Irrational fears travelers have -- and what to do about them

The holiday travel season is right around the corner, and what better time than now to face your travel fears -- especially your irrational ones?

Sienna Hart's phobia is losing her passport. She constantly -- and obsessively -- checks to make sure her ID is in her pocket when she travels abroad. 

"I’ve even been known to pat it mid-flight, just to confirm it's still there," adds Hart, a vice president of sales for a social media company in New York. "The ritual is peak irrationality."

She's right. Only about 0.1 percent of Americans lose their passport every year according to the State Department, and with her compulsive checking, she's probably not going to be one of them.

"Travel is an area where people often encounter anxiety that may not have logical grounding," says Savana Howe, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety disorders. "It affects their travel experience."

Irrational fears are all around us when we travel, from the fear of missing out to the fear of not being understood. But why are these fears irrational? And how can you position your next trip to ensure these fears don't get the better of you?

Here are the most irrational fears travelers have

There's a long list of phobias and irrational behaviors that travelers pack for every trip. 

“Travel comes with plenty of what-ifs," says Terry Boynton, president of Yonder Travel Insurance. "It’s normal to feel nervous about the unexpected."

Here are a few highlights:

Fear of missing out. "One of the most common irrational fears is the idea that if you don’t book everything six months out, you’ll be stuck in a subpar hotel or miss out entirely," says Charlie Neville, a marketing director at JayWay Travel. He's seen travelers panic-book flights and accommodations, only to find they missed better routes, new boutique hotel openings, or price drops just a few weeks later.

Fear of being a crime victim. Roni Weiss sees it all the time. "There are people who refuse to get off cruise ships or go outside of their all-inclusive resorts because they are irrationally worried," says Weiss, the executive director of Travel Unity, a nonprofit organization. "But these places possibly have less crime than the visitors have back home."

Fear of public transportation. Many American travelers assume mass transit is dangerous, even when it's a perfectly safe way of getting around. "It's an irrational fear," says Alexis McCray, a licensed psychotherapist with Elevated Horizons Mental Health. In fact, in many cities, mass transit is the best and most cost-effective way to get around.

Fear of your luggage being stolen. Some travelers are so worried about their luggage getting damaged or stolen during travel that they go to extreme lengths, like shrink-wrapping their bags. "While luggage mishandling does happen, the anxiety behind this behavior is often exaggerated," says Howe, the psychologist. "Most airlines and airports have protocols in place to protect luggage. The desire to prevent theft or damage leads to unnecessary actions that don’t provide much extra protection."

Fear of not being understood. While it's true that there are places where no one speaks English, they're few and far between. "I can count on one hand the number of times that I truly was up against a language barrier," says Kiya Thompson, a family travel coach. And there's always Google Translate and hand gestures to get you through. "When languages clash, the human heart still connects," she adds. How true.

I'm not exempt from travel phobias

I have two irrational fears. 

First, I'm afraid I'll leave something important behind. (Actually, this isn't completely unjustified. I've left electric toothbrushes, razors, adapters and once, I even abandoned an iPad at a hotel.) And the second one is not being allowed into a country because I forgot to apply for a visa. That happened to me once, when I was flying to Australia, but it was quickly remedied by downloading the AustralianETA app and filling out the necessary paperwork. Phew, that was a close one!)

But the fears are irrational in the sense that with a little preparation, you don't have to worry about them. 

How to overcome your fears

Most of us, including me, have a short list of travel phobias. The question is, how do you overcome them? 

Experts say a little preparation can help allay these fears. Research will reveal that there are plenty of rooms and flights even if you book a few weeks out. It will also show that taking the train from the airport into town is the most efficient and safe way to get into town. And yes, those airport vendors that wrap your checked luggage in plastic are a rip-off. 

Once you label a fear as irrational, you can explore it with curiosity rather than panic, according to Anand Mehta, a family therapist in San Diego.

"You can say, “OK, I’m feeling nervous. Let’s look at why I’m worried,” says Mehta. "In doing so, you shift from being controlled by the fear to understanding it."

He says that's empowering because you can gather facts about safety records and statistics, such as airline safety records or hotel cleanliness policies. 

"This helps ground you in reality," he adds. And it can help you overcome your irrational fears.

"When you know these fears are irrational, you can be more confident and take practical steps to mitigate your risks, rather than succumbing to the anxiety that may prevent you from enjoying your trip," says John Gobbels, the chief operating officer of Medjet.

How to benefit from common travel fears 

But who am I kidding? People will always do irrational things when they travel. The real question is, how can you take advantage of these phobias? 

Zigging when the crowd zags is a time-honored contrarian strategy. Enjoy the faster train (with plenty of available seats) while everyone else waits in a long line for an Uber. Save money by waiting to book your trip until closer to your travel date. Look like a confident traveler by not shrink-wrapping your bag.

Mostly, though, you can breathe a little easier, knowing you have less to worry about than you think. For the rest, says Yonder's Boynton, there's always travel insurance.