The panic that washed over me when I realised I’d booked our accommodation in Budapest, Hungary instead of Bucharest, Romania still makes my stomach flip. Such a simple mistake I never thought I was capable of making, but it happened. And it was stressful to fix.
Other times, a trip has been ruined simply because I tried too hard organising it.
That’s the thing about holidays and travelling – one simple mistake can derail everything. But here’s the good news: most disasters are completely avoidable, especially if you know what to look out for.
I’ve spent years making (and fixing) travel blunders across Europe and beyond, and I’m sharing the biggest mistakes that could very much ruin your holiday – plus how to avoid them or salvage the situation if you’re already in the thick of it.
Mistake #1: Overplanning Your Itinerary
I went to Vienna once with a friend, and I remember looking at our colour-coded, minute-by-minute itinerary, and seeing my friend’s face fall. “This feels like work,” she muttered. She wasn’t wrong. We’d scheduled every museum, palace and café with military precision, leaving zero room for the magical moments that make travel special.
By day three, we were exhausted, irritable, and honestly, starting to just want to go home. The solution came unexpectedly when we binned the schedule entirely and hopped on a train to Budapest on a whim. Those spontaneous days ended up being the highlight of our entire trip.
When you overschedule, you transform what should be a joyful escape into a stressful box-ticking exercise. You’ll rush through experiences without properly absorbing them, and the minute something runs late (which it inevitably will), the entire day cascades into stress.
How to fix it:
- Plan just 1-2 major activities per day. That’s it.
- Build in ‘buffer time’ – I now schedule a completely empty day for every 3-4 days of travel.
- Hit popular sites first thing in the morning. I visited Machu Picchu at 6am and had the place nearly to myself for an hour.
- Embrace wandering. During a solo trip to Porto, I walked 87km over a week with no real plan, and discovered tiny wine bars and viewpoints no guidebook mentioned.
Giving yourself breathing room doesn’t mean wasting time – it means creating space for the unplanned best bits that you’ll actually remember years later.
Mistake #2: Booking Blunders That Cost You
If you’re a little spontaneous like me, booking blunders can happen. Such as when I realised I’d booked non-refundable flights on a week I couldn’t actually do. £600 down the drain because I’d forgotten to write a friend’s wedding on my calendar and just clicked ‘Book’ with excitement.
Even worse was watching a heartbroken couple at Delhi airport being denied boarding because they hadn’t realised they needed a visa to enter India. Their anniversary trip was over before it began, and no amount of pleading with airport staff could fix it.
Booking errors aren’t just annoying – they can be hugely expensive, waste precious holiday time, or in worst cases, completely derail your trip.
How to fix it:
- Double-check EVERY detail before hitting ‘confirm’ – dates, names, locations, room types. Then check again.
- Use a trip organiser app like TripIt to keep all your bookings in one place. This makes errors easier to spot.
- Book directly with hotels and airlines where possible. They’re often more accommodating with changes than third-party sites.
- Choose flexible cancellation options when available. Yes, they cost more, but they’re brilliant insurance against mistakes.
- Research entry requirements using official government websites, not forums or outdated blog posts.
A quick five-minute check could save you hundreds of pounds if not more, and countless headaches.
Mistake #3: Trusting Unreliable Reviews
The “charming local bistro” in Paris that TripAdvisor raved about? It served me the most disappointing, overpriced meal of my life, surrounded by other confused tourists clutching the same reviews. Meanwhile, the unassuming café next door was filled with Parisians enjoying fantastic food at half the price.
Relying solely on major review platforms often leads to tourist traps or overhyped experiences that fail to deliver. Many popular spots have learned to game the system, and the worst offenders actually pay for fake reviews.
How to fix it:
- Cross-reference across multiple platforms – Google reviews often offer more balanced perspectives than TripAdvisor.
- Look for travel blogs (like this one, with authentic travel experiences) from people whose taste seems to align with yours.
- Check review dates – a restaurant that was brilliant in 2019 might have completely changed by now.
- When in doubt, simply look for where locals are eating. If a restaurant is packed with people speaking the local language, that’s your sign.
Diverse sources lead to better choices and more authentic experiences than blindly following the crowd.
