More people will be traveling by road during the Christmas holidays within the United States than ever before according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Saying this though, I have a niggling feeling that one of the main reasons for people hitting the roads more than ever it’s to avoid hassle at the airport at the hands of a TSA agent.
Whichever the case may be, I am pretty sure people have always traveled in large volumes during the holidays so the figures provided by the AAA of over 80 million drivers expected to hit the road this Christmas don’t really come as a surprise. Even despite the ongoing economic downturn and the ever increasing price of everything, people have always preferred to travel by car because it’s one of the best ways to save money while on vacation (at least domestically).
Whether it’s Thanksgiving Day, Easter Week, summer or Christmas holidays, you can bet that people are traveling more and more by car, and the fact that it will be travel chaos both at airports and on the road particularly during the festive occasions of the year.
If you’re one of the millions of travelers expected to travel this Christmas, you will definitely want to minimize hassle as much as possible. I have compiled some handy tips and suggestions that can be used any time of year when traveling during the holidays by car:
1. Get ahead of the pack
Be an early bird traveler by hitting the road before the majority of most people will do. You can always tell when the majority of people will hit the road because the AAA tell us that every year.
This year’s Christmas Day falls on Sunday, which means most people are of course expected to travel on Friday (Dec 23rd) . Regardless of the day of the year, if you're traveling during the holidays by car you will want to get on the road two days before the AAA releases road figures.
2. Rent away
It isn’t too late to rent a car even if it’s only ten days to go for Christmas Day. Rates for rental cars for the last few months are at an-all-time low particularly for full size SUV’s. To give you an idea, you can rent a full size SUV for less than $200 for a full week!
Traveling during the holidays by car rental has never been more affordable than in recent times and hiring one for the your holidays is a smart thing to do especially if you are planning to tune up the car before traveling.
Servicing your car nowadays before your holidays can mean many $$$’s that you could use for your holiday. With a rental car you won’t only be getting s sweet deal at the moment, but you’ll also be getting a car that’s almost new and regularly maintained. This means less chance of you and your family breaking down on the road (though if you do, most car hire companies do also offer free 24-hour roadside assistance so, be sure to check that out).
3. Don’t follow the herd
Do you really want to drive the same route millions of other cars will be taking? Most people use AAA’s travel tool to plan their route. The travel tool provided by AAA or any other are great because they help you find the easiest travel route to take.
However, millions of other travelers do also check these travel tools and choosing their suggested routes can defy the point of planning ahead if you’re still going to end stuck in traffic with the rest.
4. Take it easy
We can never be reminded too many times to “watch our speed”, especially when traveling during the holidays by car! I know it’s hard to adhere to the speed limit when your foot wants to hit the pedal to the metal.
However, it’s good to remember (this helps sometimes) that you are driving during the holidays (most likely with family), and not driving to work ('street racing'), which means that you want to get wherever you’re heading to without any hassle and without putting a small dent on your finances on gas money.
5. Sober Up
I bet you knew this one was coming! Believe it or not, most people that get done for drink and driving on the road didn’t even realize they were over the limit. The Christmas holidays and New Year time particularly are the worse times of the year for getting pulled-over by a law-enforcement officer because they treat all cases of drink and driving very seriously.
And, believe when I say that police won’t let off the hook so, be sure to keep in mind how much you drink before jumping on the steering-wheel. By the way, if you’re curious to know… if the officer finds .08 grams or more per deciliter on your blood during the BAC test you can kiss good-bye to a smooth and trouble-free journey back home!
See. Annoying Things about Plane Passengers
Why Should You Get Travel Insurance
Top 5 Things to Look for When Buying a Caravan
Vacation Rentals vs Hotels: which is better?
Useful Travel Apps to have on a Smartphone
The Low Down On Insurance Coverage for Car Rentals
Top 10 Things You Need for Camping
Information about London 2012 Olympics
Top 5 Cruise Tips
cheap places to go for backpackers
Traveling Solo Tips
Backpacking around the world
Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight Online
