The only thing more stressful than actually preparing a large Thanksgiving dinner is getting to a Thanksgiving dinner. With airports being a complete nightmare this time of year, thanks to weather delays and other external forces, here are a few tips to help you de-stress and be as relaxed as possible while traveling this Turkey Day.
1. Take Time Off Early
Don’t wait until Thursday morning — take Wednesday off, if you can, and it’ll cut down on the stress of traveling during Thanksgiving.
2. Drive Instead of Fly
It may take a little longer, but with airports being INSANE around this time of year (and I’m not just talking about the new TSA regulations), you’ll feel better knowing you have more control over your travel.
3. Travel During Off-Peak Hours
Early mornings and late nights are a pain, but traveling those times will help you avoid traffic, or if you’re flying, lower the chance of being bumped off a flight.
4. Buy Your Tickets Immediately
Holding out for last-minute deals? From here on out, nothing is going to get cheaper. Fares rise to meet the demand of very very last-minute folks with lots of disposable income. So buy your tickets ASAP.
5. Take a Vacation
Many hotels and destinations offer Thanksgiving deals that are valid from Friday through Sunday. Take advantage of it!
From CheapOair
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{ 20 comments }
May I offer another? Leave plenty of extra time. Having ample time can really cut down on the stress involved with traveling.
It's one part of it that you can control. I've traveled both ways…rushed and relaxed. I'd rather do the latter any day.
Great post about traveling. Did you see the Keep Calm and Carry On luggage tags at http://www.DecorativeThings.com?
I think buying tickets early is definitely a great way to stay sane
Sniffly Kitty
Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books
Most stressful time of the year!… Ensure you plan ahead and…. KEEP CALM! http://www.wartimeposters.co.uk/keep-calm-and-carry-on.h...
Only go if you want to see the people you are going to visit. If you are visiting because you have to or you feel obligated you are already traveling in a bad mood or wrong spirit. That will make the trip more difficult and stressful. If you dont want to go send a nice gift and card and stay home.
we don't travel
Plan ahead, pack ahead, ship things if you can manage it, drive if possible. Try not to leave anything to things outside of your control if at all possible. There are a lot of guides to help with holiday stress levels floating around. Check some of the out.
I definitely agree with the travel tips. Avoid peak times or you'll be miserable or maybe even miss your flight. If you're staying in town, prep things ahead of time as much as possible so you're not rushing around at the last minute trying to handle all of the details.
I despise traveling. I fell as if the time spent from point A to point B is wasted time. I bring plenty of music to listen to.
We make it a party on wheels. Play some music sing and sing along. Tell goofy stories that we normally don't have time to tell or forget about. It makes the miles go quicker.
I'm traveling between Thanksgiving and Christmas which will hopefully make the whole experience less stressful. But oh yes, there is still one obstacle … surviving the long-distance flight. Then again, it's so wrth it to go to Florida now that it'll start snowing where I live.
It’s been years since I traveled during the holidays, but leaving early really helps.
We refuse to travel when everyone else does. It's just not worth the stress. If we work more hours or more days, we are lucky enough to be able to take time off the week before or after for travelling.
We can’t afford to fly all the time, and so most of the time if it’s within California or Nevada we drive.
We’ve become pros traveling with kids! During the Holidays we drove from San Jose to Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back to San Jose. Worse drive ever during Thanksgiving Weekend!! We did this trip twice. Las Vegas to San Jose the longest. First time – 13 hours and then the Second time – 7 hours. What did we do different? Instead of leaving Las Vegas on Sunday morning at 6am we left at Midnight! We avoided all the traffic. My husband drove most of the way, and the kids slept (so did I most of the ride).
Now that I have a brand new baby. I travel from San Jose to Los Angeles a lot with her. I travel with her in the mornings (we usually leave between 830am-9am). I make sure she doesn’t take her morning nap. So, as soon as we hit the road she’s knocked out for 2 hours. We stop for lunch, and she’s happy and content playing on her own for an hour. I hand her a bottle and she’s back asleep for the last 2 hours of the ride.
Traveling during the holidays is all on the time you leave. The later you leave the longer your travel time!
Give yourself twice the normal amount of time to get to the airport as you usually do—avoid the stress of being stuck in traffic–or the security check point as you miss your flight.
I stay sane while traveling during the holidays by making lists and being organized. I also take a few minutes to just relax and breathe. I meditate for relaxation and to clear my mind.
LuckyTJG@cs.com
These are all good tips. Most of them are things I have learned to do through personal experience. Another thing I have learned is to join the programs where you can take advantage of the lounges they offer at airports. Having a good festive mental attitude helps you get through it.
great tips, we are driving to relatives this year to avoid the hassel of airports
Just Breathe, it is amazing what the right mind set will do for you!! Obviously its always good to pray to God for his help with patience, wisdom, and being kind no matter what the situation is!!
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