Easy Holiday Travel to Guam

I'm sure there are people reading this piece who are wondering, "Where is Guam?" For those people I will start by letting them know that Guam is a Pacific Island located about two hours off the coast of Japan. The native population is Tano and Chamorro. Guam is about an 18-hour flight away, which is broken into segments that can take you either through Honolulu or Japan. Either way, hope you are lucky enough to get a flight that will allow you to enjoy either place. However you get there, Guam is definitely worth the trip.

People primarily travel to Guam for military purposes. There is an air force base there and navy carriers dock there frequently. Even the Marine Corps is relocating there from their Japanese location. I ended up traveling to Guam on contract as an entertainer. I departed Philadelphia International on Christmas Day 2008 for a two-week contract. The first thing I noticed at 5:30 a.m. on December 25th was that the sirport was a ghost town. So I guess the first recommendation I could give is to start early...and if there is any way possible, leave on the particular holiday. With Christmas there are many family traditions that take place either late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, so that leaves less people on the road and more room for you to travel.

The Associated Press actually states that they are predicting a dip in holiday air travel. For those that do fly, the busiest days will be Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Christmas. There are definitely some great deals to be had. One last thing I will suggest, though, to those who do brave the friendly skies for holiday travel: make it easier on yourself and others and either ship your holiday presents ahead of time or splurge and check your extra items in. Holiday travel is stressful enough without having to share your aisle with your neighbor's stuffed giraffe, too. Please remember that there are carry-on rules for a reason and the easiest way to make your trip rough is to upset people around you.

Ultimately, I recommend preparing early, bringing your patience and thinking outside the box and your trip should be something memorable -- in a good way!

Sources:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhQaO8XbMrQBhZeFXfspYCMe0UCQD9CGINF81