Whether it’s a plane, train, or automobile, for those of us heading out for the holidays, you know it can be a bit stressful with long lines, traffic, and traveling with gifts that could easily get smooshed or break. I’ve had my fair share of traveling to visit family over the years and I have my simple, go-to tips that keeps me stress and worry free.
Here are my easy tips for those of you looking for a stress-free trip.
Plan Travel Times
For those traveling by car, this is specific to you. Everyone will be traveling the weekend before, days leading into, and even the day before a major holiday. If you have to leave on these heavier travel days, opt to leave after rush hour or early like 3am. This way, you’ll skip all of the heavy traffic. Just make sure you’re well rested before travel.
You can also opt to travel the day of the holiday. Most people tend to travel beforehand. If you can swing it, wait since there’s less traffic. If you want to maximize the time, take heed to the advice above and travel early that morning.
Planning Holiday Travel
Traveling with Gifts
Having gifts adds an extra layer of responsibility on your trip because you don’t want to risk losing or breaking something before you arrive. If traveling by plane or train, keep your gifts 1) safe to travel with and 2) in your carryon bag. I cannot stress this enough! Keep items close to you in an appropriate sized carry on to avoid having to check it in & it possibly getting lost or stolen. If the items are just that grand and large (i.e. a pair of skis), just have the item shipped directly to your destination.
If traveling by car, pack the items separately for easy retrieval and put them on the backseat on the floor. If there’s not enough space, dedicate a space in the trunk where it won’t get smashed by anything that may roll around.
Easy Gifts to Travel With
That one bag
Every trip should require that one bag that has snacks, a pair of flats, a wrap when it gets chilly, charged electronics, chargers (including travel chargers), personal toiletries, your phone, wallet, and keys for easy retrieval. Save yourself time and energy by packing things together that you know you will need or want to avoid tearing through a perfectly packed bag or automobile just so you can find the headphones to your phone. Keep things handy!
Easy Carry On Items to Travel With
