No matter the holiday, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Labor Day, traveling during these busy times of the year can definitely be stressful. Security lines, nasty storms, missed connections. And during the holidays, there are also more crowds, more problems, and more costs. By the time you sit down with friends and family for the actual holiday, you’ll probably be exhausted, and perhaps a little cranky.
We’ve all been there. But don’t get flustered just yet, because we have a handy list with holiday travel hacks and tips to make your getaway as hassle-free as possible!
Be Sure Your Carry-On Will Fit
With packed flights for the holiday season, more and more travelers are hoping to get their carry-on luggage in the overhead bins. Trouble is, the bins don’t get any bigger when the crowds do. Some luggage manufacturers promise that their bags fit the carry-on measurements…and then you find out at the worst possible moment that they don’t. Before you clog up the entire plane trying to wedge your bag into the bin space, be sure it’s the correct size before you leave for the airport. And remember that you can usually pay a little bit more for a seating group that’s called to board early.
Have Hand Sanitizer Readily Available
Cold and flu season gets into high gear over the winter holiday travel season. Airport crowds can give you an illness just in time to spread it to the whole family. Even traveling around warm weather holidays can leave you susceptible to picking up a bug. Many common surfaces crawl with germs and bacteria, like those airport security bins or the tray table in front of you. To make things worse, stress is known to weaken the immune system, improving your chances of getting sick. That’s why you should always have a little bottle of hand sanitizer to fight the germs you pick up on your journey. And even if you bring sanitizer, try to wash your hands often and avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth.
Leave a Day Early…and Come Home a Day Late!
Most travelers make their way to family and friends on peak travel days. That means you can avoid a great deal of holiday travel stress by leaving a day earlier than the rush and coming home a day after. Not only are the crowds smaller on these days, but they also tend to be less expensive to travel on. That’s a stress-buster times two.
Pack Light
It sounds easy enough, right? The less you have to carry, the less stressed you’ll be. However, people don’t always listen to the “always pack light” advice. Then they’re forced to pay overweight baggage fees. Nothing like this undesirable scenario to help you realize why packing light can be a godsend if you were thinking about booking your November getaway. Fly light and you won’t have to worry about added costs, reducing your body’s stress by not lugging around too much weight.
You may also like: 7 Travel Hacks That Could Save Your Life!
Exercise and Meditate
If holiday travel stresses you out, you might want to turn to exercise and meditation before, during, and after your trip. Exercise and physical activity help produce hormones that can reduce worries and stress. So, before your trip, try to exercise on a regular basis. If you feel better physically before a big trip, taking on a long airport line or gridlock traffic won’t seem so daunting. While you’re at the airport, you can keep stress at bay by practicing deep breathing techniques or even meditation. Many apps now help you calm down and meditate even when you’re in the middle of a chaotic travel setting, so why not give it a try?
Arrive at the Airport Early
Lastly, a lot of the stress around holiday travel revolves around time — specifically not having enough of it. You arrive at the airport too late and then have to deal with an endless security line that could cause you to miss your those cheap last-minute flights you cleverly snagged. Sounds familiar? Well, most of these worries can be solved by merely giving yourself more time. Secure a reliable and prompt ride to the airport or plan to leave earlier than you would normally do. Just hit the road before the rush hour, and you should be fine.
Got any other tips for stress-free travel during the holidays? Let us know in our comments section below!
