Travel

Planning to visit Grandma's for Thanksgiving or spend Christmas in Paris. Traveling over the holidays can be notoriously busy, expensive and stressful, but the news isn't all bad. There are still deals to be found, provided you shop carefully and plan ahead. Check out our 10 tips for holiday travel and find some joy this holiday season.

1. Avoid peak travel dates.

At Thanksgiving, Wednesday is the critical outbound "avoid" day as a rule. Traveling on Thanksgiving day proper is often a breeze and more affordable; there are often cut-rate airfare deals on Thanksgiving day.

On the return, Friday morning isn't bad at all, with each successive day getting a little busier, more difficult and more expensive through Sunday evening. The bottom line: If you are looking for a deal, you won't find one on the peak travel days. Travel off-peak whenever possible.

Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Wednesdays this year, so travel will likely be more spread out than normal, with no obvious peak days. For more insight on this year's peak travel days, see What Not to Do When Traveling Over the Holidays .

2. Book early.

Haven't booked your holiday travel yet? It's time to stop waiting and start booking. Fares are only rising as Thanksgiving approaches, so those who hold out in hopes of a late-breaking sale are likely to get left out in the cold or pay a very steep price for their procrastination. The same goes for the Christmas holiday; book sooner rather than later, particularly if you require very specific travel dates or times. With the current state of the airline industry, it is never too early to book your holiday travel flights. Be prepared to be flexible with dates and flight times.

3. Shop around.

Whether you're using booking sites like Travelocity, bid or auction sites such as Priceline, aggregator sites, or our very own travel deals. comparison shopping has never been easier than it is right now. During peak travel season, casting the net as wide as possible will help you understand all of your options.

For many travelers, price isn't the only or even the most important factor, especially during the holidays. Thoughtful, deliberate use of the "search adjacent days or airports" features found on many websites may also surrender greatly improved fares and travel times.

4. Know your airports.

Checking alternate airports is a pretty standard tactic, but at this time of year it can really make a difference. At no time can the alternate airport gambit pay off better than during the holiday crush. You can score on almost every front -- parking, rental cars, traffic to and from, nearby hotels -- and save both time and money.

Keep in mind that smaller airports see fewer flights and, typically, fewer delays -- not a minor consideration during the busy holiday travel season.

5. Plot connections carefully.

When booking flights, check your search results carefully for sufficient time during layovers, and build in some time for flight delays and weather woes. Particularly during the winter months, peak travel times often bring peak travel delays, and your connection is more likely to be jeopardized. Avoiding really tight connections may save you a sprint through the terminal or a missed flight.

Also, it is best if you can muscle your flight path into position so that connections are in places less likely to experience delays -- specifically, airports in warmer climates. For more advice, see our Winter Travel Tips .

6. Leave early.

During peak travel times, much of the trouble you'll face lies on this side of the security check-in, from traffic jams and full parking lots to absent shuttles and long lines. Rather than striving to "arrive at the airport early," you may want to try to "leave for the airport early" to anticipate all the peripheral delays you may encounter.

7. Pack wisely.

In the past, you may have been able to fit everything into your carry-on without having to check any baggage -- a strategy we still recommend. However, the TSA rules about liquids and gels make this a trickier proposition. For the record, you may bring liquids and gels in 3.4-ounce or smaller containers, packed within a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. You're also allowed to bring any liquids (such as coffee or water) or gels purchased after you go through a security checkpoint onto your plane with you. If you want to bring more than the 3.4-ounce amount, you'll have to pack the items in your checked luggage.

For more information, read our Airport Security Q you can barely afford to stay home at these prices.

A Few Bonus Tips

Be prepared for more than the usual slowdowns at security. Even though the TSA's liquid and gel rules have been around for many years now, folks who fly very rarely may not be familiar with all the ins and outs -- and the newer full body scanners could catch even frequent travelers off guard.

Gas up the night before you travel; no one leaves enough time for buying gas on the way to the airport.

Investigate your frequent flier options to get better (and better guaranteed) seats.

Keep your cool. Airline employees have considerable power over your well-being. Unfortunately, many enjoy wielding it against you, and few respond well to anger.

Have phone numbers for everything: your hotel, your car rental agency, your airline, friends at your destination.

Choose nonstop flights. The worst, most brutal delays occur in connecting airports, where you have no home, friends or family to retreat to.

With airlines continuing to cut back on service, it's more important than ever to confirm your flight several days before you leave -- that way you'll have a little leeway to make alternate plans if necessary.

Don't overpack even checked luggage; overstuffed bags that must be opened for a security check are much harder to repack.

Do not wrap gifts, especially if you intend to carry them on the plane. Even in checked baggage, there is a strong chance they will be unwrapped for inspection by security personnel. Consider gift bags instead of wrapping paper this holiday season -- you can easily remove the items from their bags if required and you don't have to do a last-minute wrapping job at your destination.

Give your cell phone a full charge, and write down or program the phone number of your airline so you can call easily as your flight time approaches.

If you're leaving pets at home and you haven't made kennel reservations, do so right away. If Fido is coming along, check out our article on Traveling with Pets .

Put It All Together

Travel during the holidays is the time to lay all your travel savvy on the line. For example, if you:

- purchase a package deal in one click of the mouse

- print out your boarding pass at home

- leave early enough not to sweat the small stuff

- travel light enough not to have to check any bags

- proceed directly to and through security