We always talk about what to do when you travel and it is all about must-see places and things to do. But no one talks about what are the things you should not do on the trip. There are a lot of blunders travellers make that lead to wasted money, lost time and opportunities. I believe that by not telling travellers about the things we should not do while travelling we keep a lot of myths away from them. Even if know about the don’ts of travelling, till we do not tell anyone about them no one will ever get to know. So today, I want to share some of the common travel mistakes you should avoid. All of these will be from my own experiences only.

Never eat near a famous place
The food near any famous place is going to be double the price and half the flavor of what you’ll find elsewhere. When food joints know that people will not come back, they do not worry about the quality of food. However, local restaurants should provide high-quality food or else people will stop going there. Always keep in mind the more a restaurant is near to you, the most costlier it will be. So, try to explore some food joints before entering one. You can use websites like Yelp, Foursquare, or OpenRice to find out about the local restaurants if you are not comfortable in walking into a restaurant randomly. Another way I find out to know about local eateries is by walking into hostels and ask them what is good or bad. Even if you are not staying there, they will happily help you in the right direction!

Never skip hotels search
Most of us think that hotels have a smelly and unclean environment. It is a common myth that we all have imprinted in our minds. But nowadays, most hotels are cleaner and hygienic. They offer a variety of facilities like- pool tables, free laundry facilities, free Wifi, etc with reasonable costs.

Maintain a relevant hospitality networks
Here with hospitality networks I meant with networks like Couchsurfing, Servas, let travelers stay with locals for free and also participate in a cross-cultural exchange. First, you do not always get a couch. Second, they are not just for single travelers. You have to stay with couples, families, travelers, and groups. Families use this as a way to meet other families from different places and expose their kids to the world. It is nice to have a free place to stay, but the real benefit of this is the ability to meet and make friends with people from different places and have knowledge about your destination.

Do not forget about the local tourist office
Always visit the local tourist offices before anywhere else. They have advice on current events, festivals, and information you are not going to find in any guide. Their job is to literally help you as they get paid to help you. When you visit a new place, be sure to head to the tourism office and ask for information. They can help you with everything.