Don't Let Holiday Travel Create a Stressful Festive Season

Traveling during the holidays may bring you joy, but it's not without its challenges. It usually means you’re off to see your loved ones or heading on vacation to end the year right — and so are millions of other people. This can make for a rather stressful experience in airports, train and bus stations, or on the road.

Along with the crowds (not to mention trying to book flights during one of the most popular travel periods), other potential complications include transporting gifts and food and dealing with bad weather. Fear not — here are some tips to make navigating the intricacies of holiday travel easier, so you can spend less time worrying and more time celebrating.

These holiday travel tips will help you navigate the most wonderful (and hectic) time of year.

Nurture Yourself Before You Go

Resist the urge to neglect the basics and not practice good self-care in order to have more time for trip planning and the chore of packing! Make the extra effort to get enough sleep, eat healthy, get to the gym.

Don’t think, “I’ll be able to relax once I’m away from work/on vacation/with my loved ones,” and stress yourself to the bone beforehand. That stress will take a toll.

Set price alerts and book flights early.

If you’re planning to fly for the holiday season, it's best to book your tickets as early as possible. The prime time to book flights for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is typically in September. If you're still waiting to score the best deal, set up price alerts on sites that offer them, then click “buy” when the price is right for you.

Reserve your rental car ahead of time.

Car rental prices can fluctuate a lot, so it's smart to reserve your vehicle early (preferably with a company that allows free cancellations) and then watch out for any price drops. To potentially save further, explore opportunities to get a discount through frequent flyer and membership programs. You can also lower your bill by renting a car from a non-airport location, opting for a smaller or manual transmission vehicle,

and forgoing pricey add-ons like GPS navigation and satellite radio systems.

Be flexible on dates (and means of travel).

If you have some flexibility on when you travel, expand your search to include a few days on either side of your ideal departure and return dates. Certain days around the holidays, such as the Sunday after Thanksgiving, are notoriously busy, so picking a less crowded day to fly can help you save big on airfare. Another way to reduce costs when flying? Choosing to fly out of a large airport with more flights at competitive prices. You can also opt to drive, take a bus or a train.

Consider less-visited destinations.

If you’re visiting family or friends, you can’t change where they live, so ignore this tip. However, if you’re thinking of setting off on vacation, try broadening your horizons. Looking for some fun in the sun over the holidays? Rather than going to ultra-popular

destinations, try alternative locations with fewer crowds and potentially more affordable options. The same goes for winter ski destinations. Forgo the big ski mountains for lesser-visited spots that may not come with all the bells and whistles but still have all the powder stashes you’re after.

Choose direct flights.

Winter is an unpredictable season that comes with snowstorms and delays. Try to always book direct flights to lessen your chances of missing a connection along the way. And if you’re in close enough proximity to your destination, forgo planes altogether and opt for a train or bus instead. 

Pack gifts in your carry-on.

Losing a checked bag, to put it bluntly, sucks. Now, imagine losing a checked bag filled with all the gifts you so diligently purchased for your nieces, nephews, aunts, grandparents, and more. To safeguard against this, pack your presents in your carry-on. Even better, if you're able to travel light, avoid checking a bag altogether. That way, you'll reduce your chances of losing anything along the way. Plus, you'll be able to leave the airport faster because you won’t have to wait forever at the baggage carousel.

Know the rules about flying with holiday items.

If you're traveling with gifts, leave them unwrapped. Otherwise, if your wrapped gift raises any red flags with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), they will be forced to unwrap it at security, undoing all your hard work. You could also avoid this hassle by shipping your gifts ahead of time. You'll also want to be cautious when flying with food items since some liquids, aren't allowed in your carry-on. Consult the TSA website and pack your solid food items in clear containers for easy inspection at security.

Have a backup plan in case things go wrong.

It’s Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That’s why it’s a good idea to have backups on backups when it comes to holiday travel. This starts with opting for travel insurance, which can be bought through airlines or various providers. Check with your credit card provider first to see if it’s already included in your purchase. If not, you'll want to look at all the options — including “cancel for any reason” policies and standard options that cover everything from canceled flights to lost baggage — to find the one that fits your needs.

Next, try to create an alternate route to your destination in case your flight gets canceled. See how far the drive is, check bus and train routes, or have an entirely different plan B option for your holiday celebration (like a staycation) so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.

Be ready to tackle stress and spread joy instead.

Hopefully, all that preparation will help keep you calm while traveling this holiday season. If you need a little help to relieve holiday stress, try downloading a few meditation apps to use during your journey. This way, you can breathe through any stress and anxiety and focus on staying positive for yourself, your family, and all your fellow travelers just trying to get to their destinations. As a bonus, cutting down on stress can also help you avoid getting sick during holiday travel.

Now matter how you travel - have fun, enjoy your friends and family, and try not to stress!