Christmas is only a few days away, and that means a lot of
places are going to be extremely busy. Keep reading for our advice when it
comes to handling the last couple days of Christmas crowds.
Travel
You likely already have your travel plans in place, but
we’ve got some advice to try and make your experience a bit easier. Whether
you’re hitting the road or heading to the airport, everywhere is likely to be
pretty busy over the next week.
·
Get to the airport early. Millions of people are
getting on planes over the next few days, and you don’t want to miss your
flight because you get stuck in security. Bring a book or a laptop to entertain
yourself while you wait.
·
Bringing gifts? You might be better off wrapping
them after arriving at your destination. If a wrapped gift sets off any alarms,
TSA is going to open it. It is easier just to wait.
·
Go carry on only if you can. This will save time
because you won’t have to wait at baggage claim and there’s no chance of your
luggage going missing.
·
If you’re traveling by car, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday are expected to be the busiest days on the road, so leave extra
time.
·
If you can drive to your destination in the
morning versus the afternoon, you will most likely encounter less traffic.
Shopping
If you’ve not finished Christmas shopping yet, it is too
late to avoid the crowds. Malls and stores are absolutely packed with people
shopping for last minute gifts. There are a few ways to make the experience
less overwhelming, though.
·
Try getting out to the store before the weekend.
It will likely still be busy, but not nearly as busy as it is during the
weekend. Similarly, try going shopping in the early morning. The later it gets
the busier it will be.
·
Parking lots will be crowded. If you can, get
someone to drop you off and pick you up later to avoid the stress of parking.
·
Expect every store you go to to be packed. If it
is, you are less likely to be irritated, and if it isn’t, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
·
Take friends or family with you. Yes, this means
more people, but you are more likely to enjoy shopping when surrounded by
people you care about.
·
Go shopping with a game plan. Know what you need
to get and get it right away. Choose stores you already know to save time.
·
It may still be possible to do some online
shopping. Shop your favorite stores online and opt for in store pickup. Check
the dates and make sure stores will have the items before Christmas, first!
