With the Holiday’s in full swing, it’s no surprise many of us are busy with extra activities and festivities. Many of us are also gearing up for some Holiday travel. Whether traveling by car, plane or another method, traveling can be stressful, especially around the Holidays with the increase in people traveling. We’ve included some great tips to hopefully make your Holiday travels a little less stressful and more enjoyable! Bon voyage!
PLAN AHEAD AND DO YOUR RESEARCH
This one may seem obvious, but planning ahead and researching ahead of time can save a lot of time, hassle and money. If driving, it can be helpful to map out several routes based on traffic, travel times and more in case you run into something unexpected. When flying, check into potential baggage fees, parking costs, and more to avoid unexpected costs and surprises.
PUT YOUR SMARTPHONE TO GOOD USE
Traveling by plane? Consider downloading your airline’s app for paperless boarding, up to the minute gate and flight information, in-flight entertainment and more. You can also download the app GateGuru to see approximate security line time estimates. If traveling by car, GasBuddy is a great app to help you find the cheapest gas and SitorSquat is a great app for finding the cleanest bathrooms.
PACK SMART
If you can avoid checking luggage, it can end up saving a lot of hassle. Luggage gets lost, especially this time of year. Many airlines also allow a free checked bag plus a personal item so avoiding checking your luggage can also save you a lot of money!
BRING EARPLUGS OR HEADPHONES
Let’s face it. Traveling can be loud. Whether it’s in the airport, on the plane or in the car, sometimes you just need some peace and quiet. Headphones or earplugs can be a great way to zone out and listen to music. Have noise-cancelling headphones? Even better!
PACK SNACKS
A big mistake when traveling is forgetting to eat and pack snacks. Traveling can be stressful enough, and you don’t want to add a group of hungry and tired travelers to that mix! Having a hearty meal before heading on your way and packing snacks can keep everyone from getting hangry, and that means a more pleasant trip!
SHIP GIFTS AHEAD OF TIME
Bringing a bunch of gifts when flying can be such a hassle. You’ll likely have to pay to check the gifts anyway, and TSA can unwrap your gifts during the screening process. You can save yourself a lot of hassle by wrapping and shipping your gifts before you travel. Or if you really want to make gift giving hassle free, consider buying gift cards!
AVOID TRAVELING ON THE BUSIEST DAYS
It may not be ideal, but traveling on the Holiday itself can save you money and is way less stressful because the airport is a lot less busy. Also choosing the earliest possible flight often means less security lines, greater on-time performance and a better chance of getting rebooked the same day in the event of a delay or cancellation. Same goes for car travel. Consider traveling on the holiday itself or choosing less popular times (like driving early in the morning or overnight).
PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED
When flying, carefully look at the times in between flights if you have a connection. It can be very stressful to have a connecting flight in an unfamiliar airport, especially if you have a very small time window. When driving, take care to research the weather conditions and plan accordingly if traveling somewhere with or the potential for snow. It’s always smart to have proper gear in the car in the event of a flat tire or car trouble.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE
Remembering that you are on your way to be with friends or family can help keep perspective, even if things don’t go perfectly. And you never know – you might have some great stories to share too!
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