The Winter Holidays are fast approaching (even faster if you are in the USA) and many of us already have traveling plans. A lot of people are just starting to make plans. With people traveling the country or continent to visit relatives or just head out to celebrate in other places than home, traveling during the holidays is often a nightmare.

Between bead weather, delayed or cancelled flights, crowded airports, and cranky travelers, it’s no wonder that even thinking about traveling during the winter holidays gives us cold sweats. But, there are some things we can do to have a smooth(er) experience.

Here are some tips & trips to make this experience less stressful.

Be careful when you choose the travel dates

We already know: don’t fly over the weekend, don’t fly on Mondays…it’s best to fly mid-week. That’s if you have enough day off. Ahem. Either way, as much as possible avoid flying on Mondays and Fridays. And most definitely on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Also, check the weather report at least 3 days prior to leaving AND 3 days prior to coming back home. If the weather gets worse, you can expect delays. In such cases, keep your eyes on the airline’s website. If there’s a weather advisory, it’s best to reschedule the flight. I’ve got accuweather on my smartphone and it’s very good at telling me in advance what to expect.

At the very least purchase the travel insurance that the airline or travel agent is pushing to sell. You might actually need to use it should anything happen.

Another, much better option, is to purchase a good travel insurance with trip cancellation and other perks.

Luggage

Especially when traveling on low-cost carriers you want to be careful how much you carry. Paying extra for a too big luggage is not fun , nor pleasant during the holidays. If you MUST pack more than the carry on allowed size, pay for the luggage when buying the ticket. It’s ALWAYS cheaper.

If you travel by train, there are no restrictions . But please, try NOT to carry your entire wardrobe with you. Hauling too many suitcases going to/from the train station is not a nice way to start/end your holidays.

Don’t drink and…travel

Hangovers make ANY trip awful. So try to avoid that. No one forces you to not have fun, but be careful how much you actually drink. Needless to say, don’t go anywhere drunk. Worst case scenario, you fall asleep in the lounge and miss the flight. Was it worth it? I don’t think so.

Booking.com

Buy the tickets in advance or grab a Black Friday Sale

For flights, 6 to 8 weeks is pretty much the “golden period” when you can find the cheapest fares. Prices always skyrocket during Christmas and everything books up pretty fast. By now, you are out of that “golden period”, so good luck with finding cheap flights. At least the train fare doesn’t change like that (at least not in all countries).

As for accommodation, in previous years booked the rooms for New Year’s in early October. I took a look online couple of days ago and there are still some decent-prices places to choose from but only for visiting the Christmas Market (so traveling prior to Dec 24).

If you prefer to wing it and wait for deals, you may be lucky. Black Friday usually comes with pretty good sales even from low cost carriers. Just note that some providers run the deals all through November not just on the day. So keep your eyes open!

And speaking of: ALWAYS plan to visit a Christmas Market by December 20. Some (Vienna and Budapest) have already opened in mid November.

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The article was written and first published in November 2012; edited in November 2023