I had the most incredible time in London and Paris, but I also had a ton of anxiety and made a ton of travel mistakes on my first trip overseas. Knowing what I know now, I wanted to share a few tips so you don’t make the same!
My Travel Mistakes
We brought outlet adapters but didn’t consider voltage of our devices. Emily brought a hair dryer and curling iron that were too high in voltage to work in London. This travel converter would’ve been amazing to have on the trip.
We didn’t properly research the train stations from London to Paris or the public transit in either city and really struggled in Paris trying to get by not knowing French. We wasted an hour of our short day trip aimlessly wandering the station trying to find out how to buy a pass, buying a pass and then only to board what we thought was the right train but going in the wrong direction. Do your research on each travel destination and have a plan before you arrive.
We had no idea at U.S. Customs we’d have to be able to share exact numbers on how much we spent on goods. Knowing what I know now, if I spend well over $800, I would document the purchases in a note on my phone, keep receipts handy in my purse and be ready to accurately communicate what I bought, how much each item cost in U.S. dollars and what my total spend was. It felt like I was being interrogated and they weren’t too friendly and I think if I didn’t struggle to communicate what I bought, it would’ve been a painless experience. After the customs agent totaled up my purchases, I had to pay $100 in taxes on the goods I bought and paid at the airport.
Pack medicine, even what’s over the counter for you and easily available because it may not be available that easy where you travel.
Don’t forget currency for the country you’re traveling to. I had to pee in Paris and didn’t have a euro to pay for the bathroom, which was also news to me. Get a little cash no matter where you go, you never know when you’ll need it (good to have for some tips for coffee too!)
Make sure you have your toiletries bag in your carry on easily accessible and make sure it can fit into a quart size ziplock bag. I wasn’t held to that limit on the flight to London but I had to put all my things in a plastic bag at security on the way home and luckily, Emily had room in her bag for some of my lip glosses otherwise I would’ve had to toss them.
I highly recommend getting a Priority Pass (I got one through my credit card for free) and I had access to lounges at all the airports, making my travel experience much more relaxing. I was able to get drinks, food and comfy seating!
