Travel Myths Debunked - Travel Tips to Ignore

In the travel writing industry, there are certain myths and rumors that never seem to go away. Some of these ideas are simply outdated-relics of an era when air travel and travel in general were entirely different-and some are just things that seem like good ideas, but which don't hold up in practice. Meanwhile, there are other "cheap travel tips" that, while they may save you a few bucks, will have a tremendously negative effect on your travel experience. So, let's look at some of these common tips with a more critical eye.



"Book early": In general, it is a good idea to start planning your trip as early as possible, and it never hurts to start checking fares and hotel rates for great deals. But the days are gone when buying early automatically gave you access to cheaper rates. Today, especially in this economy, many airlines and hotels are having trouble booking to full capacity, which often leads them to dramatically lower prices in the days leading up to a flight or a hotel occupancy. Of course, you can't rely on this, so the best advice is simply to snatch up deals when you see them, and don't feel too bad if the price goes down later.



"Pretend you're from somewhere else": This one has been going around for the last few years-that if you're from the U.S., you should pretend you're from Canada, or at least that you're from a more internationally respected part of the U.S. like one of the big cities. But this is, of course, ridiculous. Contrary to popular belief, Americans are not the world's rudest tourists by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, without naming names, there are a few European and Asian countries whose tourists have much worse reputations.



So, be the kind and considerate person you are, and represent your country well."Traveling in the developing world is dangerous": Of course, this varies from place to place, but American world-travelers are often surprised by how safe it is in developing countries like India, Brazil, Iran, and countless others. In fact, statistics show that you're more likely to be a victim of crime in countries like the U.K., Holland, and New Zealand than you are in these other places. We can all benefit by letting go of our prejudices.



By and large, people in the developing world are kind, intelligent, open-minded, and no different from the rest of us."Train travel in Europe is best": When you're traveling around Europe, there are some routes that are best taken by train, but this is becoming less and less true. These days, even short trips are often cheaper and quicker by plane. Going from London to Paris, for instance, is almost twice as expensive when you take the Chunnel train. So, when you're planning your trip, don't just look at one or the other.



Put your flight and train options into one big pool, and choose whichever is cheaper for each segment of your trip.