Tips for Traveling during a Holiday Weekend
As our family prepares to join the 95 million other Americans who will be traveling this Labor Day weekend, I want to share some of the tips we will be using to make sure that things go as smoothly as possible.
My two biggest tips for traveling during the busy season is to plan ahead and pack your patience! When everyone wants to use their long-weekend or time-off-work to visit the popular tourist spots, it can mean long lines, sold-out activities, and last-minute cancellations which can lead to disappointment and short tempers. Planning ahead can help to alleviate some of these issues, but maybe even more importantly, a little bit of patience can be the difference between great memories and a ruined trip. As the quote goes, “patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
Whether you are traveling for a long holiday weekend, during the holiday season, or just during peak-travel times, these tips can help to make the trip better for you and your family.
10. Take the “Road less traveled”
Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of choosing your travel destination, like during your annual family reunion or holiday gathering at Great-aunt Mary’s house, but when you are able, consider traveling to a lesser-known location to avoid the crowds. Around here, many families go to the beach in the summer and the mountains in the fall. Think about flip-flopping those to beat the long-lines and overcrowded spaces!
9. Book tours and tickets ahead of time
If there is a tour or activity that is at the top of your trip “must-do list” make sure you book early! Don’t wait until you arrive only to find out it is sold out. Go ahead and buy your tickets before your trip.
Real life tip - Especially for more expensive tickets, we also strongly suggest spending the extra money to get the “insurance” on pre-purchased tickets in case life happens, and you can’t go at the last minute.
8. Decide how you will get to the airport and book accordingly
If you are flying, decide how you are getting to the airport. Whether you are taking a ride-share or parking at or near the airport, go ahead and make your reservation. Uber currently allows users to request a ride up to 90 days in advance, and Lyft can schedule up to 30 days ahead of time.
Our family generally parks at one of the off-site airport parking lots and shuttles to the terminal. We are able to reserve our parking spot ahead of time. Many airports also have online updates on the status of their parking lots. Our airport has a page that gives real time information on which lots are full and the percent of open spots available.
7. Make sure you are up-to-date on security rules and procedures
Before your trip, make sure you review the current rules and the “What Can I Bring?” pages on the TSA website. A few general rules that are important to remember:
Give yourself extra time during busy travel times
Wear shoes you can easily take off and put back on
Make sure you are not wearing anything that contains metal
Follow the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquid rule
Empty your water bottle
6. Skip the long security lines
If you travel frequently, consider enrolling in a program like TSA PreCheck or Clear. These programs have their own lines in airport security and require pre-approval which greatly expedites your time waiting to go through the screening process. We currently use TSA PreCheck, but I would recommend reviewing both to see which is best for you and your family.
5. Avoid the airport altogether
If you have not already noticed, we love a good road trip around here. Especially now that the boys are a little older, we often consider driving instead of flying. So, we don’t think twice about piling up the car and hitting the road for excursions that are less than 6 hours away. But for longer trips, when you would normally fly, consider making your transportation part of your trip and take a train or boat. For most of us, these less busy modes of transportation offer a new adventure that many Americans have never experienced.
4. Consider checking your bags
Yes, I know this sounds odd. But especially when you are traveling with kids, even packing lightly can still mean a lot of bags and stuff. Multiply that by all the passengers on your likely completely full flight, and that is a lot of cramming into the overhead bins and under seats. It also means so many bags to screen in the security lines. Besides, checking your bags can make boarding much quicker and easier.
3. Be prepared for wait times
This tip is essential if you have kids. Who wants to be stuck somewhere with a tired, hungry and bored child? But even if you are traveling alone or with other adults, you can only scroll on your phones for so long. Pack items that will keep you and your family busy when you have to wait for your flight, in a line, for a table, etc.
There are the old standbys that all parents know - favorite snacks, water bottles, tablets (with headphones), hand-held gaming systems, crayons, etc. Books are also a go-to for our family, and I also like small games I can throw into my purse. Lots of board games have card versions that are fun to play on-the-go, and there are thousands of game apps you can download. We also love trivia in our family, so I have bookmarked some good family-friendly trivia pages on my phone.
2. Always arrive early
The TSA is currently recommending for holiday weekends that travelers arrive two hours prior to your scheduled flight to allow for plenty of time to park/return your rental, check bags, get through security, and arrive at your gate. I also recommend using a modified version of this advice for activities and stops on your trip. If you have a reservation or timed ticket for something, arrive 20-30 minutes early to ensure you have time to find the location, park and get where you need to be.
1. Remain calm and be flexible!!!
Now that you have done all of the pre-planning, it’s time to switch gears and go into “Gumby mode” (am I dating myself with this one?). One thing that can make or break your trip is the ability to go-with-the-flow and to be flexible when something goes wrong. You have done the hard-work, so sit back and enjoy! But know that if something doesn’t work the way you had hoped, it doesn’t have to ruin your trip. Make finding a solution part of your adventure.
Bonus Tip:
We love to ask the locals for their favorite places to eat, visit, etc. Oftentimes, they can guide you to an “off the beaten path” option that may be less busy. And bonus, you get to step away from the overcrowded tourist traps and see how the locals live.
