Travel Tips for this Week of Christmas

The holiday season is usually a time for visiting family, to traveling to see friends, or maybe even getting time to go on that vacation. Long and short it means travel congestion, increased lines at airports, train stations and bus stations, not to mention the hoard of cars on the highways and byways. As part of my public service message brought to you by Reserve Vacations we're going to offer a few bits of advice on how to deal with the overall "traffic jam" that comes along with all kinds of travel mediums this time of year.

First to our sponsor, Reserve Vacations Vacation Deals has a great deal to Cancun called the Royal Mexican Riviera Vacation. The package offers 4 days and 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Express Playa Del Carmen. The package offers standard hotel room, transportation to and from the airport, the use of all resort facilities and 2 $30 Certificates to the Spa. Now get ready, all of this can be yours for a mind blowing $199 per person fee. That's quite a deal. There are many other Cancun Mexico Vacation Packages that the site has to offer and they change regulalry. Not to mention other destination such as Pigeon Forge Tennessee, Branson Missouri, Atlantic City New Jersey, Las Vegas Nevada, and Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

Now to the travel tips. I've been combing the net for an all inclusive group of information that shows a full range of great tips. Ones that offer the best for each of the forms of transportation. Here is an excerpt I found from National Geogrophic Magazine's official Web Site and their section known as the intelligent traveller. The author is Jeannette Kimmel for the Intelligent Travler.

If you're Traveling by Bus here are some tips. Many discount bus operators have emerged in the past year, giving penny-pincher passengers one-way tickets for as little as $1. They key to getting these cheap fares is, of course, to buy early. If you haven't done so already, buy them now!

Like any wheeled vehicle, buses are still subject to traffic conditions, just like any other car. Bring a book, charge your iPod, try to travel outside of rush hour, and don't cut your time too close. If you have to be at Aunt Millie's place for dinner at 3 p.m., it's best not to take the bus that is scheduled to arrive at 2:30 p.m. Try to be flexible.

Those traveling by bus after the holidays should check out MegaBus--the discount bus company is giving away 100,000 free bus tickets for travel between January 14 and March 18. Seeing as their tickets generally start at $1, and now they're giving away 100,000 free tickets, I'm not really quite sure how the company stays in business. But hey, I'll take it.

Getting on any number of trains or railways check out this advice. Those who don't like the confinement of a bus or the lines at the airport can opt to travel the old-fashioned way. Sure, it might take some four hours to get from D.C. to New York on Amtrak (compared to the 45 minutes on a plane), but--and especially if you are lucky enough to sit in a "quiet car"--think of all the reading and/or sleep you can catch up on, and of all the leg cramping that you can avoid.

Last, as most probably do, taking a flight here are some great bits of advice. Don't try to pack food on the plane. It's messy, and the whole point of traveling elsewhere for the holidays is to have someone else do all the cooking, right? TSA advises against trying to carry-on the following items: cranberry sauce, maple syrup, and gravy (among other foods). And while you can't bring those foods on the plane, you can bring cakes and pies; however, desserts are subject to additional screening (because pumpkin pie can be lethal...).

On November 20, TSA implemented "Green" lanes to all of its security checkpoints nationwide. The Green lanes are part of the "Diamond Self-Select" program that TSA created earlier this year, and were tested in some 48 airports. The Green lanes are designated for families, those needing extra assistance, and passengers who aren't familiar with security rules. Call it a segregation of the passengers who can take their time from those who are impatient, but either way, the Green lanes have been popular in airports so far, and should hopefully ease the security checkpoint process.

You can also reduce your time at the airport by checking into your flight online. Many airlines (like American Airlines or Southwest) will allow passengers to check in online and print out their boarding pass 24 hours before their scheduled flight. Currently, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, and Continental are even testing a system that allows passengers scan their phone screen as a boarding pass. Delta passengers departing from LaGuardia can sign up online to receive a text message with their boarding pass bar code. Before they board the plane, all they have to do is hold up their phone to the bar code scanner, and they're on their way. All passengers should also check out TSA's Wait Time Calculator. Just enter your airport, day, and flight time and it will tell you the approximate time you will have to stand in line at the security checkpoint.

As always, with any travel, be prepared! Do your research! Don't show up to any airport or rail station without proper I.D., your boarding pass, and plenty of holiday patience. And be nice to transportation employees. I'm quite sure that plane and train delays are not their fault, so don't take it out on them.