(Updated February 2026)
There’s no question that traveling over the holidays can be hectic and expensive. However, there are several Christmas travel tips that can significantly reduce the stress of traveling for Christmas.
Due to limited travel time with our teenagers, our family frequently travels over the holidays during school breaks. While it can be hectic, here are some Christmas travel tips and holiday hacks to help you enjoy the holiday season.
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Christmas Travel Tips: Planning Your Holiday Vacation
1. Book Your Holiday Flights, Rental Cars and Hotel Reservations Early
The single most important factor to reduce the cost and hassle of your holiday travel is to plan ahead and make your reservations early. Flights and accommodations are generally at peak prices and capacity over the holidays, so book everything as early as possible. Remember to book your rental car for your holiday road trip too!
Seeking StampsTip: Many hotel rooms are fully refundable. It’s a great idea to reserve rooms and then cancel or change them if needed. Just make sure to read the fine print and understand the cancellation policies to avoid unexpected charges.
Read This Post to Help Sleep on Your Next Flight!
2. Skip Purchasing Holiday Flights Through Third Party Vendors
When it comes to winter holiday travel, I always advise booking airfare directly with the airline instead of sites such as Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia, etc. If you have any issues with connections or missed flights, it is easier to troubleshoot a ticket that is booked directly from the airline. Additionally, refunds and hidden change fees can be difficult to manage with online travel agents.
It’s ok to search for deals on the discount sites, but make sure to go to the main page of the airline when actually paying. Keep reading below for a website that offers travel deals, but you book directly with airlines…
3. Be Flexible With Your Holiday Travel Dates
It helps to be flexible on your travel dates to get the best prices. In Google Flights, you can search for a specific destination, but make sure to look at the entire month calendar for the best prices. Sometimes shifting your flight by a day or two can be a real money saver when you travel at Christmas by avoiding peak travel days.
Seeking Stamps Tip: If you plan in advance you can save your Google Flights search and be notified via email when the flight prices change.
4. Search For Holiday Flight Deals
If you are searching for the best place for a Christmas vacation, a fabulous website for deals is Going.com. This is not an ad or affiliate link, but I tell everyone about this site because it’s phenomenal. I personally pay for the elite membership because I am alerted about business class specials and mistake fares.
Here I suggest plugging in your favorite airports and see where the best deals are. If you are flexible, book your travel based on price, not on a specific destination.
Before Your Trip, Read This Blog Post for My Favorite Travel Products!
5. Christmas Travel Tips- Redeem Your Credit Card Miles
Credit card miles can sometimes be difficult to redeem. However, it’s worth checking your balance to see if you can offset some of the holiday travel expense by applying miles or rewards credit to the price. If you don’t have enough miles to cover flights, try using them towards hotel room or rental car costs.
Here Is Information About the Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards and Airline Mile Programs.
6. Consider Alternative Airports During Your Christmas Travel
Another way to save money on your airfare, is to price out alternative airports near your destination. When you book your flights, make sure to check nearby airports for their prices as well.
For international flights, you can often fly into a hub and then book cheaper regional airlines to get you to your final destination. For example, when our family traveled from Los Angeles to Bali ,Indonesia we saved thousands of dollars by landing in Jakarta first . Next, we flew from Jakarta to Bali on a regional airline. It can be inconvenient with additional layovers, but sometimes the price justifies the hassle.
7. Consider Flying on the Actual Holiday
Many people try to arrive at their destination before the actual date of the holiday, so if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Eve, you might be able to save money.
8. Before You Travel Over the Holidays Enroll in Global Entry, CLEAR® or TSA Pre✓®
If you travel a few times a year, it’s a huge convenience to enroll in TSA Precheck:, CLEAR® and/or Global Entry. These significantly reduce the time you spend waiting in lines and can make the difference between making your flight or connection. Some credit cards even waive fees for enrollment. Here is information about the programs:
Global Entry is a fast-track line through customs when you return from an international destination. You simply go to a Global Entry kiosk when you arrive in the U.S., scan your face and print out a receipt to hand to customs agents. The application process is a bit tedious. It involves an application, background check, $100 fee, and an interview with border patrol agents. Global Entry includes enrollment in TSA Pre✓®, so it’s really worth the investment.
Seeking StampsTip: Global Entry appointments can be a challenge to find, so use this app to find cancellations.
TSA Pre✓® gives you a fast-track line through security in domestic airports. You do not have to remove jackets, laptops, shoes or liquids, which reduces stress and hassle when going through security. It costs $85 to enroll.
More information about the application process and fees can be found here for both programs.
CLEAR® is another option that expedites you through security. CLEAR technology uses an eye scanner and fingerprints to identify you. It is the most expensive of the programs at $189 to enroll. It is only available for U.S. citizens. In addition, the program is being utilized for entry at concerts and sporting events.
9. During Christmas Travels Consider Buying Flexible Tickets and/or Travel Insurance
There is nothing worse than having flight delays, unpredictable weather, or missed connections. Do your research ahead of time and consider buying travel insurance that offers trip cancellation or trip interruption coverage. I know buying travel insurance is tedious and often overwhelming.
For Helpful Travel Insurance Information, Check Out This Article.
Christmas Travel Tips: Holiday Travel Essentials
10. Check the Weather at Your Christmas Destinations & Flight Connections
While it seems like common sense to check the weather for your Christmas vacation destination, many travelers fail to consider how weather will affect their flight connections. Try to choose a connecting airport where you are less likely to have disruptions from poor weather. Here is another helpful article from the Points Guy about the worst airports for delays.
