Are you planning a trip this holiday season? If so you are like the estimated nearly 100 million Americans planning on some level or travel this holiday season. So as you prepare to pack up the family here at Tripz.com we have put together a few tips to ensure your travel goes as smoothly as possible.
Lets go ahead an assume like most you are going to be flying this year and traveling with little ones. As a road trip gives you a bit more freedom on how you prepare yet some of these tips can still be put to good use.
1. Letter From Santa: Lets start by putting the little ones mind at ease that Santa is going to be able to find them and they will still get their presents. One great way to do this is to send a letter from Santa to your home addressed to the kids. That way they can sleep easy knowing Santa is watching plus they will be extremely excited to get a letter from the man himself. You can also take this opportunity to inform them the presents will be home waiting for them when they return if you want to avoid the hassle of moving gifts to and from your vacation destination.
2. Bring tradition with you: Most families have some sort of holiday tradition that the day just wouldn’t be complete without it. Whether its simple as a specific meal or game that you play or a prized decoration make sure to include this in your travel plans. Also don’t forget to pack the stockings!
3. Be Prepared:; You can only pack so much and bring so much back home. Plus there are going to be certain gifts that are not to be seen till Christmas Day. Ordering items online and direct shipping to you destination will save you a headache and a few dollars. You can always have them delivered to a local UPS or FedEx store. Some vacation rental owners will allow things to be shipped to the property ahead of time but I wouldn’t count on that being a guarantee.
4. Pack For Success:; Make sure to pack light and take into account the gifts yet to be open that now have to come back home with you. If you fly airlines like Southwest where you bags fly free consider bringing an empty suitcase to allow for those shipped items to return with you at no cost.
5. Pick the right Accommodations: When picking out your vacation rental for the holidays many will have decorations set up. Its a good questions to ask to ensure the property you choose has the holiday feel you are looking for. Sure a hotel will have a tree in the lobby but a vacation rental can offer you much more of that home for the holidays feel without anyone having sleeping on grandmas couch.
6. TSA Pre-check: A little preparation goes a long way. Take some time and go through the TSA precheck process to avoid some of the hassle and lines when you get to the airport by being able to slide into the pre-check lanes.
7. Let Someone Else Drive: Don’t stress about a ride to and from the airport with low cost providers like Lyft and Uber gaining more and more access at the terminal its easier than ever to let someone else drive. We all know finding a friend to drive you can be a pain and the cost to park your car and then get the whole family from the economy lot to the gate can be and adventure all in itself. Relax and let a someone drive so you can ensure you have all you need and haven’t forget anything for your trip.
As always, it,s the holidays so the roads and the airports are going to be busy so make sure you have given yourself plenty of time. Running late just adds to the stress of holiday travel. Enjoy you holiday and if you are still searching for a last minute vacation home let Tripz.com save you some money by connecting directly with the owner or property managers to ensure you get the best pricing.