Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and you know what that means. Time to travel to spend the holiday with family! Everyone knows that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year, both on the road and in the air. But if you have a family that lives far away, not traveling for Thanksgiving is NOT an option. Fortunately, these Thanksgiving travel tips should make the holiday hustle and bustle a little easier for you and your family to manage.
Thanksgiving Travel Tips For Driving
For seamless travel throughout the days leading up to Thanksgiving, follow the tips and tricks below.
-Prior to departure, do a quick run-through of your car. Check that the tire pressure is correct, test your car battery, and refill any wiper fluid in case of a storm. It’s annoying to have to stop and handle these things when you should be on the road!
-Make sure you have a winter safety kit in your car! Things happen on the road, and if (heaven forbid) you get stranded on the side of the road, it’s better to have the supplies needed. Pack several blankets, nonperishable food, games, and medical necessities just in case of emergency. And honestly, you should have one in your car at all times. Not just for holiday travel.
-Of course, it’s better to do most of your travel outside of peak times. Unfortunately, this isn’t always doable. If you have to leave on Wednesday, I recommend getting on the road before the sun rises that morning, or you’ll be sitting in traffic. While it might be hard to get your kiddos awake and ready, you’ll definitely be glad that you started early.
-Unfortunately, thieves like to target holiday travelers, purely because they are focused on traveling instead of keeping an eye on their belongings. Make sure that someone trusted is inside of your vehicle to watch your belongings during the pit stops that you make on the road.
Thanksgiving Travel Tips For Flying
-Airline prices around Thanksgiving are some of the most expensive out there. Avoid the markups by purchasing your tickets months in advance and doing so through a travel app like Expedia that is designed to help connect you with cheap flights.
-Check-in before you leave your home if you aren’t checking baggage. Many airlines (Delta included) give passengers to skip the line if they aren’t checking baggage and print their boarding pass at home. Doing so will give you the power to skip one more line. Awesome, right? Carry-ons are also free to travel with, whereas you’ll pay a fee for larger luggage.
-Give yourself an extra hour or two to get through security on these peak travel days. Just because you’re stuck in a security line doesn’t mean the flight will wait for you. I know from experience.
-Uber to the airport. Though it might be more expensive to travel on busy days like this one, taking an Uber to the airport will definitely simplify your life.
Thanksgiving Travel Tips With Kids
-If traveling on an airplane, see if you can’t plan your flight around the time of their nap or even bedtime. That way you won’t have to worry about entertaining them at all.
-Make sure you bring a bag stocked with essential toys, comfort items, and snacks. Put special items from the Dollar Store into these bags to make things more fun for the kids.
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