Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1483107
Less Stress • Book early. Book flights, rental cars, and hotel rooms one to four months in advance. You'll likely save money and have more flexibility when picking dates. • Avoid peak travel days. Roadways and airways are busiest on the day before Thanksgiving and the days before and after Christmas and New Year's. Plan your travels around those dates to avoid getting stuck in the traffic. • Ship your gifts. Take the stress out of finding space for and keeping an eye on gifts you take on trips. You can't always rely on checked baggage to reach a destination, and gift boxes take up a lot of space in a car. Instead, ship your gifts for extra room—and peace of mind that they'll get where they need to go, even if your plans go wrong. More Joy • Take the trip (or don't!). Traveling can be expensive, adding to the chaos of the holidays. If you're worried it's too much of an expense, don't go. If you're looking for solutions to make it work, consider budgeting other areas of your spending. • Rely on devices. Use your phone to download your airline's app for seamless check-in, map the quickest road trip route, or keep kids entertained with a learning game or family-friendly movie. • Document it. Take pictures and videos, record your trip in a journal, and buy souvenirs. You'll be glad to have memories to look back on. TRAVEL Navigating airports, roads, and hotels can be frightful. Here's how to make it delightful and travel like a pro this season. 24