Ready for a stress-free holiday? Here are a few quick, easy DOs and DON’Ts that will make your holiday, and the time leading up to it, as low stress as possible.
Planning in Advance
DO Book a hotel near the airport if you have a late or early flight. Don’t force yourself out of bed in the middle of the night to travel across town. Look for somewhere that is less than 30 minutes from the terminal. One that has a direct airport shuttle or is near the airport bus is even better.
DON’T: Trust the airport taxis. Have a plan for leaving the airport. Most major cities have cheap public transport options. Unless you have a ton of luggage, get on the metro or city bus. Look at the map online before you arrive so that you’ve got a good idea of how to get from the airport to your hotel.
DO: Use local ATMs. You’ll rarely get the best rate from an exchange office. Check your bank rates to confirm the charges before you go. Occasionally the post office will have good rates but, ultimately, it depends on quite a few different factors so check out all of your options before you go. Also do some research to see how credit card friendly your destination is. If you are travelling around Europe, your cheapest bet might be to just use your card at most destination. If you are jetting farther afield, you might have to rely on cash for everything. Budget accordingly.
Getting to the Airport
DON’T: Assume that every airline is the same. Some charge hefty fees if you don’t show up with a printed ticket. Others are very flexible. Read the details and know what to expect when it comes to check-in, luggage and extra fees.
DO: Arrive early. Your best default is to arrive two hours in advance. This is especially true if you have never been to the airport. It’s just not worth cutting it close. Bring something to do at the airport. Between the check-in counter, security queue, and finding your gate, you will spend a good hour at most airports just getting to where you need to be. If you arrive two hours early, you’ll be prepared for any delays and can just relax at the gate for an hour.
DON’T: Check luggage if you don’t need to. Whether you are going away for a week or a month, you pretty much just need a week’s worth of stuff. You’ll waste a lot of time and energy checking luggage if you don’t need to.
Photo by AspettandoEllis
