How to Make Holiday Travel Less Stressful
The holidays are right around the corner as we head into November, and you know what that means, right? It means that people are making plans to visit their friends or their relatives whether they’re out of state or right around the corner. One thing that can make the holidays stressful is the travelling that we have to do, so we’re here to provide you with some tips to make your holiday travel a little less stressful.
Let’s start off with the most integral part of any holiday travel: accept the situation and plan ahead. It’s easy to make those last minute holiday plans with friends or family, but knowing is half the battle. Crowded airplanes, wintry weather and congested highways can make travel very stressful. Try to plan your travel ahead of time if you can, and if you can’t then make sure you have a plan to keep yourself calm and collected during times of stress. Things like inclement weather or accidents are out of our control, so be sure you’re ready to accept all of those situations and leave your stress behind.
Our next tip to make your travels a little less stressful is to make sure you give yourself enough time. There are a lot of things that are going to take more time as we arrive closer to the holidays. Check-in times for flights, arriving to the airport or even getting a taxi to the airport can often take longer than we anticipate. Make sure that you give yourself the proper amount of time to arrive at your destination on time. It can be very stressful when you start running behind schedule, so plan to leave early if you need to. Arrive at your destination early if possible, it’s better to be early than late, right?
Next is something that we all forget to do at one point or another, but it’s important to check your bags! Make sure that everything you need for your holiday travels are packed. Shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, enough clothing and medications. Check your carry-ons and your luggage and make sure that anything you will definitely need if you’re taking a flight will be stored somewhere you have access to. If you plan on travelling by car then make sure you have everything you need before you hit the road. This includes double-checking your children’s bags, if there are any, and making sure they don’t leave anything behind that they might need.
Last, but certainly not least, is to make sure that everyone is happy and well fed. If you’re taking a plane then there are plenty of luxuries such as on-flight snacks and drinks, but it’s always best to make sure you pack a few snacks just in case. The same thing applies if you’re taking a road trip, make sure that you’ve got plenty of snacks packed for the way because, while grabbing a bite on the way sounds nice, it could put you behind schedule. Also make sure that you’re taking frequent bathroom breaks on the road and on a flight, and our last tip to keep everyone happy is to have fun. Play some games with your family or, if you’re taking the trip solo, put on some relaxing music, read a book, or make a call to a friend to keep yourself company on the way.
These are just a few small tips to make holiday travels less stressful on you, your family and your friends. Make sure you adhere to these as we approach November and into December. Remember that it’s always better to be early than it is late and we hope that you and your loved ones have the best holidays imaginable!
