6 Myths About Travel

By Alyssa Laffitte on October 7, 2019

The college years are an excellent time to travel. As a traveler, you need to be prepared and informed, especially because of the many common myths about travel. In this article, we will discuss some common myths about travel, and uncover the truth. With these tips, you can be an informed traveler.

Image via Isorepublic.com

It’s expensive

If you ask someone why they don’t travel more often, they will likely answer, “it’s too expensive.” It’s the biggest travel myth because travel is not always expensive. You can do some things to save money and make your trip affordable. For example, opt to do a free activity at your destination rather than a paid one; walk to the attraction rather than take transportation; take advantage of loyalty points/miles, and stay at a hostel rather than a fancy hotel. Travel doesn’t need to be expensive, there are many things you can do to save money and still have a great trip.

Famous attractions will be empty because it’s “off-season” or because it “just opened”

Many travel guides will advise their consumers to visit tourist attractions during the “off-season” (in other words, not during the summer, spring break, or Christmas break) or as soon as the attraction opens in the morning. Supposedly, these are the times when tourist attractions are the least crowded. At face value, this sounds like good advice and makes sense. The problem is every other traveler will be doing the same thing!

Unfortunately, tourist attractions will always be crowded, no matter the time of year or day. But you can choose a time where there will be slightly fewer crowds. For example, many tourists will not want to explore attractions in the middle of the day, as they will be busy having lunch or taking a break from the hot sun. This would be a good time to go.

In other words, one of the biggest travel myths is that tourist attractions will be empty because it’s “off season”.

You must book your plane tickets months in advance

People will say you must book your plane tickets months in advance. This might have been true back in the day when air travel was not so common and the demand was very high. Nowadays, air travel is more common, meaning it is easier to score a “last minute” ticket as airlines scramble to fill up flights. Modern technology also gives us the advantage of email alerts when flight prices are low. Rather than believe the myth that you must book your plane tickets months in advance, you should sign up for email alerts. Don’t book your plane tickets months in advance, book them whenever you receive an alert letting you know that prices for your flight have gone down.

“All-inclusive” means all-inclusive

When people hear that a price is “all-inclusive”, they assume this price will include everything they want. This price usually includes the biggest expenses, such as the actual hotel room and food. However, some things might not be included in the “all-inclusive” price. For example, alcoholic beverages are usually not included in an “all-inclusive” price. Read the fine print to determine what is truly included.

Everyone speaks English

A big myth about international travel is that everyone speaks English. This is why many travelers will not bother to learn the native language of their destination country. Although you will likely find people who speak English at many popular international tourist destinations, you should not expect this. You don’t need to become a pro in the language, but learning basic questions and phrases is always a good idea when traveling abroad. You should learn phrases like, “hello”, “goodbye”, “please”, “thank you”, and “help!” You should also learn questions like, “where is the bathroom?” and “how much does this cost?” Even if you don’t do it well, locals appreciate you trying to appreciate their culture by trying to speak their language. Knowing these basic phrases will definitely help you when you encounter people who don’t speak English, which is likely!

Street food will make you sick

Another big travel myth is that street food in other countries will make you sick. For this reason, travelers will eat at restaurants rather than local street food. People have a misconception that street food is prepared unsanitarily. However, street food is usually cooked at high heat, right in front of you. The high heat will kill any bacteria, and you know there is nothing strange in it because it was cooked in front of you. This is not to say that you will never get sick from street food, but you don’t need to completely avoid it.

As travelers, it is important to be informed and to not believe these common myths about travel in order to be a well-informed traveler.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format