5 Tourist MISTAKES All 1st Time Tourists Make

We All Travel & We All Make Mistakes. This video covers the 5 most common mistakes we see other travelers (and ourselves) sometimes making. From trying to see nine countries in ten days to packing like you are going on a five year expedition to... Well you will have to watch and see.
The Most Common Mistakes Tourists and Travelers Make When They Travel.
Filmed in Rome, Italy
Copyright Mark Wolters 2017
1. Overplanning & Overpacking for the Trip
2. Underplanning for the trip
3. Seeing the sights, but missing out on the culture of the country you are visiting.
4. Not experimenting with food that they have not already heard of
5. Not using public transport.

USA Today & 10Best's #1 Independent Travel Videographer 2014

FlipKey by TripAdvisor Top 10 Travel Bloggers 2014

Our Equipment

For More Travel Gear & Accessories Visit Our Amazon Travel Gear Shop

Find More Videos At:

Subscribe to Wolters World on YouTube!

Follow Us At

[Mrkevi]

I don't make any of these mistakes because I watch wolters world.

[cswrawr]

I can't believe you found a spot in the middle of Rome to stand that long without getting a selfie stick waved in front of your face :)

[siramea]

Biggest mistake I see travellers do is constantly taking pictures (probably to share on social media), of every single tiny detail and not enjoying the experience itself in real life. It is great that technology has advanced enough to let us all be able to capture things like this but don't overdo it or you will ruin it for yourself and other people.

[lalilulelo]

6. Not meeting or making friends with locals and/or fellow travelers.
7. Only staying in or visiting "touristy" areas.
8. Never traveling alone.

[Aswinishere]

biggest mistake is instagramming every damn minute of your trip

[jaysato]

your kids are gonna be awesome when they grow up after all that traveling growing up.

[remotedarren]

Nearly gave a £1300 tip to a waiter due to currency conversion mishap. Thankfully bank rejected payment. Yes, I'm supposed to be an experienced traveller, we all make mistakes

[AnnaDaisybird]

We've discovered that we learn more about local culture when we rent an AirBnB apartment or house. Shopping for groceries or toilet paper always gives an interesting glance at 'how the locals do it'. For instance, in Germany, the grocery clerks do not make small talk and you've got to be quick packing your groceries together. In most European countries we've visited, eggs are not refrigerated, so you won't find them where you'd expect to find them. And in the rentals, we've learned a lot about how European kitchens and homes function. We love not staying in big chain hotels for this very reason.

[lllll]

The overpacking is so true especially when people travel to their home countries and want to bring with them the hole country

[JohnTintle]

hey Mark,
Something I used to do while I was traveling Europe and the Middle East while in the Navy, was never take an English language menu. I used to point and say give me that to a random item, don't tell me what it was until I finished my meal. I found that doing that got me to try a lot of meal I wouldn't try if I knew what it was initially

[JessieBanana]

I like to think of planning more as research. I want to where I am going (as in the lay out of the city), what to expect from public transport and how to use it, when my must see sites are open, basic cultural politeness, and a general itinerary so my friends know where I am (I travel alone), but I don't plan exact things for certain days. Especially for larger cities I tend to plan to visit certain areas and look to my site list for suggestions. I don't expect to go to every place I look up. I take a more natural approach to it and I never try to see more than 3 things in one day.

When you're traveling for more than five days, it's very easy to get tired and you have to pace yourself. You also want to mix up the types of places you're going. I personally can get a bit burnt out of museums. I'm the type that likes the audio guides and to read all the information, so I want to be present and engaged for that.

[JessieBanana]

Also if you're traveling to older cities, basically not America, you'll find many places don't have elevators. You don't want to have to have an assist to get your luggage up six flights of stairs.

[hannamariewilson]

Going to local grocery stores is one of my FAVORITE ways to see locals, find local food, get a feel for the area. Loveee it.

[nexusSix_]

look at his wife trying to walk like a runway model at 1:46 showing off her outfit and shoes with one foot in front of the other! haha girl I see you.

[ralphmtsu]

When I traveled to Europe, I was on one of those group tours. I thought it was a great value for a first timer to Europe; however, I would recommend not selecting one that tries to jam everything into the package. The tour I was on offered plenty of guided tours but also had complete days of leisure where you could explore on your own. Also, I worked with the tour company to arrive a day before the tour started. This allowed me to explore London on my own. I walked from Bayswater to all the way to Parliament and taking time to see Kennsington Palace, St. James Palace, Buckingham Palace, #10 Downing and Westminster. It was awesome to do this.

[TripHacksDC]

Fantastic video! Should be required viewing for all travelers. I've seen over planning probably more than all of the other mistakes. People come to town and want to see EVERYTHING in a day or two, which is completely impossible. I always wish they had planned to spend more time.

[lauralanthalasa]

I like wolters vids because they make me feel like a good traveler 😉

[davegreenlaw]

With #4, there can be a problem when it comes to having food allergies. Sometimes it can be hard to find out whether a dish is okay or might put you in the ER, so a friendly staple like the golden arches or KFC might be a welcoming choice.

[fmcanene]

Seriously, dude... you're hysterical! Every time I click on an information blog about travelling in Europe, up you pop! Thanks for all the info. Planning my first trip to Paris and I hope I'm well prepared for the pick-pockets and apartment living I'll need to deal with while I'm there! Love your videos!

[ZhangtheGreat]

I can't stress #2 enough. Planning is everything! Case and point: when I went to Mexico City, I wanted to ride down the canals of Xochimilco and see the pyramids of Teotihuacan. The problem? Xochimilco's boats are expensive (at least 300 pesos per boat), and Teotihuacan gets _really_ crowded.
Research ultimately paid off: on Sundays, Xochimilco has a public boat that only costs 30 pesos per person to ride, and Teotihuacan offers early morning tours with an archaeologist that, at the time, cost 40% less than a day tour. I wound up taking the metro down to Xochimilco Sunday morning, headed to the Museo Frida Khalo in the afternoon, and then got up bright and early to see Teotihuacan the next day with no crowds and a phenomenal guide.