Planning a trip for your vacation is always fun.  You get excited to see the sights you’ve only been able to see from books and the internet. As part of your preparation, you find tickets online, pack your bags and leave on the designated day. But what happens when you end up in the wrong place?

Sydneys of a Different Name

giant violin
Largest Ceilidh Fiddle in the World located in Sydney, Nova Scotia

A young man from Europe recently made that mistake. He made arrangements to go and visit the warm climate of Sydney Australia, only to be met by the harsh cold of Nova Scotia.

Surprisingly, he was not the only one to make this mistake. A few years ago, a couple from Italy who was also looking for a holiday with the kangaroos, ended up in Cape Breton in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Both these parties had to learn the hard way that there was in fact, two different Sydneys around the world: One up north, and one down south.

The couple stayed in Canada for a few days, but as for the young man, he went as far as the airport parking lot before he booked a flight back home to Amsterdam.

Funny enough, several travellers have booked a flight to Cape Breton instead of Sydney over the years, much to the amusement of the locals.

syndey opera house
Sydney Opera House located in Sydney, Australia

Learn from their Blunder

The last thing anyone needs on their vacation is a headache. Especially a problem that could easily be avoided. So how do you dodge the same error as Milan Schipper, Valerio Torresi, and Serena Tavoloni? You learn from it. Here are a few useful tips:

Do your research. These vacationers had to learn this the hard way, and here is your chance to learn it. Do your research. Know everything there is to know about the place you are visiting. Know the culture, remember a few choice phrases so that you won’t seem completely incompetent.

Have cash on hand. Get some cash in the country’s currency. This way, you don’t have to worry about maxing out your credit card. Plus, it’s always handy to have some cash in your wallet. It makes paying for things a lot easier.

Google Maps. Before your flight, talk to your phone’s service provider to see if you can get roaming data services for your vacation. If you can, then don’t just use it for social media. Use it for Google Maps. This way, you can always know where you are and where you are going. It saves time and is very handy to have around. But if you can’t get the data service, you can always make use of the country’s Wi-Fi, take note on the routes you need to take, and be on your way.

Plane Ticket Prices. Rule of thumb when you shop or go anywhere is that if the deal is too good to be true, then it’s probably fake. One of the reasons Milan Schipper bought his ticket to Sydney (Canada) is because he saw how cheap it was. He didn’t bother to check if it was a different Sydney. An understandable mistake. But keep in mind what happened to this young man and remember to check your other options if you think the price is right.

Preparation and information are vital to a memorable vacation. Avert the mistakes of other travellers and enjoy the warm sunny weather you can only experience in Sydney, Australia. And because of the country’s heat, walking around under the sun is not the best way to get around.

We do recommend getting a car hire here in Sydney so you can get around the metro and other parts of Australia with ease and convenience.  Now you aren’t tied down to a bus schedule, a group tour, or the heat as you drive in the car of your choice.