Have you got plans for some Christmas travel? With school holidays and that long-awaited break from work, it’s a great time to head somewhere different and enjoy the time away. Here are some of our top tips if you’re travelling over the Christmas break.
Keep in Touch
If you’re leaving loved ones behind when you travel, think ahead about how you can still include them in your Christmas. If you’re travelling overseas, consider pre-purchasing a SIM card or organising international roaming, and let your loved ones know how to contact you.
There are so many great options these days to keep in touch, but not all family members may be able to access them. Video calls are a great option if you’re away and still want to join in the fun, but they can also need some forethought. You might want to set up your friends and family who aren’t so tech savvy with the right apps and devices, and make a few practice calls so they’re comfortable when you call from your trip away. You don’t have to completely miss out on that Christmas gathering if you can pre-arrange a virtual appearance!
Buy Experiences
Christmas gifts are great, but they can be tricky to take with you when you travel. If you’re planning to be away over the Christmas break, why not request experiences in place of physical gifts? Tours, visits to attractions, and other memorable experiences are the perfect gift for travellers, and the memories last longer than many physical items!
Purchasing experiences can be a great choice for children as well, reducing the number of items you need to buy or take with you when you’re potentially already overloaded with luggage. If you do purchase presents and will need to go through airport security – don’t wrap them yet. It saves the headache if they need to be checked.
Plan for People
Any trip takes some planning, but over the Christmas break it’s even more important. Keep in mind there are likely to be many more travellers around, which makes pre-booking even more important. Accommodation, travel, experiences, transport (especially to and from the airport) and even meals should be planned well in advance to ensure you don’t miss out.
If you want to see the sights, try to plan around times when there might not be as many people – early mornings and week days are most often your best bet. You’re likely to experience increased wait times and lots of queues, so make sure you have lots of options to keep kids entertained while you wait.
Keep Tradition Alive
Christmas traditions can make the holidays magical, and you don’t have to leave them behind when you travel. Think of ways you can incorporate your family traditions while you’re away. You can still participate in the family secret Santa – plan in advance, and drop in via video call when you open your gift!
Wear the matching Christmas PJs, book a traditional lunch in a restaurant– whatever makes the season meaningful to you can (with a few adaptions) still make your time away feel like a real Christmas. And while you’re there, why not start a few new traditions?
Get Your Papers in Order
Post-pandemic, there are a number of new requirements in place for many areas of travel. Make sure you have all your documentation in order before you go – and unfortunately that information can sometimes be difficult to find without a very specific search. Find out about visas, immunisation requirements, and the paperwork you’ll need well in advance, to ensure you have everything ready to go before you leave.
You might also consider downloading maps of your travel regions so you can access them offline, checking if any attractions you plan to visit have apps that might help you plan your visit, and having copies of your documentation easily on hand. A good way to ensure you have at least a copy of your important papers is to scan them and email them to yourself. That way you can get a new copy anywhere there is a computer and a printer.
Travel Insurance
For most people, this is the first Christmas after the pandemic that travel has become easy to access. Travel insurance has always been important, but now it has become even more essential. Many areas have requirements around testing for COVID and what steps you need to take if you do test positive for the virus – and they can be expensive if you’re not covered.
Medical expenses, hotel quarantine, changed flights if you are unable to travel due to COVID, and costs related to testing could come up. There are travel insurance options that will help you manage, but read the fine print to find out what is actually included.
Make the Plane for your Christmas Travel
With an increase of travellers and people on holiday comes increased traffic and wait times. If you’re travelling through the Brisbane Airport, Airtrain can help you bypass those unexpected issues and be on time for your flight. We are able to meet 95% of all flights, making it easy to arrive on time at the Brisbane Airport to start your journey, and simple to get home quickly and comfortably.
Trains leave every 15 minutes during peak hours, and every 30 minutes off-peak – our customers have an average wait time of only 7 minutes! And again, it’s even easier when you pre-book. Check out our fantastic online deals, including our return for free* offer that makes it even more cost effective.
No matter where you’re going for your Christmas travel, have a safe, wonderful time! Happy holidays from all of us at Airtrain.
