25 Summer Vacation Fails to Avoid

Anticipation is a strange thing. Often, we look forward to our vacation for weeks or months and by the time vacation is over, it feels like we need yet another just to recover. Avoid these fails to make sure your vacation is actually the rest and relaxation you deserve.

Winging it is for a weekend at the beach. Set your sights higher. Start making plans now for your vacation to make sure you don't end up with regret down the road.

As important as planning can be, the worst person to vacation with is the person who thinks their plans are the be-all, end-all of the group's enjoyment. Make your plans, but putting together an itinerary with every single minute sketched out isn't really a vacation, is it?

Make sure recent rule changes on passports and Real ID don't keep you off the plane when it's time to fly. Heck, even if you're planning a road trip, take this reminder as your opportunity to make sure you're up to date.

If you had wanted to spend a couple thousand dollars, you'd have flown to Europe or hopped on a cruise ship. Don't let budget creep turn your modest holiday into years of credit card debt that makes you regret leaving home.

Planning is awesome, and many of us are really good at it. You know what, though? When I want perfection, I trust the experts. Travel agents have access to rates, upgrades and perks you know nothing about. Don't let your pride get in the way of saving money and having the best time possible.

The wrong charger or adapter can ruin your vacation more quickly than rain.

No amount of planning (or even the best travel agent) can truly keep every accident or mishap at bay. For that, we have travel insurance. No matter what goes wrong, you're covered.

As much as you're planning your activities, start reading up on how your paying for them. With the right card (thanks to perks and introductory offers), you could be well on your way to your next vacation.

You're going to want things at places that don't take credit cards. A little impulse buy (properly budgeted) is good for the soul. Moreover, if you have money for a vacation, you have money to tip when you're on vacation. Don't be an ugly tourist and have plenty of cash on hand to make sure the people taking care of you are taken care of.

99 percent of what you want to bring on your trip is probably not nearly as necessary as you believe. Practice a little decluttering after you pack to make sure you're not lugging around extra (and extra heavy) luggage.

While you don't need the third pair of shoes or the seventeenth outfit on your overnight trip, you do need things like your medication, important papers, chargers and more.

Not everyone likes every activity, and the more people you bring on your vacation, the better chance you're going to have grumpy people on every stop. It's a lot easier to get along when you have something to look forward to, and that means planning for each person on the trip-from the youngest child to the oldest child-at-heart.

A lot of people sign up for stuff without really seeing what they're getting themselves into. Make sure the vacation of your dreams isn't ruined by a blackout date, a loophole or a piece of information you didn't see on the first go-round. Again, a travel agent can help look out for you.

The week before your trip, start cleaning out your phone's memory or your camera cards. You're not going to want to do it on the beach or (worse yet) miss a candid shot because you're out of space.

Go old school with a map or printed directions to your key destinations. You don't want to miss out just because your battery died or you ran out of cell service-especially if you're in an unfamiliar place overseas.

The idea of the "Ugly American" traveler is well overblown, but there are plenty of areas where different cultures can rub each other the wrong way. Take a few moments and learn up on the customs of where you're going.

Your budget doesn't have a chance if you're buying $3 bottles of water instead of refilling a bottle you bring along. The same can be said for road trip snacks along the way, which pale in comparison to what you can have by planning ahead.

No matter where you go, there are going to be fun activities, and paying for those activities in knee-jerk fashion is always going to cost you. Search things out beforehand to find deals, coupons and better times to go.

You spend too much time on your phone as is. (You can finish reading this, though!) Don't go on vacation and waste time escaping from your escape.

Life happens. You should have alternative activities for when it rains, or you have a flat tire or things just altogether don't go your way.

Saying no on vacation can be a powerful piece of freedom. Spending extra time with family you didn't want to see anyway? Say no thanks. Wasting money on that tourist trap? Just say no. Problem with this is: People often say no because they don't want to leave their comfort zone for something they've always wanted to try. Say "yes" to things you really want...even if it's a little scary to do so.

Don't get yourself into needing a vacation from your vacation. If you need time to recharge, take it. If you need time to relax, take it. Period. This is your time.

Leave the worrying for when you get home. Do everything you can do to live in the moment and do so responsibly so you don't need to worry about anything later as well.

The vacation by obligation isn't really a vacation. Feeling guilted into taking the family to that theme park? Don't. None of you are going to have a great time. Fretting over that class reunion or work trip? Go, but don't co-op your family vacation around it because you'll be stressing the whole time.

UNPLUG! If you need to stay connected while on vacation, that's fine. But, timebox your time to emails in the morning/or at night and actually spend time with your family or friends or just by yourself. Your boss has enough of your time. You need boundaries (and, if they expect you to work on your vacation, so do they).