Student Traveling Tips for the Holidays

By Lorena Roberts on November 25, 2017

Traveling during the holidays is something everyone tries to avoid. But for students who are in school far away from their families, going home for the holidays is something to look forward to. However, it can be expensive and stressful to make plans to travel. That’s where we come in! Here are some tips for you if you’re a student and you’re planning to travel for the holidays:

via Pixabay

1. It’s all about timing.

Experts say booking your flight 14-20 days out is the best. And if you can find flights that are on the actual holiday itself (Christmas Day), that’ll save you loads of money.

I know it’s not the most convenient to get home on the same day as the holiday – since usually everyone wants to be there early – but if you’re trying to save money and a headache during holiday travel, look specifically for flights other people won’t want.

Typically flights that are early in the morning or late at night are flights that people don’t want to book for themselves. Airlines will lower the prices last minute to try and get the flights filled. If you’re willing to miss out on some sleep, these are good alternatives to spending lots of money.

2. Be flexible.

You’re hoping I’m kidding, I know, I know. But being even a little bit flexible can really help you out during the holidays. When you limit your options, you’re pigeon-holing yourself into only one scenario.

Leave some dates open for you to book flights. If you and your family work out ahead of time what would be ideal versus what would be “workable,” you might feel less stressed when it comes to actually booking a flight.

3. Consider other airports.

If you fly into a different airport, chances are, the prices will be different. If you can drive a few hours to a bigger airport, you might be able to save yourself a pretty good chunk of change. Connection flights can take over how much you pay for a ticket. If you can skip a connection and just drive yourself to that hub, you’ll easily save a few hundred dollars.

4. Take a longer vacation.

December 16th through January 7th is the “peak travel season” for flying and vacationing in general. If you can work out flights before the 16th and after the 7th, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

5. Keep everything handy.

Whether it’s your license, your boarding pass, or you cell phone charger, you want all of it to be in easy-to-remember and easy-to-reach places.

6. Pack wisely.

You’ll save a lot of money if you can get away with only taking a carry-on suitcase instead of having to also check a bag. If you’re only going to be gone for a few days, there’s no need for 17 different outfit choices. Try to keep yourself in check during your crazed packing session and remember that it’s not about what you’re wearing, it’s about the fact that you’re traveling to see your closest loved ones.

7. When it doesn’t go right…

Try as hard as you can to keep your cool. While this doesn’t sound like it’ll be that difficult, I can tell you from experience that dealing with airport employees is one of the fastest ways to make me upset. But they do tend to have an unreasonable amount of power over your situation, so being nice to them can really pay off in the end.

8. Choose nonstop flights.

The worst part of traveling during the holidays is when things get held up and you end up spending a night at the airport. The less stops you have to make, the less likelihood there is of your plans having to change last minute.

9. Have phone numbers for everything. 

We’ve all been in panic mode before — that feeling you get when you forget where you laid your phone down? We’ve all been there. What sucks is being in that position when you’re traveling. When you need phone numbers and you’re too panicky to google them, it’s best to have them somewhere convenient. Whether it’s the number for your hotel, your rental car company, or just writing down your mom’s number, having a list of important contacts can really save you a lot of stress.

Traveling during the holidays is going to be stressful. There’s not much you can do to avoid that. But if you know how you’re going to handle it when it happens, and you’re ready for everything, there’s not much that’ll throw you off course.

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