Holiday travel can not only be draining but it can leave you wanting to pull your hair out.
We’ve all been there whether it was by train, highway or air: a trip that feels more like torment than a vacation from life. And the holiday season only adds to the pressure.
To help alleviate the stress, a few experts and agencies had some suggestions on how to survive.
Airline travel
For more fun than fighting during the most wonderful time of the year, Skyxe Saskatoon Airport has released a list of five things to keep in mind when preparing to travel.
These include:
- scoping out where to park;
- check-in from home;
- bringing valid ID for everyone in your party, including children and infants;
- research any checked baggage restrictions and costs with your airline; and
- make sure gifts are unwrapped for security screening and plan to wrap them upon reaching your destination.
Above anything else, allow for extra time for parking, check-in and security. The more time you give yourself, the more likely you are to relax.
“One of the biggest mistakes is not giving yourself enough time as you should before coming to the airport,” Steven Maybur, president and CEO of Skyxe Saskatoon Airport, said.
“We recommend 90 minutes before any domestic flight, 120 minutes before any international or U.S. flight. That’s key because that allows your stress level to go down.”
Hitting the highway?
With bitterly cold temperatures predicted for Christmas, Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways had a few things to suggested before hitting the road:
- Check the Highway Hotline for highway conditions and road closures. Avoid travel on highways and roads where travel is not recommended;
- Check the weather along your intended route before heading out;
- Travel during daylight hours and let someone know your route, when you are leaving and your estimated arrival time;
- Make sure your vehicle is in top shape for winter travelling;
- Remove all snow and ice from the vehicle’s windows, the lights, side mirrors and licence plate;
- Allow plenty of extra time when travelling;
- Carry an emergency kit, spare clothing and footwear and a fully-charged cellphone and car charger; and
- If road conditions become less than ideal, slow down, don’t use cruise control, drive with your headlights on and leave three times the following distance than you normally would.
Winter driving conditions in the province are updated three times a day on the website or as conditions require.
Train travel
Via Rail said Friday, Dec. 22, is expected to be the busiest day of the holiday season for train travel across the country.
Last year, 5,500 passengers travelled on the Canadian, between Toronto, Saskatoon and Vancouver. This year, we are expecting a fairly good increase in ridership on that train.
Recommendations from Via Rail officials is for travellers to arrive early in order to take the headache out of hectic holiday travel.
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