Winter is coming and the holidays are fast approaching.
With holidays, come travel.
Winter is in my opinion, the most difficult season to travel in. There's a lot more to pack because you need to dress for the cold, holiday gifts to bring to and from home, and there's always that fear at the back of my mind that my plane/bus will be cancelled due to weather, and I'll be snowed in somewhere unfamiliar (which could be an adventure in itself, but is not ideal!).
To help you prepare for winter travel, I've come up a little list of tips to make your trips during the holidays a little easier!
5 Winter Travel Tips
1) Tis the Season for: Sickness
Whether you're in a car, bus, train or plane, you're bound to come into contact with many people and many germs during holiday travel. Since there's nothing worse than feeling ill during the holidays, make an extra effort to be healthy. Wash your hands often, or carry your own sanitizer. I recommend Dr. Bronner's hand sanitizer which is all natural and smells like a luscious lavender field (Kristi's favourite!).
I always pack vitamins and tea along with me when I'm travelling during the holidays for an extra health boost. My go-tos (packed in a little pill container to save room) are Echinacea, Vitamin C and some English Tea Shop herbal tea.
2) Tis the Season for: Cold Weather
Packing during the winter can be complicated. You want to be warm, but winter clothing can be quite bulky and take a lot of room in your luggage. Always remember to wear your bulkiest items on the plane. This includes warm (and waterproof) boots and a warm coat (doubles as a pillow on the plane!). It can be tempting to pack several sweaters, but these take up a lot of room. Instead, try packing one or two sweaters and plan to dress in layers. I like to wear a thermal shirt under a t-shirt with a sweater on top and I ALWAYS wear a pair of thermal pants or leggings underneath my jeans in the winter (Canadian problems).
A hat, thin gloves and a scarf are a must. It's also good to go easy on how many socks/undies you pack. Remember, these can always be washed at your destination!
3) Tis the Season: Dehydration
We all know that airplane air will dry your skin out. Combine this with winter air, and you may easily find yourself dehydrated. Be sure to drink lots of water on your winter travels and avoid alcohol and caffeine if you can (I know! Caffeine is life).
A good lip balm and lotion are also essential to keeping your skin looking and feeling good on the road. I'm a sucker for Burt's Bees for my lips, and Pacifica body butter for my hands/body - but there are a lot of other all natural lip balms and lotions out there to keep your skin hydrated.
4) Tis the Season for: Gifts
No matter what holiday you're celebrating, you'll be sure to bring some gifts to and from home. Make sure to leave a little extra room in your luggage for things you may want to bring back from your trip with you - as well as to include any gifts you're bring with you.
If you can, consider having your items shipped to your destination (this works well if you're an online shopper!). It can end up saving you lots of room in your luggage.
5) Tis the Season for: Delays
There are many reasons a flight can be delayed or cancelled - bad weather being at the top of that list. To save yourself the anxiety and frustration later, come to terms with the fact that it *could* happen to you and have a plan for how you'll react if it does.
This could include a list of people you'd contact, looking into your airlines policy beforehand about flight delays/cancellations and how you'll negotiate your situation with the airline.
While you will be frustrated, try to remain as calm and flexible as you can (find out why here!). For more tips on dealing with flight delays, I recommend reading this article from Lifehacker.
The key to winter travel is to be prepared and plan ahead.
Give yourself some extra time in packing warm and well, as well as giving yourself extra time to get to your destination safely. Be mindful of your health during this busy and stressful season and above all, remain calm.
Happy holiday travelling!
Brittany
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