25 Travel Fails to Avoid During Your Summer Vacation

Don't forget that your passport lasts for ten years before you get a new one, and that some countries won't let you in if your passport expires within six months of your arrival date. Get a new passport well before your current one expires if you're traveling internationally, or you may be forced to stay home.

If your smartphone has an excellent camera, you may be inclined to keep your real camera at home. That's not a problem provided you have enough memory to store all your travel shots. Save all your camera photos to the cloud or a storage device before you leave for your summer adventure, and you'll be happy that you did.

If you are bringing a camera or other electronic devices, make sure you bring batteries along. Also make sure to bring chargers for all your electronic devices and especially your phone. Not being able to charge your phone on vacation would be a travel catastrophe.

If your strategy to pay for vacation this summer involves charging it to a credit card and worrying about it later, you will regret it one day. Since the average credit card now has an interest rate over 17 percent, charging your vacation could leave you stuck paying it off for years.

Countries around the world have their own plug-ins that may or may not work with your devices. If you're traveling abroad, don't forget to bring a universal plug adapter that will let you charge your phone, laptop, and other electronics.

Travel insurance can save you thousands of dollars if you get injured on your vacation, your flight is cancelled, or the airline loses your luggage. Make sure to shop around for a travel insurance before you leave for summer vacation. If you don't, you could live to regret it.

Some credit cards are less than ideal for international trips, usually because they charge foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad. If you want to avoid this fee, look for credit cards with no transaction fees and sign up for one before your trip.

Travel credit cards make it easy to earn points you can redeem for flights or free hotel stays. Some also offer exceptional perks such as TSA Precheck and airport lounge access. If you're traveling without one or not using one for your everyday expenses, you could be missing out on free travel and travel perks.

There's nothing scarier than landing in a new destination and realizing you didn't bring essential gear like car seats and strollers. Bring these items with you when you're traveling with infants and even older children. Most airlines let you check them as if they were regular luggage or carry them on the plane, so you have no excuse.

Earning points and miles for your vacation is a smart idea, but you have to remember that many hotel and airline loyalty programs will let your points expire if you don't earn or burn every 12 to 18 months. Make sure to check your stash of points and miles and their expiration dates so you can use them for your summer vacation, if possible.

Make sure you inform your bank of your travel plans before you embark on a trip overseas. If you don't, you could have your ATM card and travel credit cards denied and be forced to spend part of your vacation sorting things out.

You can exchange money for the local currency at the airport, but should you? Probably not. Most airline currency exchange counters charge higher fees than you can get through an ATM or by exchanging currency at home before you depart.

While most hotels don't charge additional fees for perks like gym access and Wi-fi, resorts in many popular destinations like Las Vegas do. Make sure to check whether your hotel or resort charges a resort fee on top of their nightly rate. If you forget to check, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise!

If you want to save money on your summer vacation, your best bet is shopping around and booking as early as you can. Wait until the last minute and you will likely find less availability and higher prices for all the destinations you want to visit.

Also remember that pricing can vary for the same flight and hotel across different websites. Shop around to compare prices on resorts, airfare, and vacation packages before you book, and you are bound to save some cash on your upcoming trip. Or, better yet, use a travel agent.

Overpacking for your summer vacation can cause several problems. First, you may have to pay an overweight baggage fee when you try to check your bag at the airport. Second, you'll be stuck lugging around clothing and gear you don't even need.

While you may want to go wild and throw caution to the wind on your summer vacation, don't forget about the financial consequences of splurging too much. If you don't set a travel budget for your trip, you could arrive home to a nightmare of debt and bills you don't want to pay.

As you plan your trip, don't forget to pay (or even pre-pay) any household or personal bills that will come due during your summer vacation. If you don't plan ahead, you will likely return home to late fees and interest charges. Ouch.

Visiting a visitor's center in your destination may make you feel like a tourist, but you should still pop in at the beginning of your trip. Many visitor's centers offer details on local attractions as well as coupons that can help you save on your summer vacation.

In famous cities like Rome, London, Chicago, and New York, you can save big on local attractions by booking a city pass. Make sure to explore city pass options if you want to save on entrance to museums, historical sites, and more.

Traveling with kids is a lot more work than an adults-only trip. Make sure to plan an itinerary that allows for plenty of naps and rest. Also make sure to pack kid-friendly items like tablets, games, books to read, and headphones.

If you need to bring liquids on your vacation, don't forget to pack them in your checked bag. You cannot carry liquids over three ounces in your carry-on luggage on flights that depart from the U.S. This rule applies to most international flights as well.

Basic economy is a new airfare class that doesn't allow you to select your seat or bring a carry-on bag on your plane without paying for the privilege. If you book basic economy on accident, you will probably live to regret it.

While you can pay for checked luggage to get it your final destination, you don't have to. You can avoid paying for checked baggage by packing light and bringing only a carry-on or holding a credit card that offers free checked bags for you and your guests.

Last but not least, don't forget to pack sunscreen for your epic summer trip. You may be able to buy it at your destination, but many hot summer travel spots charge outrageous prices on sunscreen to those who fail to plan ahead.