Even when you are heading on that much needed holiday, travelling can be anything but fun and can be particularly worse during the busy, holiday season because of long queues and various delays. In order to help you survive the horror that holiday travel can be, we have put together a guide of ten top tips.
Make Sure You Arrive At the Airport on Time
The only way you can ensure that you get to the airport without any problems is by getting there early. Avoiding checking in luggage can help cut down 90 minutes of your trip time, so if you can you should. Especially if you haven’t been assigned seats yet, but in general also, you should print your boarding pass off online as this will also save you some time at the airport. If the inevitable happens and you are late, be sure to check if your airline has specific policies for missed flights or late check-ins.
Make Full Use of Your Smartphone
Nowadays smartphones can be your best friend when you are travelling. Even a handset with the most basic of functionality can help you access flight itineraries via either the airline’s website or your email account. If you are looking for a more in-depth experience, use TripIt, a free app that helps manage your itinerary and makes getting your boarding pass even easier. Depending on the flight and airline, you can often get a digital boarding pass which means you don’t even have to print one off.
Look Out for First Class Free Upgrades
Holiday season travel is more of a headache than anything else, with having to arrive early, waiting a long time to go through security procedures and the almost inevitable delays. To make it more bearable you can use a special app called VideoJug that offers interesting insight on how to get a first class upgrade on your ticket for free.
Prepare In Advance for Travelling With Children
If this is not your first time travelling with children, you will be aware of the difficulties. It is best to prepare for the worst and besides warning them about their attitude in a busy, public place and providing them with enough entertainment, there are a few other things you can do. It is sensible to make sure you have some plastic bags in your pocket in preparation for a bout of air sickness. It is also wise to delegate the jobs between parents travelling with you, so that you all share a bit of the load and responsibility.
Make DIY Luggage Tags
There are various tried and tested ways to help you easily identify your luggage at the airport, but many of these are overused and can still cause confusion. Tying ribbon may have been unique and helpful a few years ago, but it’s less so now. By far the best way to ensure that your luggage will stand out from the crowd is by creating your own unique luggage tags. At most department and travel stores you can normally find blank luggage tags that either have a slot for a custom tag or laminate a piece of paper. Once you have got your hands on as many of these as you need, you can just make a unique design on your computer and print if off.
Pack Smart
When you are packing for your holiday, it is important to be smart and organized. Try to pick items with multiple uses. Choose clothing that can be mix-and-matched to create various looks and wear items that can be layered easily so you don’t end up taking too many pieces with you. Find versatile footwear that will match most of your clothes, such as sneakers or simple sandals. Put together a separate toiletry bag and keep the essentials like moisturizer, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and conditioner in small bottles. Make sure you pack a few band aids and medicines for headaches or stomach aches too.
Bring Entertainment
Long lines at security check points or flight delays can make travelling quite tedious and nothing helps pass the time better than some good entertainment. Bring along books, magazines, puzzles, cards or other activities to keep everyone busy during the wait times. If you have access to electronic devices like tablets or phones make sure they are loaded up with books, music, movies or other content that will help keep any boredom away throughout your travels.
Choose Your Seats Wisely
If you manage to get assigned seating before leaving for the airport it is best to choose seats strategically – especially if you are travelling with family members or friends as this way you can ensure that everyone is seated next to each other on the plane without having to go through extra hassle at check in counters. Try picking aisle seats as this offers more legroom and makes it easier for people who need to use the restroom often during flights – something especially handy when travelling with kids!
Plan Transfers Ahead
It is always wise to plan ahead for transfers so that you don’t waste precious time trying to figure out how get from one point of travel to another when on holiday. Arrange transportation from airports beforehand – either by booking cabs online in advance or putting together a budget rental car from an offsite lot if possible – this way everything is set up already when coming out of arrivals gates and no time has been wasted haggling over prices and services afterwards.
Know Your Airlines Policies
Most airlines have their own policies in place regarding check in times and boarding procedures which vary greatly depending on destination country – make sure you look them up before departing so there won’t be any surprises waiting once at the airport! Knowing what rules apply where also gives passengers peace of mind when flying abroad as they can plan ahead accordingly by bringing all required documents (passports etc) while making sure they meet check in deadlines without having any last minute rush before heading off into security lines which may cause delays later on down the line!
Traveling can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation and knowledge of airline policies it becomes much easier. Planning ahead for transfers, choosing your seats wisely, packing smartly and creating unique luggage tags are all important steps to consider before taking off on any journey. By following these tips you will not only save time during check-in procedures but also make sure that your travels remain hassle free throughout! With this advice in mind we wish you happy and safe journeys wherever life takes you next!
