The Best Booking Tip For A Stress-Free Arrival To An International City

One would think that culture shocks while traveling mostly come from awkward social missteps and unfamiliar food options. However, if you're arriving for a trip to Europe or somewhere in Latin America from, let's say, the U.S., you might be surprised to find that many places are closed on the weekends and late at night. Though there are some exceptions in touristy areas, the conveniences that we have come to expect at home — such as stores being open late and on the weekends — are often absent in other countries.

For example, when traveling in Italy, you'll find grocery stores close around 6 or 7 p.m. and may have limited hours on the weekends. Pharmacies are often completely closed on the weekends, with some exceptions in touristy areas. Boutiques might be open on Saturdays, though with limited hours. And many places are closed on Sundays, even some restaurants! So, if you're planning your travel and you're scheduled to arrive late at night or on a weekend, you might want to rethink those plans.

If you arrive on the weekend or late at night, you might find many shops are closed, which could be a huge inconvenience or just plain disappointing. Say you need some ibuprofen after a long overseas flight, you desperately need some snacks after suffering through disappointing airplane food, or maybe you need to buy a SIM card for your phone; in many cases, you'll have a hard time finding something open.

Instead, plan your trip for a weekday or, at the very least, in the morning or afternoon on the weekend. Not only will nearly everything be open and available for you if you need something, but booking trips to arrive on these days can often be much cheaper! In fact, according to a study done by Expedia, flying on a Wednesday can save you up to 10% on international flights.