HOLIDAY TRAVEL, UUUGH!

By:  BILL GREEN

I love traveling.  It’s Holiday time and visiting with family and friends is such a great time to catch up on life, relax, eat and enjoy time with our loved ones. It can also be a very stressful time of the year.  So, I have learned that “making lists” helps me to get through traveling for the holidays and helps to keep me organized.

Here is a Holiday List to help you get through yours.  I hope it helps

Holiday Travel Plans – Bill’s Hot List?

1. Book your Trip Early – If you are traveling a long distance whether by jet or car, the first thing on your list should be to shop early for flights, hotels (unless you are staying with family) and auto rentals so you can get the best deal. Waiting until a few weeks before your trip will only cost you more and your options may be very limited.  Also, if you have to be back at work the day after you return from your holiday trip – that may be an issue during the holidays.  I make it a practice to book my trip back home at least one day before I have to return to work.  This gives you time to return to your home to get organized before returning to work.  Plus, the weather and heavy holiday travel could cause flight delays or cancellations.

2. Ship Gifts Ahead – If you are traveling by jet or car to visit your family– make of list of the things you need to bring or ship ahead such as gifts, etc.  Nothing is more frustrating then having to hall everything with you on a plane or in your car with a car full of family members. Also, you may be surprised how much more costly it will be if you have to check extra baggage versus, shipping gifts ahead of time.

3. Packing smart – If you are going to be celebrating with family and it’s going to be a casual affair, packing should be easy.  However, more and more families are booking cruises and vacations for the holidays and if that’s the case, you really must plan ahead to know what to pack for your holiday vacation.  This is obviously critical if you are going to a destination where the weather will be vastly different thank your home town.