Holiday Travel by Train

More and more people are turning to Amtrak as a reliable way to travel for the holidays. After the terrorist attacks of 09/11/01, airport security has become increasingly difficult to get through. As a result most airports have long lines and delays taking place around the holidays because they don’t want to become lax even when it is busy.

Traveling with children for the holidays can be stressful, especially if you are traveling with them alone. Keeping them entertained in a car for the trip is often a two person job so one can drive and one can play games or offer snacks to keep everyone in the vehicle happy for the duration of the trip.

Airplanes are very cramped and most people don’t do well with children roaming the isles or crying during the flight. For younger children, the amount of pressure that can build in their ears on an airplane is very painful. Being stuck on a runway for hours will definitely make children uncomfortable and these delays often happen around the holidays. If you have ever tried to change diapers in the small airplane bathrooms you will know that it isn’t an easy feat to accomplish.

Amtrak is very family oriented so this may be the best mode of transportation for your holiday travel. The cars are roomy and you are able to get up and walk around freely. There is plenty of scenery along the railway routes too for you to enjoy.

If you are be going on a long trip for the holidays, Amtrak offers sleeping cars of various sizes. This is a great way for your children to have the room they need to take a nap and to play. Most of the family sleeping cars offer enough space for two adults and two children comfortably.

You will find great holiday travel deals on Amtrak when you reserve a sleep car as well. Many times you will get coupons for free meals offered in the dining car. This is an expense you will have to cover on your own otherwise so it helps offset the cost of the sleep car.

Make sure you make reservations for Amtrak early though. They tickets often sell out quickly for holiday travel and they have a limited number of sleeping cars. You don’t want to be stuck without one or have to accept one that is too small for comfort because you waited too long to make your reservation.

Most train stations are very well set up and you can even leave your car there when you board the Amtrak for free. Most airports charge you by the day to leave your vehicle behind and that is an expense that quickly adds up. You can either have your family or friends pick you up at the train station for your destination or choose alternate modes of transportation. There will likely be rental cars at the terminal or you can take a taxi cab.

You can go online to find out the various destinations that Amtrak travels to. If they don’t go to your exact location but within 100 miles you may want to consider having someone pick you up there or to rent a car to go the rest of the way. Amtrak is affordable and much more comfortable than taking an airplane or traveling all that way in a car.

Preparing your Home for Holiday Travel

While you are likely very excited about your upcoming plans to travel for the holidays, you need to make sure you take the time to prepare your home as well. Criminals are very aware that people travel for the holidays and they look for homes to target during that period of time. There is a much lower risk of getting caught during this time because so many people are paying attention to their own plans.

Make sure you carefully check all the doors and the windows before you leave for the holidays. They should all be securely locked to prevent someone from slipping into them undetected. If you have an alarm system you want to make sure you set it before you head out. Put fresh batteries is motion lights and outdoor video equipment that you may have installed. Don’t leave extra keys under the mat or other common locations where criminals can easily find them and walk right into your home.

You don’t want your home to appear to be empty when you travel for the holidays. If possible have a friend or neighbor stop by daily. Most criminals stake out homes so if they see different lights on or they see fresh footprints in the snow they will be less likely to target your home.

Either have someone collect your mail and newspapers daily or put them on hold until you return from your holiday travel. Not only is this a dead give away that you are out of town, it can also lead to identity theft. All it takes is for a criminal to get their hands on your bank statement or a credit card statement and they could wipe out your account and charge items that you will have against your credit card.

If you are traveling during the colder part of the year for the holidays, have someone shovel your driveway and sidewalks. This definitely gives the impression that you are home or at least that someone is keeping a very close eye on your home. You also want to set your thermostat at a decent temperature while you are way. The added expense of the heating bill will be nothing compared to the damage from broken pipes that may have froze due to the drop in temperatures while you were traveling for the holidays.

Make sure a friend or a neighbor has a way to contact you in the event of an emergency involving your home while you are away for the holidays. Hopefully they won’t need to contact you but having such measures in place can be very beneficial if an issue does arise. They may be able to take care of low priority issues for you such as the sprinkler system not turning off or someone hitting your mailbox with their vehicle due to sliding on icy roads.

It can be very nice to travel for the holidays, but do all you can in order to ensure your home will be protected while you are away. You don’t want to come home and find that your home has been burglarized or later that your personal information has been compromised. Some planning before you travel for the holidays will help to ensure everything is safe and sound when you return.

Tips for Packing your Car for the Holidays

Knowing what you are going to put into your suitcase is only half of the battle when it comes to effectively packing your car for the holidays. While you want to be selective of what goes into the suitcases and the number of them, there is likely to be plenty more than you will have to concern yourself with. The size of your vehicle is going to realistically determine what you can take and what will have to be left behind.

It is important to place heavier items on the bottom so they won’t crush larger items. You never know where things will end up after several sharp curves or having to slam on your breaks because someone else isn’t paying close attention on the road. If you have breakable items you will need to make sure they are packed very securely. For those of you traveling with Christmas presents, do your best to hide them in the trunk area. Even if you lock your vehicle when you stop someone may decide they want to break a window to take what you have.

You might want to consider using plastic crates or plastic storage containers with tight lids. This will allow you to fill them up and then stack them in your vehicle. It can offer you more room. If you are traveling for the Christmas holiday make sure you have plenty of room in your vehicle that your family will receive while you are visiting your family.

It is vital that you pack your car for holiday travel in a manner that allows you to be able to see out of all the windows. Blocking your view of the road is simply something you don’t want to get involved with. This can lead to a ticket from law enforcement or to you being involved in an accident.

If you simply don’t have enough room in your vehicle then you need to buy or rent a storage compartment that goes on the top of your vehicle. These aren’t very expensive and you will find they are very handy for more than just holiday travel. You can use them when you go on a vacation, fishing, or camping.

Another option is to rent a larger vehicle or a van for your holiday travel. Not only will you have more room to pack everything you need, but you will be able to not worry about breaking down or anything. Should the vehicle be damaged in an accident or breakdown the rental company will get you another one and you can continue on your way.

You will likely need several items to be accessible so think about that before you pack. You don’t want to have to unload your entire vehicle when you stop for the night or to get to something important. If you have a hotel reserved for the half way point of your trip pack one suitcase with clothing for everyone to change into the next day. This way you eliminate having to carry in several suitcases and having to repack your car the next morning.

Pockets and pouches for your car are a great idea when you are traveling for the holidays. Most of them strap to the back of the seat. You can easily store your map and other navigational tools there. Children can also use them for their activities as you don’t want them unbuckling their seatbelt to get to them while the vehicle is in motion.

Many people pack their purse into their travel gear but you want to place it where you can easily reach it. This way you can get to your identification if you are pulled over and you have access to money if you need to buy something. Since you never know if children or adults will get ill on the trip make sure you pack some basic items including aspirin, chewable medicine for children, and chewable medicine for upset stomachs. This will make the entire trip for holiday travel much easier.