Travel Tips for the Holidays

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine.

The holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about travel tips. In fact, from December 23rd through January 1st, AAA estimates 107.3 million people travel by all types of transportation. That’s a LOT of traveling. For those of you who are set out to travel this year, here are tips to keep in mind.

 

Travel Tips for the Holidays

Best Time to Buy Tickets

During the holidays, it’s nearly impossible to just hop online and buy tickets at a good price. You will more than likely want to buy your tickets in advance. While there is no perfect time to buy tickets for your holiday travel, Forbes has a guideline for when you should buy tickets.

• Winter: 62 days in advance

• Spring: 90 days in advance

• Summer: 47 days in advance​

How to Safe While on the Road

Another important aspect of traveling during the holidays is staying safe. I sometimes get nervous when we’re about to take our 5 kids on a road trip, especially over the holidays. However, there are some things I’ve learned along the way. If we’re taking a car, we always pack our vehicle safety kit. Making sure we have enough food, water, and blankets to help us if we break down. Of course, all the essentials you need if your vehicle does break down in the middle of the winter. Oh – and let’s not forget that it’s important to find a safe place to pull over and sleep (great info for those of you who are traveling in an RV).

 

Related: 6 Winter Driving Tips

 

Make sure you have proper insurance

Before you head out on the road, you should make sure you have proper insurance! You want to have towing insurance, in case you can’t get your vehicle started again. You’ll also want to make sure you have car insurance in case of an accident. Never go without proper car insurance. Plus, you’ll want to make sure you have roadside assistance if this is something you think you’ll need.

Have your cell phone fully charged

A rule I always follow when traveling during the holidays and in order to stay safe is having a fully charged cell phone. It’s also wise to have a backup cell phone battery, just in case your cell phone goes dead quickly.

How to Stay Secure While Traveling

Staying secure while traveling isn’t an easy task. There is always someone out there trying to steal your hard earned money. You are left even more vulnerable when traveling away from your secure home. Here are some tips to follow for when you want to stay secure while traveling.

• Keep your credit cards and other important financial items locked away if you can.

• Don’t hand your credit card number to anyone.

• Use credit cards because most of the times these are protected from theft.

• Use strong passwords for everything! This includes social media, online checking, and everything in between.

• Know how to freeze and unfreeze your cards and when to do it.

​Protecting financial accounts is a top priority for Navy Federal Credit Union. Become a Member and learn more tips for staying secure.

Plus, see all the ways you could earn and save with Navy Federal Credit Union.