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Are you really going to schlep kids along and travel this week? The agony….:)
OK, really, I do understand that these things are often out of our control.
We might want to hole up at home and not go anywhere that involves “planes, trains and automobiles,” but that’s not always possible (and the holiday fun at the other end is usually worth it.)
There are plenty of great tips out there for helping you through the holidays, from
- tech site Mashable’s 20+ Tools For A Better Thanksgiving to
- Wendy Perrin’s seminal guide to not getting kicked off a plane when you travel with a toddler to
- Budget Travel‘s tips on coping with travel emergencies to
- to Smarter Travel’s quick, basic tips to help with air travel to
- to Fodor’s Tips for Smoother Thanksgiving travels.
But look, here are my basics:
- Just assume disaster of epic proportions, then you won’t be surprised by monster traffic jams, giant freak snowstorms that delay flights, etc.
- Also assume unknown dumb stuff – there were radio-related air traffic control delays at major hub DFW this morning. You have no control over this other than to plan for mess and be pleasantly surprised if it turns out OK.
- Check latest TSA rules if flying. Duh.
- For gosh sakes, try to avoid checking luggage. You’ve just got to. It’s one more thing that you can control. Luggage in the cargo hold, you can’t control.
- Watch the weather. My local paper shows a band of rain/snow/general ick running through part of the US northeast, Chicago and Denver over the next day or so. Can you say delays at JFK/La Guardia, O’Hare and Denver Int’l?
- Check in online if at all possible, and print your boarding passes at home. It’s really simple, and if you do this AND don’t check luggage, you can march straight over and start dealing with security. One less line to fiddle with. A no-brainer.
- Mail or ship stuff there, and mail or ship stuff back. Even paying next-day or two-day delivery charges may be worth it, just to avoid dealing with getting items through the airport.
- Road trip? Get maps. I’m telling you, MapQuest and other online map services are great but they aren’t always accurate. If you print out a point-to-point MapQuest route and get detoured, you’re suddenly in unknown territory. Just buy a danged map (your AAA membership may include free maps.) They always boot up, too.
- Road trip – don’t wait till the tank is low before gassing up. You never know when some colossal traffic jam will have you idling for hours and worrying about running out of gas.
Remember, the whole point of all this is to enjoy the company of the ones you love.
Next year, consider something fun like Thanksgiving in Paris or someplace else to gather away from home for the holiday.
Why not?
Technorati tags: travel, family travel, Thanksgiving travel tips
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{ 3 comments }
Very worthwhile tips, Sheila. I just finished a delightful trip to Haines, Alaska to photograph the thousands of bald eagles savoring the last big salmon run of the season on the Chilkat River, and every flight I had the pleasure of taking was filled to capacity. Austin to DFW, DFW to Seattle, Seattle to Juneau: all full. Single engine LAB Piper Juneau to Haines, ditto. Reversing course was the same experience.
Flights went okay for the most part, although our Seattle-Juneau flight that arrived 11 pm was the first one all day thanks to pea-soup fog. The buddy I was gonna meet in Juneau on Thursday got parked at Sitka for that night, and got to play catch up on Friday.
Yes, try not to check baggage; but if you’re like me, a photographer, you’re doomed. My one checked bag weighed 57 lbs, and cost me $50 extra at AA in Austin. (Alaska Airlines didn’t quibble on the return, thankfully.)
Take your passport, too. The day we finally arrived in Haines, the light was cruddy for photography on the river, so we drove north to chase the sunshine. It led us into British Columbia, and I was very glad to have the US Passport when we crossed the border and back.
And don’t forget, if you’re packing a pocketknife or Leatherman tool, to put it into the checked bag. (I know, you’re not supposed to check a bag, but just in case!) Luminous-Landscape photographer Michael Reichmann just reported flying out of Toronto to several international destinations with a Leatherman tucked into a carry-on camera bag. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t caught and strip-searched; but we, for sure, wouldn’t be so lucky!
LOL! Cool tips.
A very happy Thanksgiving to you! I live in an RV now…go figure.
Hi Mike,
Wow, thanks for the great tips. Sorry I took awhile to respond; kinda let myself unplug for awhile. Your comments remind me that I need to renew our passports as soon as possible; I’d hate to miss an opportunity because ours have lapsed.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for stopping by, glad to know you’re still out there! I’d like to try out an RV sometime; keep in touch….
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