Welcome to part two of our 15 travel tips! Travel during the holiday season is never an easy task! Anyone who’s experienced the complications and stress involved can vouch for that. That’s why you can read through the rest of these 15 great tips that will help you out during the holiday travel time so that you can enjoy a stress-free (hopefully) vacation!
8. Know what you shouldn’t carry. Bringing a pecan pie along for Christmas Eve dinner? “Pies shouldn’t be a problem, although they might be subject to additional screening,” says the TSA, “but more than three ounces of sauces, jellies, jams, or other food items that could be considered a liquid or gel won’t pass through.” Pretty interesting, huh? But if you’re traveling by train, you shouldn’t have any troubles.
9. Pack wisely. There’s a good chance the TSA workers might ask you to unwrap any gifts you have in your carry-on luggage, so you’ll probably want to carry presents unwrapped and let the wrapping paper be separate. You’ll also want to spread out in your bag piles of books, CDs, and other dense items because x-ray machines can’t always see through them. It might save you some time.
10. Watch prohibited items. If a TSA officer discovers a prohibited item in your carry-on, you can just give it up, return to the ticket counter and put the item in your checked luggage (good luck with that), or mail it home. Some airports are even implementing mail centers, some shops have padded mailers, and many airports have mail kiosks located right by security checkpoints.
11. Bring a travel survival kit. You’ll want to take earplugs, an eyeshade, snacks (no liquids of course), a charged cell phone, a backup calling card, sanitizing wipes, a small flashlight, entertainment (magazines, books, DVD or music player, playing cards, etc.) and some extra cash.
12. Stay entertained. A host of uncontrollable events, such as weather, mechanical problems, and air-traffic situations, can leave you stuck waiting at the airport. You’ll need your survival kit, which will help, but so will a map of the airport so that you’ll know there all the amenities, shops, and restaurants are.
13. Plan for problems. Keep handy any information you might need, like your airline, hotel, or car rental company. Have a hard copy of it too, and give a copy to someone else who’s not traveling with you.
14. Know how to complain. If something goes wrong, don’t yell at the people who are graciously working during the holidays. They’re just trying to do their jobs. If you can’t resolve an issue in peace, take good notes, writing down names, take pictures, and follow up with a phone call and/or letter later.
15. Prepare your kids to travel. Whining, crying, unhappy kids at the airport, on a plane or train, or in the back of the car are just plain not fun. So prepare them for travel. Bring entertainment for them too. Explain to them what travel will be like and how they need to behave in public.