Holiday Travel | 6 Stress Free Tips

Holiday travel may sound stressful but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are visiting a destination as a family to escape the craziness of the holiday season, or visiting Grand-mom across country, here are six trips to help ease the stress.

Holiday Travel Tips

1. Pack Your Patience

In 2016, AAA estimated that 48 million Americans would travel 50 plus miles for the Thanksgiving holiday. That leaves a whole lot of people on the roads and in the airports, and you better be patient enough to deal with it. With that many travelers out and about something is bound to go wrong, it’s unavoidable. So have patience with your toll booth operators, gas station attendants, TSA and gate agents in the airport. Believe me, they are doing all they can to make your travel experience as easy as possible. Take it a step further and give them a small token of appreciation, because they are taking time away from their family during the holiday season so you can be with yours.

2. Avoid The Busiest Travel Days

If you have any flexibility in your travel plans, use it as much as possible. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the weekend(s) before Christmas and Hanukkah are the busiest and most expensive times to travel (usually, depending on when the holidays fall). Avoid these days and avoid extra stress.

3. Get TSA PreCheck

Security lines are the most frustrating during the holiday travel season, since the airports are filled with passengers who don’t fly regularly and maybe haven’t quite mastered the three ounces of liquids rule. While it may be too late for this holiday season (vary by airport), signing up for PreCheck can save you valuable time in the security line. The only qualification required is being a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, then filling out online paperwork and paying about $100 before going to the airport for a brief interview and fingerprinting.

4. Buy Travel Insurance

Sadly, winter holidays in the United States mean some of the worst and most unpredictable weather. Snow, blizzards, sleet, and ice can cancel a flight in minutes and make roads impassable within just a few hours. Travel insurance can seem like an unnecessary expense but peace of mind is priceless during the stressful holidays. And if you end up unexpectedly snug in your own bed instead of sleeping on your parents pull-out sofa, your wallet will thank you.

5. Ship Gifts Ahead Of Time

At this point, not checking a bag has become a regular way of traveling for many. By packing only a carry-on, you can you arrive at the airport later (checked bags need to be turned in at least an hour before departure) and you can skip the luggage carousel at the arrival airport. Be sure not to take any wrapped gifts in your carry-on bag, as TSA might have to unwrap them if the package “looks suspicious”. The smartest option is to send wrapped gifts ahead of time in the mail to your final destination.

6. Take The First Flight

Look, nobody likes getting up early (unless you are my father in law), but booking the first flight of the day is the way to go. Flights scheduled to take off by in the mornings are likely to depart and arrive on time, rather than those scheduled for later in the day. Early flights are also best in the event of weather delays. If an ice storm pushes back your flight, you’ll have all day to work on getting rescheduled or rerouted and will be less likely to get stuck at the airport overnight.

While I can’t promise you that Grand-mom won’t bring a fruit cake, or your sister won’t try to humiliate you, I can assure you these six tips will at least help get you there.

What are your best tips and tricks for Holiday Travel?