, and it's there - you can't miss it"

djkbooks, I thought the article was interesting because we always receive tips, whether they are solicited or not, from friends and family. So it's interesting to read about the worst of them. To tell you the truth, I enjoy reading many articles about travel. And I enjoy reading list-type things, so this one immediately caught my eye, and I thought I'd share. And I think that the point of the article was to show just how ridiculous some tips can be.

Intrepid--I remember right out of high school when I went to Italy, my parents bought me a money belt. I was so embarrassed, but I went ahead and used it. All of my friends who carried their money in their pockets were picked, and I was the only one with my money! Parents know best...

Luggage space saver = roll your clothes. This may work for some people but for me it was the WORST advice ever.

Great thread, divingaggie! :-)

Don't worry about a language barrier, everyone speaks English.

*Take worn out clothes and underwear and throw them away after wearing to lighten your bag and make room for souveniors.

I agree with the worn out clothes thing. I have never understood this logic. I mean really, who wants to wander around on vacation with ill-fitting underwear?

I am a clothes roller though - works great for me.

Don't travel with in-laws.

worst tip: when you go to Spain, don't stay in paradors.
best tip: when you go to Spain, stay in paradors whenever possible.

- the pizza and pasta in Italy taste just like home

- amsterdam is just for pot smokers

- make sure you drink lots of fruit juice and use lots of ice in South America (stupidly did this in Venezuala - learned a VERY hard lesson)

- speak louder if they don't understand your english

Oahu is just built-up and touristy. Skip it.

Worst travel tip given to me "get an inside cabin, it's cheaper and you will never be in the room anyway".

I love, love, love looking at the ocean and I love love, love being on a balcony at 2AM in my sleep attire when I have insomnia. I love to spend time in my cabin relaxing.

Also, inside cabins are not for those, like me, who dislike closed in spaces.

Window, balcony or stay home for me.

Happy for everyone else to book exactly what they want for whatever reason they want.

Don't bother with Paris if you only have two days. You won't be able to experience the culture.

I was advised by the 'local expert' on the Big Island Trip Advisor forum not to take our 8 year old with us to Hawaii because that would be spoiling him. Can't tell you how much I appreciated that pearl of wisdom.

Worst Travel Tip:

Venice is just a big, dirty, smelly city.

Is it possible for you to post the link to the article, Divingaggie? I would love to read it and maybe others would, too.

Neo, can you explain to the less-than-informed ekscrunchy what this CDW is about? How did you save money by having declined it before you totalled the car? I decline it cause it is covered by my Visa card in most countries, but how would you save money, apart from a few dollars a day, by doing so?

eks.......I saw the same article in The Dallas Morning News Travel Section, not sure where the OP is.You have to register but its free.
www.dallasnews.com......once you are "in", scroll all the way down the Home Page, "Special Interests" which is the fine print.Click on "Travel" and you will see the article listed about one or two down.Hope this helps!

Thanks!!

"Children don't belong on a cruise ship, leave them home".

Right genius, that's why they have kids clubs, kids pools, arcades, game rooms, waterslides, kids meals, kids robes, kids movies...my kids have more fun on cruises than I do, that's the main reason we cruise, for the kids. If they didn't go neither would I!

Yes, the article came from the Dallas Morning News...thanks, BeachBoi.