Traveling During The Holiday Season With Ease

During the holiday season, everyone is on the go. People are going home for the holidays to spend time with their loved ones. Others go on winter vacations while they have the time off. Needless to say, getting where you need to go can be a complete nightmare.
Back in November traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday was heinous especially in Southern California. Traffic was backed up on all the freeways and lines at LAX were out the door. Needless to say, it was pretty much the same throughout the United States. Most likely, it will only get worse with the upcoming holidays.


With Christmas and New Years rapidly approaching, it’s safe to say more and more people are going to be on the go. In order to survive the chaos and make sure you get to your destination without any hassle follow these tips for stress free traveling during the busiest time of the year.


Pack What You Need. Some experts advise travelers to pack light and only bring a carry on to avoid the long lines for checking a bag. But sometimes that doesn’t always work out. Most of the time, the influx of carry on items makes security lines even longer and there is never enough air bin space available. At LAX, some TSA agents will not let you bring bigger “carry on” luggage through the line and will make you go check it anyways. If you know you can’t fit everything in a tiny carry on bag, then do not force it. Do what works best for you and your travel needs.


Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute. Get everything you need all together at least the day before you leave. The more time you have to pack your bags and wrap up presents, the less stuff you’re likely to forget. Make a list of everything you need at least week before so you give yourself enough time to get everything together. If you need to add more items to your list, you have plenty of time to think as you go. This will relieve some of the travel day stress, and make your journey easier on you.


Dress For Comfort. When you’re going to be traveling for a long period of time, dressing for comfort rather than style is the best case scenario. Wearing something tight and uncomfortable while you’re traveling is only just going to make getting to your destination more miserable. Wearing stretchy material will make you feel more relaxed during a stressful period of time. If you want to be extra comfortable during your travels bring a blanket and pillow so you can reach the ultimate comfort level.


Be Prepared. No matter how long or short your travel time may be it’s always best to be prepared for any possible scenario. According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. You never know if your flight will get delayed or even cancelled. There could also be a major traffic accident, you never know. It’s best to be prepared for any possible outcome. Sometimes all you can do is make the best out of the situation. Make sure you bring a snack or get food for your journey so you don’t get hangry. Also remember to charge all your devices for your journey and download all the necessary apps and movies/shows before you leave! Finding an outlet at the airport will be a mission especially with all the extra amount of people traveling. If you’re driving or plan on getting a rental car make sure your car charger is coming with you! With any delays or getting their early, you’ll have a decent amount of time just waiting and hanging around so bring a book or magazine to occupy your time.


Check Traffic Before You Leave. With today’s technology fighting traffic and avoiding it in anyway possible is actually a reality. Apps like Google Maps and Waze help drivers get to where they need to go on the quickest route possible. Waze even has the option to plan ahead for your drive. All you have to do is put in the time you want to arrive and Waze will let you know what time you need to leave.


Be Early. Especially if you’re flying, you’ll want to get to the airport as early as you possibly can for your flight. Lines for checking in and security are going to be long no matter what so it’s best to have more time rather than less. If you can, check in for your flight online to save time, most airlines let you check in online twenty four hours before your flight departs. But if you’re checking in a bag, you’re going to have to check in again in order to get your baggage tags so it might be pointless to check in twice. If you don’t want to have to get to the airport super early and don’t want to wait in the super long lines, invest in TSA Precheck, an expedited screening that has a way shorter security line.


Relax! The only way to successfully get through traveling during the holiday season is just to relax. Take every moment as they come, and control your emotions and stress. Look around at the holiday decorations at the airport and on the road. Don’t be mad if things don’t follow though exactly how you planned. Take a deep breath. Sometimes things are just out of your control and there’s nothing you can do. Just remember where you’re going and why you’re headed there. Every little obstacle will be worth it once you get to your final destination.


This is the busiest travel time of the year so keep in mind you’re not the only one headed somewhere important during this holiday season. If you follow these tips, you’ll survive holiday season traveling this year. Make the best out of the situation and do the best you can to try to make it enjoyable.


Safe travels to you all this holiday season!

Until tomorrow

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