Holiday Travel and Packing Tips

Happy Holidays!

Travel can be stressful, but when you add the aspect of family travel during the busy holiday season and many of us are overwhelmed. We’ve put together our best travel tips and ideas to help you make the most out of this crazy holiday travel season.

• Take a Tip from Santa – Make a packing list (and check it twice).
• Weather Check – Check the weather at your destination and pack accordingly.
• Documents – Make sure to have your passport, ticket information and other photo ID BEFORE leaving home. Keep those documents handy when going through security as well. Place them in an outside pocket of a carry-on.
• Carry-on Gifts – If flying with gifts, place them in a carry-on unwrapped. Bring along wrapping paper and tape to decorate once you reach the final destination.
• Pack an Extra Bag – Pack an extra bag so you can bring back gifts or items purchased while traveling. I like the new Lands’ End FlightWise Carry-on Trip Tote. It is lightweight and easy to shove into a larger bag.
• Ship Ahead – When possible, ship gifts ahead of time or look for a gift retailer that will ship direct. Lands’ End will ship gifts directly to recipients and even wrap them for a small fee.
• TSA Guidelines – Be sure to check with the latest TSA guidelines and pack your carry-ons accordingly. If you plan to carry your bag on rather than incur luggage fees, consider looking for a lightweight bag that will fit in overheads such as the Lands’ End FlightWise Carry-on Upright ($169.50). We’ve reviewed the entire line of this carry-on luggage collection.
• Get Packing – Make the most out of packing your luggage. Pack large items in your suitcase first, and fill gaps with small items such as socks. Soft-sided bags work great to maximize space and packing. We’ve got 10 packing tips for a carry on.
• Toiletry Items – Squeeze excess air out of toiletry items before packing. The air expands during the flight, which can cause items to leak. Better yet, transfer toiletries to small containers when possible. Read about a green way to pack reusable travel containers.
• Stay Charged – Are all of your chargers packed? Batteries? You’ll need these for cameras, computers, phones and handheld games. It’s also a good idea to pack a mini power strip so everything can charge at the same time.
• Calling All Credit Cards – Let credit card companies know you are traveling. Sometimes charges out of the ordinary get flagged and companies may freeze the account.
• Helping Hands – Let the kids get involved by allowing them to pack an activity backpack. Just be sure to check and make sure all items will make it through security.