5 Tips to Relieve Stress While Travelling During the Holidays

Holiday traveling is known for being a stressful time. With crowded airports, bad weather, flight delays, and angry people it can seem like the worst way to spend your holiday. But holiday travel doesn’t have to be so bad. Follow these five holiday travel tips and get rid of your travel anxiety.

Book in Advance

Waiting till the last-minute to plan your holiday trip could be a lesson in disaster. Book your flights, hotel, rental cars, and everything else you need in advance to make sure there are no problems. Make sure to plan accordingly and check several different travel sites to find the best deals. If you’re flying alone and are a little more flexible, you can try to take advantage of last-minute travel deals. Be careful though because waiting too long could mean a holiday home alone.

It can also be beneficial to look into several airports for better deals and less holiday hassle. Many smaller airports will have fewer travelers, less delays, and better service during the holidays and can also offer better deals on airfare and hotel depending on their location. Make sure to avoid peak travel days if possible to save yourself as much grief as you can. Use the search features of many popular travel sites to save even more money by finding the best day to travel. Make sure to plan for layovers and give yourself plenty of time. Weather can wreak havoc on your travel plans and a missed connection could mean holidays at the airport.

Pack Light

Packing light can also make holiday travel much easier. Avoid checking bags if possible and ship your luggage through a local carrier to save on holiday hassle. Most airlines charge fees for checked bags and during the holidays the process is a lesson in frustration. Ship your luggage and give yourself plenty of time for it to arrive before you do. Most local carriers will even insure your luggage which airlines won’t do. Freight companies offer better tracking as well which avoids the problem of lost luggage.

Make sure to know security regulations before packing carry-on luggage. They are very strict on things like liquids and anything sharp. To avoid frustration, know the rules and pack appropriately. Make sure to include snacks for your trip and something to drink. To avoid a headache, pack ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones and bring plenty of movies loaded on to your laptop or tablet.

Make a List

Make a list of everything you need to do the day before and the day of departure. Add everything you need to do beforehand to make sure all last-minute errands are ran and everything gets packed. This list may include items like arranging boarding for pets, paying last-minute bills, double checking all arrangements are made, and any other tasks that need done in advance. Make another list of everything that needs done on the day of departure. Include things such as grab boarding passes, check for flight delays, items to pack for carry-on luggage, etc.

Secure the House

Make sure when you leave your home for the holidays to make sure to lock everything up tight. The holiday season is a peak time for burglary so make sure to lock all your windows and doors. Use timers to turn your lights on and off and appliance modules to turn on a tv or radio occasionally to make your home feel lived in. Have someone pick up your mail and check your home from time to time. Better yet get a house sitter. Avoid posting your travel information on social networking sites and your voicemail to alert people that your not home.

Arrive at the Airport Early

Make sure to get to the airport a couple of hours early during the holiday season. This is especially important if you have bags to check or need to find parking. Have a friend drop you off at the airport to save on parking as well as avoid the hassle. Give yourself time to get through security which will be crowded and if you have planned well the process should go smoothly. Once you’re in the terminal, take some time to find your gate and then relax. Grab something to eat and drink and prepare for the fun ahead.

I hope you have enjoyed these five tips for stressful holiday travelling. If you are still looking for a place to travel during the holiday season, it’s not too late, please contact our office today.

Cynthia Amin-Hall
Colesville Travel
Phone: 301-989-1654
Email cindy@colesvilletravel.com.
Website:  www.ColesvilleTravel.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/colesville.travel

Travel Tips and Reminders

Vacations are meant to inspire relaxation and peacefulness. While you and your family may be excited to hop on the plane and travel to a tropical destination for your next summer vacation, read up on these few travel tips that will help to ensure you have a fun vacation, not a stressful one.

Tip 1- Always book flights and reservations under your legal name. This is especially important if you have just gotten married but have yet to change over your passport and ID. You may receive a hard time from TSA if the name on your ticket doesn’t match the name on your ID and passport. So remember, no nicknames or post-married names if that’s not what’s on your ID.

Tip 2- You usually receive a discount for combining hotels, flights, rental cars, and more. Check with Colesville Travel when you are ready to book your next getaway. We not only offer you great rates, but can arrange great travel packages.  We can also make deposits on most of your reservations.

Tip 3- Watch what you pack. With baggage fees and weight limit charges, you will want to be aware of what you are packing so you can avoid getting hit with more-than-a-couple-dollar-charge when it comes to your luggage. Only take necessities and consider bringing as much as you can on your carry-on bag. It will help to weigh your luggage at home before you head to the airport so you know what you are getting yourself into and can plan appropriately if you know you can’t get under the weight limit. If your luggage is too large to simply place on the scale, jump on first and weigh yourself. Grab your bag then hop on the scale a second time and see what the new weight is. Take this weight and subtract your weight alone and that’s how heavy your bag is.

Tip 4- Don’t carry cash. Instead, opt for prepaid credit cards. Travelling with cash is dangerous and can lead to theft or the loss of money. Sign up for a prepaid credit card and get all of the conveniences of playing with “plastic” without the worry of amassing debt or ruining your credit by choosing to buy that diamond ring you saw in St. Thomas on your caribbean cruise. You’ll only be able to purchase as much as you preload the card with, plus many companies offer theft and fraud protection which is much safer than carrying cash.

I hope your enjoyed these travel tips.  Please call our office to hear more about our services.  We are waiting to plan your next getaway.

Colesville Travel
Office:  301-989-1654
Email: cindy@colesvilletravel.com