Nearly 40% of travelers say this is the most stressful part of an international trip

A new survey found the flight itself often isn’t the problem. It’s what happens after travelers land in an unfamiliar city.

You might think the long flight would be the most stressful part of an international trip. According to a new survey, that’s not necessarily the case.

Ground transportation platform Mozio surveyed 1,006 international travelers in the U.S. and U.K. about their experiences arriving in foreign cities. It found that 39% consider the trip between the airport and their accommodation the most stressful part of traveling abroad.

I can understand why. After a long flight, figuring out transportation in an unfamiliar place is not always how you want to spend your first hour on the ground.

Travelers are worried about getting scammed

The most common concern was being scammed or overcharged, cited by 41% of respondents. That concern isn’t exactly unfounded. I recently looked at the world’s worst cities for pickpockets and scams, and several major European destinations ranked surprisingly high.

Other worries included finding the correct pickup area, language barriers, confusing airports, arriving without working cell service, and personal safety.

Women were more likely than men to worry about safety, 34% versus 24%. They were also more likely to worry about being scammed or overcharged, 44% versus 38%.

Most travelers have had a bad experience

The survey found that 82% of travelers had experienced at least one ground transportation problem abroad.

About a third had been approached by unofficial drivers. Another 33% had landed without working phone service or internet, while 24% said they had been overcharged or scammed by a taxi.

Fourteen percent said they had gotten into a vehicle and felt unsafe.

This is one part of a trip I usually research before I leave. I like knowing where the official taxi stand or ride-share pickup area is and roughly what the trip to my hotel should cost.

Paris topped the list for arrival anxiety

Among cities respondents had visited, Paris caused the most arrival anxiety, cited by 13% of travelers.

Cancún came in second at 11%, followed by Rome at 9%. New York City and London each received 8%.

Tokyo, Bangkok, Mexico City, Barcelona and Istanbul rounded out the top 10.

The ranking is based on how travelers said they felt about arriving in those cities, rather than a measure of which destinations are actually the least safe.

Arrival anxiety is changing what people book

Nearly a third of respondents, 31%, said they had booked a daytime flight specifically to avoid arriving at night. Women were more likely to do this than men, 37% versus 25%.

Another 26% had paid for a private airport transfer even when cheaper transportation was available. Seventeen percent chose a more expensive hotel because it included airport transportation.

Eleven percent said they had avoided a destination altogether because of arrival concerns.

Mozio also found that 80% would pay more for a pre-booked private transfer at an unfamiliar airport. Since Mozio sells airport transfers, that particular finding is worth keeping in context.

Still, plenty of travelers are clearly thinking about this before they leave home. According to the survey, 86% research how they’ll get from the airport to their accommodation before an international trip.

I do the same. It’s not the most exciting part of trip planning, but I’d much rather figure it out at home than after a long flight with my luggage in tow.

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