When does your holiday truly begin? Is it a few days before, when you start packing? Is it when you arrive at your destination? Or is it when you travel to the airport?

Regardless of your feelings on the matter, one thing is certain; you’ll have to do a heck of a lot of traveling. You’ll need to travel to the airport in the first place. You’ll need to hop on your plane – maybe even two planes, if you’re connecting.

Then, you’ll have to get a transfer to your resort. You’ll have to get a transfer back from your resort, to meet two planes again. It’s a good chunk of the holiday experience, and it’s no wonder some people hate it. So, for those people out there who feel this way, I present to you a number of holiday tips to aid the traveling part.

Via Pexels

From the plane to that drive to the airport, have a read through if you’ll be jetting off this summer!

1. Check in online

Ah, the internet. Isn’t it wonderful? Without it, you wouldn’t be able to check in online. Yes, everyone dreads those massive airport queues, but you can cut down on them if you desire.

Now for some things – like security checks – you’ll simply have to queue. There’s no getting around that. However, depending on your travel provider, you can check in online to save time at the airport. This means you’ll be able to skip some parts of the process, and get through customs a little bit quicker.

2. Make sure you can park at the airport!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve done this a couple of times. The excitement is in the air for the holiday, and we all can’t wait, and we arrive at the airport to discover… no parking. Bah. You then have to circle back around and find a nearby street or alleyway – not the best of situations.

So, avoid it. Plan your parking strategy in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Scope out the airport the day before you arrive, and see if there are any hidden spaces. Some companies even allow you to reserve your airport parking online, so you can get ahead of the game. Just make sure you don’t let yourself down at the first hurdle!

3. Packing tips

Maybe you’d have a better time traveling if you weren’t worried about the contents of your suitcase. Fortunately, there are a number of little hacks you can put to good use to eliminate this problem! Have a check through these and give them a try:

• Pack a ziploc bag so you can store dirty clothes easily
• Pack your shoes in a shower cap – so they don’t touch your clean clothes
• Thread necklaces through a straw so they don’t get tangled
• Use a sunglasses case to store cables so they don’t get tangled
• Wrap tape around shampoo bottles to stop them leaking over your clothes
• Hide money behind your phone case, or roll it up in an old lip balm

And there’s plenty more where that came from, too. Get creative when you’re packing and you might be able to relax more when you’re on the plane.

Via Flickr

4. Get an earlier flight to cut down on stress

Imagine getting on the first flight of the day. Everyone’s fresh and happy, and there are no queues because there are less customers. If something does go wrong with your flight, you have a whole day ahead of you to get a transfer or re-book.

On the other hand, get a flight in the evening and everyone’s tired and grumpy from a long day. Plus, everyone wants to fly in the evenings so the queues will be horrendous. Couple this with the fact that if something goes wrong here, there’s no time left in the day to recoup the delay. Get out of bed earlier to save yourself stress!

5. Mark your suitcases so they’re easy to identify

If you’ve ever waited at the airport for your black suitcase, you’ve been through a struggle. The problem? Everyone and their mother has a black suitcase. How do you tell which one’s yours?

You tag it, that’s how. The best way of doing this is by using a brightly colored padlock. You’ll gain a more secure suitcase, and you’ll make it instantly recognizable, too. This allows you to save time, as you’ll be stood around a lot less. As a result, there’s less chance of you missing your transfer and getting stressed in the process.