5 Tips for Easy, Painless Travel this Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again. As the year nears its end, you’re getting ready to pack up your stuff and make the trek to visit your family for the holidays. Whether you’re driving one town over or gearing up for a cross-country or international flight, traveling can be a stressful experience that leaves you feeling drained and depressed.

We wish you could skip the traveling part altogether and already be sitting fireside while Bing Crosby tunes play in the background, but alas. However, we have some helpful tips to make holiday travel as painless and convenient as possible.

1. Prepare for the crowds

It’s no secret that airports and highways alike are extra congested around the holidays. Be proactive about giving yourself the time you need to get to your destination. If you’re flying, aim to arrive an hour earlier than you normally would — at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one. You’ll save yourself a lot of pre-flight anxiety while waiting in the inevitable mile-long security line. If it’s less crowded than expected, the worst thing that happens is you get to enjoy a drink at an airport bar before the flight.

Consider investing in TSA pre-check to bypass the long lines and skip removing your shoes and laptop. If you’re going international, applying for Global Entry will save you lots of time.

2. Pack a small toiletry bag of self-care essentials

If cutting down on mid-travel stress is your goal, organization is key; no one wants to be digging around through packed bags for chapstick or hand lotion while trying to get from point A to point B.

Pack a small toiletry bag (we like the women’s travel makeup bag) with your necessary self-care essentials — hand cream, lip balm, contact lens stuff, and painkillers come to mind — and keep it in a highly accessible place so you have stress-free access to it whenever needed.

3. Dress for success

You’re smart about what you pack. Are you smart about what you wear on your body while traveling as well? There are three different environments you need to be prepared for while traveling by air: The airport, the plane, and the climate at your destination. Wearing comfortable layers that are portable and easy to store will help you transition through different temperatures.

As another note, skip the accessories and other items that make airport security a pain. Be sure to wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on, and make sure to wear socks. No one likes walking through TSA barefoot.

4. Organize your cords and devices

If you have a long day of traveling ahead of you, you’re going to need to charge stuff. Don’t be the person who just throws their chargers in a bag all willy-nilly, where they’ll get tangled up in everything you own and make your life a small, personal hell. Instead, tidy up your cords and devices ahead of time, keeping them tangle-free and easily accessed.

5. Protect your stuff from leaks and spills

There’s nothing quite like finally arriving at your destination, opening up your suitcase, and discovering that lotion, shower gel, or sunscreen exploded mid-flight and soaked through all your clothes. Save yourself the stress by choosing a leather toiletry bag with a leak-proof liner. The Dopp Kit is leak-proof, spacious, and made of premium leather; built to help you breathe easier on travel days.

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