20 Tips to Make Holiday Travel Easier for Your Family This Christmas

Whether you are traveling near or far for Christmas, there are ways you can make your holiday travel less chaotic and more enjoyable. Read on to discover the 20 things you can do to ensure your travel is bright and merry this Christmas season.

1. When packing, think realistically. As cute as your little girl looks in those frilly holiday dresses, does she really need ten for a two day stay? You will want to bring necessary items for all family members, but try to pack lightly to avoid so much baggage.

If you are visiting family members, you can wash your clothes during your visit if necessary. Doing so will enable you to pack less. Rather than allowing a bag for everyone, only permit one bag for every two people. A bag for you and your spouse and a bag for the children will usually work very well.

2. Pack important items separately so they do not get lost. Whether it is a prescription, passport, marriage license or birth certificate, place each important item in a safe place. If you are driving, you can put these items into a bag in the glove compartment or under the seat. If you are flying, always pack important items in your carry-on bags in case your baggage is delayed or lost upon arrival.

3. What about all of those Christmas presents? If you are driving and you have the extra space to take gifts along, do so. However, if you are traveling by air or do not have room in your car to bring along a lot of gifts, you have some options. You can purchase your gifts when you arrive at your destination or you can ship your presents to your destination. With both options, you have setbacks. For one, you may spend more money and have less selection shopping last minute. Secondly, there is always a chance that your shipment will be broken, late or even lost. Another option is to give gift cards or simply the gift of your presence and togetherness. Take an empty suitcase to bring back gifts that you and your family receive.

4. Consider your family's needs. Do your children need special music to fall asleep to at night or a special blanket or toy? Nothing can spoil a nice family trip for the holidays easier than realizing that your little one left "lovey" at home when you are 100 miles away. Make sure to pack prescription medicines or over-the-counter medications that are frequently needed. You never know when you might need a bandage or gas drops for the baby!

5. If you are flying, pack your carry on very carefully. Consider what you might need while in the air or in the event that your baggage is lost? I recommend packing a spare change of clothes for each member of the family in your carry-on bag. Make sure to pack diapers, baby wipes, formula and any snacks that you think your child might need during this time as well.

6. If you are driving to your destination, plan ahead. At what point will you need to stop and feed the family? Research ahead of time where you will want to stop along your trip. If the trip is long, you might want to stay overnight at a hotel and let everyone out of the car for a good night's rest.

7. Break. Whether you plan to drive, fly, ride a bus or ride a train, make sure you take frequent breaks. If you are driving, let the kids and pets out of the car when you stop for gas. If you plan to fly or ride the train, you will need to make sure that you are allowing your children to go to the restroom or walk the aisles during a safe time.

8. Remember your pets. Schedule any necessary boarding or care for pets early, as kennels are in high demand during the holiday season. Plan what your pet will be eating and pack their own food if what they give the animals is not what your pet is familiar with. Giving pets new food can make them sick to their stomach, sometimes resulting in them refusing to eat.

9. Prepare when traveling abroad. If you plan on going out of the country during the holiday season, make sure that your passport and your immunizations are up to date. If you need a new passport or your passport needs to be updated, make sure you contact the proper offices in advance, leaving enough time to ensure you will definitely have your passport when you leave the country. Christmas is a busy season for travelers and it may take a little bit longer to get passports completely finished.

10. Always bring toys and games for the kids. Keep a box or bag of toys that are only to be played with in the car or on the plane. Good items for travel are Magna Doodles, Game Boys and other electronic handheld games as well as books, crayons and paper and other small toys that will hold their attention. Pack a portable DVD player and some movies for the car ride and don't forget cassette tapes and CDs! It is also a good idea to pack some toys for the children to play with when they arrive at your destination. This is especially true if Aunt Margie doesn't have young kids and no toys are available.

11. Create packing lists! Write down a complete list of all of the items that you have packed as you are packing. This way, when it is time to pack the bags for the return trip home, you know what you are forgetting or missing. If your children are old enough, make them a list of what they have packed and encourage them to be accountable for their own items. Of course, you should double check their bags before leaving to make sure everything that was packed is also going home. An easy way to accommodate young children for this is to draw a picture of a pair of pants and color them the right color, draw a pair of shoes, etc. If you are traveling by plane, you should make two copies of everyone's list and store one in the suitcase and one in your carry on in case the baggage is lost or delayed.

12. Make any necessary special arrangements before you leave home. Contact your neighbors and let them know that you are going on vacation. Ask them to watch over your home and give them contact numbers to use in the event of an emergency situation. To ensure that your house is safe, you should put your mail on hold or ask a neighbor to get it for you. A neighbor should also be able to get the newspaper for you each morning. This is essential because a burglar can sense when homeowners are gone if there is stacks of newspapers sitting in the driveway. It is always a good idea to double check that all windows and doors are locked just before you leave.

13. Service the car before traveling. Make sure that your oil has been changed and your tires have been inflated to the proper pressure as well as rotated. Always bring an emergency roadside kit that includes a pair of jumpers, flashlight, spare tire and jack. If you are a member of AAA, be aware of where the telephone numbers are in case their service is needed. Make sure that insurance cards and vehicle registration are stored in the glove compartment for easy access.

14. Remember proper guest etiquette. If you are staying at someone's house, it would be nice to give your host or hostess a gift to show how much you appreciate their hospitality. A house decoration, gift certificate, ornament or food item would be a welcome gift for a hospitable host or hostess.

15. Travel at night if possible. Not only are the roads typically less crowded, driving during the night is easier on your vehicle. Most families with small children also find that the kids will sleep most of the night while traveling, which can make for a much nicer travel experience.

16. Share your travel information. Provide friends and family with all the details of your trip, including a telephone number for your destination, itinerary, flight numbers, hotel information and map of the area you plan to travel. You never know when an emergency could occur and someone will need to get in touch with you.

17. Purchase a calling card. You will be able to use it in the event that your cell phone's battery is dead or you do not get a strong signal. On a side note, make sure that all chargers for cell phones, cameras, laptops and other devices have been packed.

18. Book your hotel stay as early as possible. This will better your chances for getting the best selection - and possibly a better price. Booking early will give you top pick of the location and room you want.

19. Clean house before you go. After your holiday journey, you won't want to come home to a dirty house. Change the linens so that everyone can climb into a fresh set of sheets on their own bed after the trip. Laundry should be done for the upcoming week since you will be washing clothes from your trip. Make sure that there are no dirty dishes or full trash baskets left in the house to avoid a horrid smell when you come home.

20. Make a budget. Create a list of the expected expenses. Calculate what you know you will be spending on hotel, food, gifts, gas, plane tickets, etc. For instance, if you know that you will be staying in a hotel, include the price on your expense sheet. Then, prepare a budget. Allow yourself a little bit of extra money in case of an emergency and, of course, for some extra fun!