The holidays are a favorite time for travel, but that doesn’t make traveling everyone’s favorite thing to do. It’s great to see family, friends and loved ones during the holiday get-togethers, but the stress, wear and tear of traveling combined with the challenges of the Christmas season can easily burn all your mistletoe. Here are a few tips to manage the stress and make your traveling time during the holidays easier on the whole family.
Book it early.
The earlier you book hotel, plane tickets and other traveling accommodations, the easier your experience will be. You save on stress if you don’t put it off until the last minute. Plus, some hotels and airplane lines offer discounts if you book ahead of time.
Travel light.
There’s nothing more stressful than lugging an elephant-sized suitcase through airport security, especially when you’re fighting holiday-sized crowds. Take public transport or hailing a cab becomes extremely difficult if you’re juggling armloads of suitcases. Keeping your luggage to a minimum will have you moving smoothly through holiday traffic, busy lines and crowds.
Carry essentials in your hand luggage.
Things you’ll need in every day settings, from your iPod to that bottle of heart medication, should be carried conveniently in your hand luggage for easy access. You can get it anytime you want, and you always know where it is. It also saves you stress if your baggage is delayed. Keep the essentials close. These are the items you depend on.
Save the gift wrapping until your arrival.
Don’t carry wrapped gifts in your luggage, as board inspection may open it early to see what’s inside. Gifts will need to be inspected a security checkpoints. In some cases, they’ll be unwrapped. Just stuff everything into a suitcase. When you get to your destination, find yourself a quiet room, a stiff glass of eggnog and get down to wrapping.
Check with the airline on oversize requirements.
If you are carrying large items such as skis, golf clubs or snow boards, it’s a good idea to check the airline’s policy on large items. They’ll need to be securely padded and packed when you get to the airport. Some airliners may charge you extra fees, the expense depending on the size and dimensions of the item.
Be early.
Plan to arrive to the airport at least 2 hours early. This is a good gauge regardless of whether you’re traveling during the holidays, but the busy holiday season absolutely demands it. Everyone’s traveling, which means longer traffic jams and longer lines wading through security. Give yourself plenty of time. You’ll be more relaxed. Extra time to read a book or a magazine can mean the difference between making your flight and having to reschedule.
Keep travel info in a safe, reliable place.
It’s wise to always have copies of your travel information with you in case the originals get lost. During the holiday season, most airports function on a skeleton staff that’s worked down to the bone because the season is the airport’s busiest time. Asking the airliner to make replacements may take more time than you have. Always make sure you have photo identification, including a driver’s license as well as a passport. You don’t want to be caught empty handed. Keep it handy, in an easy to access location like a purse, back pocket or in a notebook.
Check your departure before hitting the airport.
Airline times get delayed often, especially around the busy season of the holidays. Check the departure and arrival times of your plane before you hit the airport. If you have Internet access through a cell phone, it may be a good idea to check as you arrive for an instant update to save yourself on the stress.