Mistake #4: Travelling with Incompatible Companions
“I want to see EVERY museum!” vs “I just want to sit at cafés and people-watch” – this clash of travel styles with my university friend nearly ruined our Barcelona trip. She wanted culture and history; I craved relaxation and food experiences. By day two, we were barely speaking.
The solution? We had an honest chat over sangria and decided to split up during the days and meet for dinner to share our adventures. The trip transformed from a little tense to brilliant overnight.
And yes, I’ve even had to make the difficult decision to completely part ways with a travel companion mid-trip when our styles were simply too different. It wasn’t pleasant at the time, but it saved both our holidays and, surprisingly, our friendship.
How to fix it:
- Have the awkward conversation about expectations BEFORE you book anything.
- Choose companions with similar energy levels and interests – or at least those who are flexible.
- Schedule some intentional alone time, even with partners or best mates.
- Consider solo travel if you’ve had bad experiences – it’s incredibly liberating to follow your own whims entirely.
Clear communication might feel uncomfortable in the moment, but it’s nothing compared to the misery of a tension-filled holiday.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Health and Safety
My husband’s dream holiday in Thailand was spectacularly derailed when he decided a roadside food stall’s seafood “looked fine” despite my concerns. Three days in a Bangkok hospital with severe food poisoning wasn’t quite the romantic start to marriage we’d imagined.
And I’ll never forget the horror of realising my wallet had been pocketed from my bag on the Barcelona metro, containing not just cash but ALL my bank cards and ID. The next 48 hours were spent on the phone with banks rather than enjoying Spain.
How to fix it:
- Be smart about food – check for busy restaurants with high turnover and proper hygiene practices.
- Pack a small medical kit with essentials. Paracetamol can cost three times as much at tourist pharmacies.
- Stay vigilant with belongings – use anti-theft bags and keep valuables in your hotel safe.
- Get proper travel insurance that covers medical emergencies and theft. This isn’t the place to save £20.
- Store digital copies of important documents in your email or cloud storage where you can access them anywhere.
Prioritising safety isn’t boring – it’s what allows your trip to continue without expensive, stressful interruptions.
Mistake #6: Following Influencer Hype
Oh yes, that famous Santorini viewpoint I’d seen all over Instagram… Well when I finally visited, it was rammed with hundreds of people all trying to get the same shot, elbowing each other out of the way. The whole experience felt artificial and frankly a bit depressing.
But when I returned during off-season, the experience was incredible – the same stunning views with space to actually enjoy them.
Chasing the perfect Instagram shot often leads to overpriced, overcrowded experiences that feel more like a photoshoot than a holiday.
How to fix it:
- Travel during shoulder season (just before or after peak) or early mornings to avoid the worst crowds.
- Focus on what genuinely interests you, not what will get likes online.
- Remember that the most meaningful travel moments rarely make it to social media.
Authentic travel experiences come from following your curiosity, not an influencer’s feed.
Mistake #7: Not Preparing for Disruptions
When our coach broke down in the middle of nowhere in rural California (literally a place called Weed), I thought our road trip was well and truly doomed. But thanks to a bit of preparation and flexibility, what could have been a disaster turned into one of the trip’s highlights.
Similarly, when a thunderstorm trapped us indoors for a full day in Prague, we discovered a hidden underground bar where we made friends with locals and learned more about Czech culture than we would have sightseeing.
Disruptions happen on nearly every trip – the difference between a ruined holiday and a great story lies in how you handle them.
How to fix it:
- Research indoor alternatives for bad weather days before you travel.
- Pack essentials in your carry-on, so a lost suitcase doesn’t derail your first days.
- Build flexibility into your itinerary to accommodate delays.
- Most importantly, adjust your mindset – sometimes the best travel stories come from the unexpected!
A backup plan and a positive attitude can transform travel mishaps into adventures.
Summary
The best trips aren’t the perfect ones – they’re the ones where you navigate the inevitable hiccups with grace and openness. So double check those bookings, pack that first aid kit, and for goodness’ sake, leave some space in your itinerary for magic to happen. It’s striking that balance between enough accurate detail, and not overplanning with it.