Christmas is a time for laughter and joy. It’s a time for eating, drinking and relaxing with family and friends. A time to embrace giving but also secretly relish in receiving and as many couples know, it’s also the time of year to compromise on what side of the family to spend Christmas with.
This year, we are headed back to Ontario for Christmas to spend the holidays with my side of the family and I couldn’t be more excited.
As we all know, travelling over the holiday season can often feel like somewhat of a chore but if you plan ahead, you can make it a lot easier on yourself (and your significant other).
Here are three travel tips for heading home over the holidays:
Book Early
I know people rave about last minute deals, but around the holidays? Fat chance of finding one.
The earlier you book when it comes to Christmas the better; I’d recommend 8-10 weeks out. I booked my flight from Vancouver to Toronto in mid-October and paid $630 for my roundtrip flight (which is a decent price nowadays). If I was to book right now, I’d be paying around $850. So, save some money for gifts and start your holiday flight search early!
Order Gifts Online
This is my new must do.
Instead of stuffing presents in your suitcase and worrying about baggage fees, possible breakage and lack of space for that extra pair of heels, just ship your gifts.
Get your credit card out and do all of your holiday shopping online. That way, when you arrive at your final destination, your gifts will be waiting for you and all you need is to give them the final touches and toss them under the Christmas tree (gently).
Pack Light
Packing light for Ontario in December is almost an oxymoron, however, it can be done.
Since I’m only going for a week and staying with family, I really don’t need much. The majority of nights will be spent curled up with family around the fireplace in typical Christmas fashion; leggings and a comfy sweater. Plus, there is very little to do in small-town Ontario, so I won’t be needing a party dress.
Basically, what it comes down to is, I would much rather wear the same two sweaters on repeat than wait in luggage lines at the airport or risk losing my luggage during the holiday chaos.
What are your tips for travelling over the holidays?