Holiday travel season is upon us. D and I are in Los Angeles as you read this post. Holiday travel can be a stressful time. Even if you are a well-seasoned traveler, being surrounded by other people who only travel during the holidays can also cause trouble. I’ve partnered with Uncommon Goods to bring you some advice to make your holiday travel less stressful and maybe even fun!
Holiday Travel Tips
- Clean the house before you leave. This is a tip I ALWAYS try to follow. There is a great feeling of coming home to a clean house after you’ve been away on a trip. I even try to wash all my sheets so I’m coming home to fresh clean sheets.
- Bring your toothbrush, essential items, and expensive items in your carry-on. Nothing, and I mean nothing worse than a stressful day of travel and then they’ve lost your luggage. If you have the essentials in your carry-on, you may not have to wait around at the airport for your lost bags. You can head to your destination and return later or have the airport deliver your lost items.
- Have something to do on the flight. As I’ve gotten older, I get a bit of pre-flight anxiety. My solution. Bring a fun item on the plane to do/or use in order to have something to look forward to. I have this amazing Carry-On Cocktail kit from Uncommon Goods. Nothing like a fancy drink to get rid of those nerves.
- Always bring a gift for your host. Especially during the holidays. It’s good form to bring a token of your appreciation to your holiday host. Here are some amazing options from Uncommon Goods.
- Pack 1 bag + personal item. Unless it is 100% necessary. I don’t check a bag (see #2). I try to bring 1 carry-on + one large tote on to the plane instead. You can fit all your items into this amount of space- if not, try to pare down your items.
- Bring first-aid/health items. I always keep Advil, hand sanitizer, band-aids and vitamin-C packets in my bag. You need know when you’ll need these items, and they always seem to come in handy while I’m traveling.
- Bring a Wifi item. Holidays always seem to involve more travel delays, more people, and more stress. Having a laptop, smartphone, or tablet is great for passing time in transit. You could even get a head start on your Christmas shopping. 2 birds with 1 stone.
I hope your holiday travel is stress-free, fun, and spent with those you love. That’s truly what the holidays are all about. We will be having a blast in sunny southern Calfornia. Follow me on social media to see what we get up too.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all & safe travels.
Love, Rachel x
I think the most important tip is to clean your house before you go! There is nothing worse than coming home to a messy house (and then making it more messy when you get home)!
I love the cocktail kits! My favorite to bring with me! Taking some of your ideas with me on my next adventure! 😁
Essential tips!! I’m sooo grateful I’m not traveling during the holidays but yes, those are so important! I love coming home to a clean house!
Oh I must must must clean the house before traveling! That usually takes priority to packing for me. Those cocktail kits are adorable, and actually a really fun stocking stuffer idea!
I definitely try to clean the house before I leave – or at least, run the dishwasher and have a load of laundry done.
Awesome tips! Totally needed these for the upcoming holiday season.
that carry-on cocktail kit is awesome!
I’m reading this while en route to a big trip! We think alike. I’ve prepped almost exactly like your recommendations… except for that cocktail kit!! I neeeeed one of those! 😉
Great suggestions! I also make a point of cleaning the house before we leave and I love coming home to fresh sheets – happy to hear someone else is on that wavelength. Over the years I’ve also learned to being Pepto tablets along with Advil, hand sanitizer, wipes and bandaids (Hydrocolloid bandages are particularly good for blisters and – yes, I’m going to say it – acne flareups). And that cocktail kit is boss – such a great idea. I first encountered it when I was writing product copy for a small boutique in NYC. I couldn’t believe someone hadn’t invented it before!
Great tips!!! These are great recommendations for traveling, I think the host gift can be the most important thing to remember to pack
These are great tips! I always try to only bring a carry-on also. I love the cocktail kit! I always order a drink on the plane to help me relax, but I think I will buy a cocktail kit instead!
Love the tips you provided! I will keep this handy for sure as we are planning our travels!
Happy holidays and travel!