Holiday travel can be tricky for a lot of people. It often requires flying to cold weather destinations (meaning you have to pack a lot of bulky warm clothes) and hauling gifts to or from the places you’re visiting.
For me, holiday travel includes flying to see two sets of family located in two different states and picking up Christmas presents at both destinations (woo hoo!). Over the years of making the trip from Seattle to the east coast, I’ve learned a few tricks.
Here are some packing tips for holiday travel to help make your journey easier.
1. If you’re flying, avoid having to check bags. With the high volume of travelers during the holidays and the potential for bad weather, it means your flight could easily be delayed or canceled. If you haven’t checked a bag, your airline will have an easier time getting you on another flight.
2. Arrive at the airport well in advance of your flight. Lines tend to be longer at security during the holidays and the last thing you want is to miss your flight. Plus, the stress factor during the holidays is already high. Cut down on that stress by leaving plenty of time to get through security and to enjoy of cup of tea before your flight.
3. Pack snacks. I always recommend carrying your own food on flights but when the potential for delayed and cancelled flights is as high as it is during the holidays, you’ll feel much better if you’ve got something healthy to snack on if you do get caught on the tarmac or in the airport.
4. Ship your packages in advance. Given the high cost of checking bags on most airlines, get yourself organized and ship your gifts to your destination. In the U.S., the postal service has an excellent Priority Mail option that can get your boxes there in two to three days to most destinations at a very reasonable rate.
5. If you do have to carry gifts with you, don’t wrap them until you get to your destination. If there’s anything suspicious about your package, you’ll need to unwrap it. Plus, you run the risk of ruining the wrapping in-transit. Even if you’re driving, you’ll do better if you wrap gifts once you arrive. This will allow you to more easily pack them in the car.
6. No liquids over three ounces. Remember that you won’t be able to bring bottles of liquor, perfume or other liquids in your carry-on. Consider purchasing these gifts at your destination rather than checking or shipping them.
7. Choose the best luggage for the journey. Ideally you’ll have a 22″ (or smaller) carry-on so you don’t have to check your bag. Whichever bag you choose, do a little test pack a week before your trip to make sure that it’s going to hold everything you need it to hold (and leave some space for goodies you can bring home with you!).
8. Wear your bulkier clothes so you don’t have to pack them. Layer up and wear your heaviest sweater and jacket on the flight even if it means you have to strip down a layer to sit comfortably.
9. Ship home the presents you receive. Use the same logic you used for getting your presents TO your destination, and simply ship the presents you received back to your home. They might even beat you home depending on the length of your stay.
Most importantly, remember that this is the Season of Joy. Take time to smell the, er, Christmas tree and bring some cheer to other people during the journey.
Travel Well,
Beth
Related Links:
Traveling with holiday gifts
wanderingeducators says
Excellent tips – that shipping option is pure genius!
Jennifer says
Not checking bags is one of my only “must do’s,” any time of the year! It only takes one nightmare experience of waiting three days at your travel destination’s airport area for your misdirected luggage to arrive in the right airport to make light packing and laundry halfway through a necessity. 🙂
Heather says
Snacks are SO important! I don’t know if I can remember a flight during that holidays that *did* leave on time! Good tip to plan ahead so you don’t starve to death at the gate or on the tarmac.
Larissa says
Great advice for any time of the year. The shipping tip can also work for bulky souvenirs!
Hogga says
great tips
Val-This Way To Paradise says
Good advice! I agree…the best advice is to avoid checking your bags!
Melissa says
YES to these tips! I always wear layers upon layers when I travel, even in the warm summer months, just to fit a few more items on the plane without having to pay extra!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas says
These tips could also work for a budget flight in Europe!! This is the very first year I’m actually checking a suitcase for travel, but we’re going on a cruise and I need to be fancy! I usually find my most boring clothes to wear so that I can mix and match with as many combinations as possible – learning to travel like a backpacker helps!
I’d also remind people to stay calm and thank the airline workers. Most people are frazzled when they travel at this time, but a thank you and a calm (albeit jetlagged) smile helped recover a bag of mine lost in a storm in under 8 hours. These people are also away from their families on the holidays.
Penny Sadler says
Great tips Beth!
Mary @ Green Global Travel says
We never travel during the holidays. Bret and I are blessed to live close to most of our family members. I love your tip about shipping presents- that makes so much sense. I also like Cat’s tip on taking time to thank the airline workers. We recently arrived home at the Atlanta Airport and there was a very enthusiastic employee welcoming us all back to the USA. We laughed and it made our long travel day a bit better.
Jennifer says
All excellent packing tips. I can’t tell you how many travelers I saw get held up at security this holiday season because they had wrapped gifts. Wrapping paper is really easy to pick up at a drug store once you get to your destination.