As the weather gets colder and Christmas gets closer, people are starting to make their travel arrangements for the holiday. Planning for holiday travel can be a major headache. However, whether you are traveling by car or by plane, there are ways to ensure that your travel plans go accordingly.
There are a few things that should be included in everyone’s travel plans, for instance, when you are traveling, how you are getting there, and where you are staying for the visit.
As mentioned above, traveling during the holidays can be a hard task. Most people try to pick the best dates to travel. Since traffic and weather are the biggest obstacles when traveling, most people try to choose dates in which the roads won’t be so crowded. This year, both Christmas and New Years fall on a Sunday. That being said, the Fridays before and the Mondays after will be the busiest for driving and have the highest airline rates. As for weather, it is hard to predict so most people just pick a date and hope for the best.
Now that you’ve decided when you’re traveling, you need to decide how you are traveling.
Depending on how far you’re going and what type of vehicle you have, driving could be the best way to go. Mini-vans are great for family road trips, especially if they come with a DVD player and mini television. If you are traveling with a group of friends, splitting the cost of gas is a great way to get from point A to point B without going broke.
Another recommendation when it comes to driving for the holidays is using gas credit cards, which many banks offer. You can save yourself the hassle of cash and earn rewards, points, or even cash back. Basically, if you’re going to drive, pick good driving days and come up with a plan to save money and be comfortable the whole way there.
As previously stated, flying by air can get pretty expensive around the holidays. Most airlines increase their prices drastically. However, if you plan in advance and search around for great deals, you can’t go wrong. Also, selecting certain airlines, as well as airports can save you time and money.
For example, if you selected Baltimore’s BWI instead of DC’s Dulles, you are guaranteed to save money and you won’t have to deal with so much traffic.
After you have your dates of travel and your means of travel, you need to be sure you have somewhere to travel to. If you are visiting home for the holidays, try to stay with friends or family. That way you can avoid the hotel rates and have that warm feeling of being home.
If you are going on vacation or you prefer to stay in a hotel, book before hand. Hotel rates, like airline rates, normally increase around the holidays. However, many websites offer great deals and if you look around you’ll be sure to find something more affordable and less outrageous.
There you have it! A few simple ways to make sure you holiday travel plans don’t unravel. The key is to always plan ahead and to always look for ways to save.
This article was written by Erica Stanley. Erica is a fruggal blogger who enjoys giving advice on ways to save.