7 travel myths

We’ve all heard myths and urban legends, but how many of us have missed out on a travel adventure due to the fear caused by a few travel rumors? It’s truly amazing the kind of guff that gets perpetuated in travel circles. 

Luckily, you don’t have to be one of the gullible ones because we’ve lined up some of the most common travel myths. 

Your phone will make the plane crash

The use of cell phones on flights was banned as far back as the early 1990s. The fear was that they would interfere with the pilot’s instruments, which could cause accidents.

While that ban is still in force, a study by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2006 could not prove this to be the case. However, the agency was also unable to conclusively prove that cell phone use did not lead to accidents and so retained the ban.

This is despite many airlines that do allow calls to be made in flight, which have yet to have an accident attributable to mobile phones. 

The Air on a Plane Makes You Sick

The air on a plane may absorb every last drop of moisture from your skin like silica gel, but it doesn’t make you sick. In fact, airplanes spend a considerable amount of energy pumping in, filtering, warming and pressurizing fresh air from outside the cabin.

Some of the air is indeed recycled, but it is passes through numerous HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters that draw out bacteria before being pumped back in the cabin.

So what does get you sick on airplanes? The tray tables, lavatory handles and headrests that are contacted by dozens of passengers a day, who aren’t all paragons of personal hygiene.

English is understood everywhere

The development of a global economy dominated by English-speaking nations has certainly contributed to its global spread, and it is the most widely understood language in the world. But it is a travel myth to believe that everyone speaks it.

For one, many places lack the educational facilities to teach English; others have an extremely strong national identity and culture, which may reduce local exposure to the English language.

 Recent studies estimate that English is understood by around 1.8 billion people, which, while an impressive figure, probably only amounts to around one-third of the global population.

Always Trust Local Knowledge

How many hotels have you stayed at in your hometown? Just as you probably don’t know the ins and outs of the tourist industry in your city; it’s unlikely that a local in a foreign city will know the answer to a tourist’s every question.

For stuff like hotels and sightseeing, your best bet is to ask fellow travelers, either in person or through the Internet. Further, if you’re looking for directions, local advice can be hit or miss: they might know where you’re going but the language barrier can be a problem.

On the other hand, locals tend to give good recommendations for places to eat. Everyone loves a good meal.

You Have to Carry Your Money in a Special Pocket or Pouch

When you go abroad, how often do you see a local carrying around their cash in a strange necklace pouch or a money belt? Never, of course, and it’s not because the money belt is hidden. They just use a wallet, like a normal person.

When you’re abroad, the sensation that everyone is out to get you can be a little stronger, but there are loads of places where you’re just as liable to meet a ne’er-do-well.

If you’re worried, take only what you need when you leave your hotel room or, if you must carry every your gym membership with you, just put your wallet in your front pocket.

You’ll Avoid Crowds If You Go Early

“If you want to avoid the crowds, go early,” reads your guidebook – the same guidebook that was purchased by several million other tourists. There are only so many heritage sites, monuments and parks in the world, but a practically unlimited supply of tourists.

The inevitable fact is such monuments will always be crowded, and your guidebook’s suggestion to go early will be followed by every other visitor.

The trick is to go not early, but when no one else wants to go, like the middle of the day – when the sun has chased away the weaker tourists.

Street Food is Unsafe

Countless travelers prefer to sit down in a restaurant for a bite to eat than stand up in the street with the rest of the country. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little air-conditioning, but the idea that food is healthier because it’s prepared in a “proper” kitchen is dubious at best.

First, you really don’t know what’s going on in that kitchen, because you can’t see inside. With street food, you can see the ingredients being prepared directly in front of you. And since street food is often deep-fried, stir-fried, or barbecued over very high heat, it’s likely that even if anything nefarious was in the ingredients, it’s long since been seared out of your meal.