Seeking Stamps Tip: If you have luggage space, consider packing an extra outfit in case of issues during your connection. For instance, if you packed bikinis and shorts for your Caribbean vacation and you get stuck having to stay a day or two in freezing Chicago, you will regret not having the proper holiday travel outfit.
11. Confirm Holiday Travel Reservations
Even Santa “checks his list twice”, so you should too. At this time of year, travel is BUSY. Make sure to reconfirm all reservations in writing before you depart from home.
12. Check For Holiday Hours and Closures
Just like in the United States, the holidays can drastically change hours of operation and close businesses. Don’t get caught off guard and show up to the top attraction of the city and find out it’s closed. Even countries where Christianity is not the main religion can have holiday closures. Check for holiday closures and modified holiday hours in your travel planning.
Christmas Travel Tips: Reduce Holiday Stress at the Airport
13. Check TSA Wait Times During Busy Holidays
When planning your arrival at the airport, check TSA wait times via the MyTSA app. Go “My Airports” to find your local airport. The app is available for download on Google Play and Apple.
14. Arrive To the Airport Early For Holiday Travel
Expect crowds to be at maximum capacity during your Christmas travels, so plan accordingly. This is not the time to push your luck with getting to the airport at the last minute. Make sure to give yourself ample time for long lines at parking and security. Keep reading for parking tips to save you time…
15. Prepay/Book Holiday Parking in Advance
It should be noted that many airports offer services to pre book parking or valet spots. The last thing you want to deal with when you arrive at the airport is full parking. Simply go to the website of the airport you plan to depart from and search for their parking information.
Avoid Unexpected Travel Expenses– Read This Post to Learn How . . .
16. Check in Online For Flights Before You Arrive
This simple tip for travel seems like an unspoken rule, but I am shocked how often people fail to check in for their flight online before they arrive at the airport. This simple task reduces wait times for yourself and others at the airport.
17. Consider Carry-on Only During Holidays
Without a doubt I understand those of you that cannot pack light (I’m with you). However, if you can try to carry-on for holiday travel you have a better chance that your bag will make it to your destination. With Christmas being so crazy, you don’t want your luggage to get lost! Packing only a carry-on is one of the most important Christmas travel tips!
18. Relax in the Airport Lounge
Escape to an airport lounge for a welcome reprieve from the travel stress and holiday chaos. Check to see if your credit cards allow lounge access. American Express, Capital One Venture Rewards credit card and Chase Sapphire cards offer lounge perks for their cardholders. Frequent flyers and status members also often have access. See if this Christmas travel tip applies for you.
Click Here to Join Priority Pass for Lounge Access!
Christmas Travel Tips: How To Manage Holiday Gifts
19. Ship Christmas Gifts or Holiday Treats to Your Destination
If possible, save yourself the headache of dealing with additional baggage and ship Christmas gifts or holiday treats ahead of time to your arrival destination. Places such as Harry & David, Stonewall Kitchen and Amazon all make that possible.
Seeking Stamps Tip: Do not bring food items internationally without checking the customs regulations of your destination. Your items may have to be tossed in the trash.
20. Holiday Travel Packing- What Can I Bring Aboard?
Sometimes you run out of time to ship items or it just isn’t feasible. Avoid having to throw your precious items away with this holiday hack. Make sure to verify what can be taken aboard your flight.
Here Is a Fun Article About Bringing Thanksgiving Pies Aboard Your Flight!
21. Get creative with Christmas Gifts- Make a Gift Card Tree
If you are traveling at Christmas with kids, gifts are an essential part of the holiday. If you can’t ship gifts ahead of time, here is a whimsical holiday travel hack for you. One of our favorite Christmas memories is the year we traveled abroad and I made a “gift” Christmas tree. Simply buy a packable, travel Christmas tree and decorate it with small string lights. Decorate the Christmas tree with colorful ribbon or clothespins and attach a variety of gift cards and cash to it.
Here is an Amazon link for a small Christmas tree. Use colorful mini clothespins to attach the gift cards to the tree like these. String lights like these are easy packable and battery operated.
22. Christmas Travel Tips: Give Gifts You Will Use On Your Trip
Another helpful holiday travel tip is to give travel gifts that your family will need on your vacation. For example, give bathing suits and new clothes as gifts. Stocking-stuffers might include travel towels, travel games, sunglasses or sunscreen. You will have less to pack if you give items you need for the trip.
Seeking Stamps Tip: Make sure to leave gifts unwrapped when you go through security.
23. Christmas Travel Tips: Gift “Experiences” Once You Arrive
Unquestionably, a gift “experience” is much more meaningful than material items. You can make printable gift certificates for an amazing snorkel trip, zip line, ATV ride, luxurious spa treatment, fine dining restaurant or Broadway show once you arrive. Just make a voucher and bring it enclosed in an envelope.
Click Here to Read My Post About the Top Travel Blunders to Avoid
Christmas Travel Tips: Final Thoughts
While it’s true that traveling during holidays can be expensive and stressful, I hope these Christmas travel tips help you make the most of your travel this holiday season. Whether you fly to New York City, Paris or to Grandma’s house this holiday, these holiday travel tips will help you travel smarter. Wishing you and yours a very merry and safe holiday travel season!
