Whether we want to admit it or not, going on holiday travels during the… holidays can be quite exhausting (especially the going to… and getting from… parts on the journey). If you’ve got children in school, you’re likely planning your vacation around March Break, summer break and Christmas break… so is everyone else. If you’re working full-time, the month of December always seems to be busy no matter who you are and where you’re from.

So take a break, kick back and relax.

If you’re heading somewhere for vacation this holiday season, here’s a few pointers to keep your travels happy!

Tips to Relax on Christmas

1. Plan Well in Advance: Prices will sky rocket closer to the holiday season, so if you didn’t plan ahead this year, perhaps you’ll be inspired to do so next time.

1. Do Your Research: You don’t want to end up in a ‘family resort’ for a romantic couples escape, so make sure you’re researching well ahead of time. Just because trips are cheaper, don’t always mean their good quality (it also doesn’t mean their terrible either).
2. Plan Comfortable Arrivals Times: There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning as you’re travelling on no sleep. Make sure that you plan your arrivals and departures at a comfortable time for you.
3. Depart Earlier: If you can take a day or two off of work/school it will save you a lot of hassle in lines at the airport, train station, hotel check ins…. you get it.
4. Bring Your Favourite Books: Relaxing doesn’t mean going on wild adventures – if you’re up for that though, I’d always recommend a great adventure. If you’re looking to relax, don’t forget to relax. Bring along your favourite books and games.
5. Pamper Yourself: You’re on vacation, you’ve likely already spent quite a few dollars making this the best trip ever… what’s a couple more dollars? Pamper yourself when possible… sleep in, drink wine, get a massage!
6. Get a Good Nights Sleep: Wake up refreshed and ready for the day. If you’re planning on staying up all night at the cocktail bar, the next sunny days ahead won’t be so beautiful if you’re feeling under the weather.
7. Keep Up to Date: Before and during your trip, stay up to date with your itinerary plans, hotel bookings and transportation. The reality is, things change. You may be checked into the wrong room, a tour might have been cancelled, a flight may have been delayed… if you’re up to date, you’ll have time to take a deep breath and figure out a quick solution.
8. Escape the Noise: Don’t forget to bring along something to escape from the noise. I always recommend creating your favourite playlist for your iPod and never forgetting to travel with your sleep mask and ear plugs!
9. Live a Little: If you find you can often get stressed about the little things while avoiding new encounters and experiences… change that. Live a little while you’re on vacation!
10. Just Relax: We all have our own ways of relaxing, you know what works best for you… the most important thing is to not forget that you can just relax.

Have you found any other genius ways to Relax on Christmas this year? Leave a message in the comments section below!