This article is a guest entry by Jane Moore from http://fitwelltraveler.com/. Jane Moore believes in the healing power of travel. Since turning 19, she has gone on at least two trips a year. Her mantra is: travel, eat your greens, move your body.
While it’s one of the most rewarding hobbies you can have, travel is not always going to be a smooth operation. If you do enough traveling, you will eventually run into an unfortunate situation. Thankfully, you can prepare for many of your potential snags. Here are some of the most common ways a travel experience can go wrong and how you can prepare and respond.
Stolen Stuff
Some places are more dangerous than others, but the key is not to panic. Anyone can have their wallet or valuables stolen while traveling.
If you have money stolen, it will work to your advantage to have an account on a money transfer service. That way, you can have your relatives or friends quickly transfer funds to whatever country you are in. For example, if you visit India, a transfer service will allow for secure and reliable transfers with little to no fees.
Losing your Way
One of the most common negative traveling experiences is getting lost. Whether you have zero spatial awareness or an excellent sense of direction, it is easy to get lost in a different city or country.
Before you leave for any trip, download Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, or any other GPS app that can help you navigate. Also, download the offline version of the map for whatever cities you are going to. These can be accessed when you don’t have data or a Wi Fi connection.
Lost Phone
We use our smartphones for almost everything, and they are valuable items to have on trips because they take up such little space but allow us to do so much. With that said, it is easy to misplace your phone, and when you are in a foreign country, all it takes is a second for it to go missing.
Review your passwords and update any essential account details before leaving on your trip to prepare for this possibility. And make sure to have a backup email address so that you can get any security codes when trying to track down your phone and get access to important accounts.
Going Broke
It’s critical to research the potential costs of any trip you are taking and budget accordingly. You do not want to travel without being financially comfortable. With that said, plans can change, emergencies can happen, and you cannot predict the future.
That’s why you should keep an emergency fund in a savings account or on a credit card that has enough money to get you out of a tight spot. Remember to keep this as a last resort.
Missing your Flight
Another common travel mishap is missing a flight, which can happen to the best of us. Sometimes it is the fault of the airlines. If it happens to be your fault, the airline has no responsibility to help you out. But if your flight is canceled for any reason, or if the airline changes the departure time without notifying you, most will work with you to compensate, provide accommodations, or even a free upgrade. The key is to speak calmly and politely with the airline staff as you come to an agreement.
Get Travel Insurance
Finally, one of the best ways to prepare for travel mishaps is to invest in travel insurance. You may not feel like adding more upfront costs to your trip, but it can pay off big should you get sick, have your flight or event canceled, or run into any number of other problems. For example, you can find comprehensive insurance plans for Argentina that will help you enjoy your adventure with extra peace of mind.
If you want to check out more articles by Jane, check out http://fitwelltraveler.com/. If you want to guest-write for this blog, contact me.