These holiday travel tips will help you navigate the most wonderful (and hectic) time of year.
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Traveling during the holidays may bring you joy, but it’s not without its challenges.
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Set price alerts and book flights early.
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Reserve your rental car ahead of time.
To potentially save further, explore opportunities to get a discount through frequent flyer and membership programs.
Be flexible on dates (and airports).
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Another way to reduce costs when flying?
Consider less-visited destinations.
If youre visiting family or friends, you cant change where they live, so ignore this tip.
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However, if youre thinking of setting off on vacation, try broadening your horizons.
Looking for some fun in the sun over the holidays?
The same goes for winter ski destinations.
Book with points.
The holidays are the ideal time touse those pointsyouve been racking up all year long on your credit card.
Choose direct flights.
Winter is an unpredictable season that comes with snowstorms and delays.
venture to always book direct flights to lessen your chances of missing a connection along the way.
Splurge on lounge access.
Better yet, tryPriority Pass, a yearly service that can help you access some of thebest airport lounges.
Pack gifts in your carry-on.
Losing a checked bag, to put it bluntly, sucks.
To safeguard against this, pack your presents in yourcarry-on.
Even better, if you’re able to travel light, avoid checking a bag altogether.
That way, you’ll reduce your chances of losing anything along the way.
Know the rules about flying with holiday items.
If you’re traveling with gifts, leave them unwrapped.
You could also avoid this hassle by shipping your gifts ahead of time.
Consult the “What Can I Bring?”
section of the TSA website and pack your solid food items in clear containers for easy inspection at security.
Have a backup plan in case things go wrong.
Its Murphys Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Thats why its a good idea to have backups on backups when it comes to holiday travel.
This starts withopting for travel insurance, which can be bought through airlines or various providers.
Check with your credit card provider first to see if its already included in your purchase.
Next, venture to create an alternate route to your destination in case your flight gets canceled.
If youre driving, be sure to get a tune-up.
Driving in the winter can be just as stressful as flying.
And the last thing you need is your vehicle breaking down at an inopportune time.
Get a quick tune-up before setting off for your holiday trip.
Make use of all the apps.
You know whats great about living in the 21st century?
), along with map apps to keep you on track.
Check the opening hours at your destinations attractions.
Youre not the only one on holiday break.
So are hospitality and attraction workers.
Before heading off to your must-see destinations, take note of holiday hours.
Businesses will often have condensed hours or closed days to ensure their staff gets time off, too.
Make reservations at all the restaurants you plan to visit.
Weve said it before and we’ll say it again: Traveling during the holidays requires planning.
That applies to restaurants, too.
Have a spot youre dying to try?
Make reservations for the holiday season so you have a guaranteed place to eat.
Be ready to tackle stress and spread joy instead.
Hopefully, all that preparation will help keep you calm while traveling this holiday season.
As a bonus, cutting down on stress can also help you avoid getting sick during holiday travel.
