3 Warning Signs That Your Travel Plans Will Fail

Face painted with a grin, you slouch back in your chair eyes locked on the masterpiece before you. You’ve finally done it: you’ve drafted the perfect travel plan. With months of research staring you down, you vow that nothing will stop you from fulfilling this travel dream. Anything less than perfect will not do; failure is simply not an option.

If this sounds like anything like you, sit down for a moment; what I’m about to say may be painful: your perfect travel plan will fail.

But don’t worry: it’s not you. Well, mostly.

So, how do you know whether your trip plans will yield epic adventure or get tossed into the dustbin of epic travel failures? There’s no immutable formula to prevent it, but heed these warning signs and your travel plans may have a fighting chance to become the unforgettable travel experience you intended:

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1. You actually think your travel plans are perfect.

Perfection is rare. And when it comes to trip planning, it’s not just rare: the perfect travel plan doesn’t exist. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but your “perfect” trip plan, forged over months with your own sweat and blood, won’t execute without a hitch. Inevitably delays will thwart you, accommodation reservations will disappoint, and weather will be uncooperative. And, who knows, you’ll probably even get lost once or twice. It’s not that these are huge problems; each is part of the independent travel experience, and can even be blessings in disguise. What we should question, however, is the arrogance and inanity of believing that we’ve thought of everything while mulling over our keyboard thousands of miles away. Inflexibility and thinking your trip planning methods are infallible is a recipe for complete disaster. Avoiding it though is simple: instead of striving for perfection, be flexible in your planning, be open-minded, and expect bump or two in the road.

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2. Your travel plans are overly ambitious.

The excitement of independent travel can compel us to commit some unforgivable trip planning faux pas. None, however, is harder to swallow than racing through an itinerary with no time to soak it all in. Sure, cramming in as many places as possible seems logical, after all, you’ve just buzzed halfway across the world for this; why not fit it all in at once? But lest we forget: travel is not a race—or a competition—and when you start treating it like one, you’re bound for failure. If you really want your travel plans to shine, slow down, explore smaller areas in greater depth, and clamp down on your mileage.

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3. Your itinerary willfully ignores the laws of jet lag.

The human body can be strange indeed. We’ve all witnessed it pushed to its limits in mesmerizing feats of endurance, strength, and agility. Yet, throw us in a plane for the better part of a day while crossing a couple time zones, and it’s lights out Jack. Many itineraries fail simply because they ignore this basic fact: jet lag kills ill-conceived travel plans. Experts estimate that every time zone we cross requires a day of recuperation, and by that logic, with fewer days than time zone changes, your trip will be dead in the water: you’ll spend the whole time fighting off sleep, being irritable, and probably miss out on much of the action. With this sole detail in mind, remember: longer distances require more time. If you are limited on vacation time, consider travelling closer to home; your less jet-lagged brain will thank you.

Ryan O'Rourke

Ryan O'Rourke is a Canadian traveller, food & drink aficionado, and the founder & editor of Treksplorer. With over 20 years of extensive travel experience, Ryan has journeyed through over 50 countries, uncovering hidden gems and sharing firsthand, unsponsored insights on what to see & do and where to eat, drink & stay. Backed by his travel experience and in-depth research, Ryan’s travel advice and writing has been featured in publications like the Huffington Post and Matador Network. You can connect with Ryan on Twitter/X at @rtorourke.

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