Travelling is a fantastic opportunity to explore places, experience different cultures and maybe even see things in a new light. Of course, you may want to bring home souvenirs from your trip, but there are a few things that you should really never bring home when travelling…
Take a trip away can leave you refreshed, energised and ready for a new challenge and that is especially true of holidays abroad. But when you’re travelling around, there are a range of of rules and regulations that tell you what you can and can’t bring into the country. Plus, there are some things that just make sense not to bring back from holiday with you – here are just a few tips:
CURRENCY
If you’ve been travelling abroad it’s a good idea not to bring the currency home with you. It will be no use to you back at home and you may not even be able to convert it if the value is too low. Even if you think that you will visit the country again and want to hold onto it “until next time”, unless you have an exceptionally good filing system you will simply forget. It’s better to spend the funds you have put aside for your trip while you’re there! If it looks like you might start running low while you’re away, you can use a secure money transfer service to have extra back-up money sent straight to you via your smartphone to keep you going.
BUGS
Bedbugs are an invasive pest which can leave you covered in red marks and feeling very itchy. It can be difficult to get rid of them once you’ve invited them into your home. Depending on where you’re travelling to, you could end up accidentally bringing bugs home in your suitcase. Pack your clothes carefully, shaking each one out before putting it into your bag. This will ensure no other creepy crawlies are coming back with you. Ideally give all your clothes a hot wash when you return home to kill any pests before they get round your house.
AIRPORT SECURITY
Consider the strictest airport on your return home and pack according to their security procedures. If you don’t, you’re likely to find yourself ditching items as you get stopped and questioned by security along the way. You can look up regulations online to make sure you can bring everything you plan to pack into the country with you. 
GERMS
Sometimes it’s impossible to avoid bringing germs home with you but you need to try! Wash thoroughly after packing and while on holiday keep yourself even cleaner than usual. An antibacterial gel can be beneficial to carry with you. Again, on your return home give all your clothes a hot wash. This should kill any germs which have travelled with you. If you do get ill after a vacation it is always worth visiting a doctor to ascertain whether it is travel related. This can stop an infection from spreading and ensure that you get the right treatment.
SOUVENIRS
It is probably very tempting to bring an array of souvenirs back with you. However, you should have taken enough pictures to enable you to remember the holiday. While a few souvenirs are nice you should consider whether they will be useful or will actually displayed in your home. If they are simply going to sit in a box do you really need them?
ILLEGALS
Different cultures have different rules regarding particular substances. However, you need to be mindful of where you live and what is legal there. Even seemingly trouble-free things such as food, or the mud on your walking boots, could cause a problem when you’re passing into a new country. Bringing something into the country that is illegal could get you into a lot of trouble. It is better to simply leave it behind.
I hope these ideas have give you some food for thought and please let me know if you have any other tips or advice on what not to bring home when travelling by leaving me a comment below.
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