The Christmas holiday season is the prime time for when people are traveling and going places all around the world to see family members and friends. With traveling, comes a little chaos and stress too. They just come hand in hand. So here are some of my tips for traveling this holiday, and how to make the best of your Christmas break.

1. Overpack (within reason)

I’m the type of person that I would rather pack more than I need than not enough. If that’s extra shirts, jeans, makeup, or even underwear, do it. Be overprepared, just in case something happens where you need that extra shirt. However, don’t go crazy with it. I’m slightly guilty of this at times, and will basically an extra bag that I don’t need.

2. Have all the necessary paperwork ready

Especially if you’re flying, make sure you have all of the passes, proper I.D.’s, tickets, anything and everything you need for your trip. Put them in a safe spot and then don’t remove them unless necessary. I was recently on a flight to Arizona, and during check in a man was trying to use his student I.D. because he forgot his license. It didn’t look fun at all.

3. Let someone know where you’re going and when you’re going to get there

This is a rule that my parents continuously force me to live by, but I’m so glad that they do. It’s safe and a great way to make sure you are where you’re supposed to be. Letting someone know where you are and where you are going can come in handy if anything was to happen.

4. Dress for the occasion.

If you know you’re going to be driving for a long time, or if you’re flying, make sure you dress properly. You don’t want to be stuck in a car for 12 hours wearing uncomfortable jeans or trying to get through airport security and you can’t figure out how to properly untie your gladiator sandals. Just save yourself the trouble.

5. Have cash on hand

Specifically, small bills. You don’t want to walk around with three hundred dollars cash in your pocket and then lose it. It will come in handy for tips, quick snacks, or even if you drop your credit card somewhere and need to get gas to get to your destination.

6. Have patience

I know that is hard to say and then actually achieve it. Traveling is a lot of fun don’t get me wrong (at least to me), but it can also be stressful and cause anxiety. Try to have patience and make the best out of the moment. It will make your trip more enjoyable not just for your but for everyone you’re traveling with too.

7. Pack snacks

This is one of my favorite tips, I’ll be honest. I don’t know why packing fun road-trips snacks is so enjoyable to me, but it is. When my boyfriend and I drove to Colorado we stocked up and had more than enough snacks to last us the 16-hour drive, and even some on the way back. Pinterest is useful when looking for fun travel snacks.

8. Make a fun playlist

Music is a must have when traveling, for me. Spending the money on Spotify Premium is very much worth it. Again, for my trip to Colorado, I created a 10-hour playlist for us to listen to with no commercials or ads. Plus, with Spotify at least, I was able to download the playlist and listen to it the whole way without using any of my phone data. I’m sure my dad was very happy about that.

9. Plan ahead

Plan for possible stops you may take during your trip, which hotels you’re going to stay at if you do stay the night somewhere, or even some fun restaurants to try on the way (another favorite of mine). Plan for things to do if there is extra time from a delay or traffic. It might sound a little crazy, but I like to think of different “what if” situations or scenarios that may occur and ways to work around them. That way I at least have a slight idea of what to do.

10. Enjoy the ride

No matter how stressful or chaotic traveling may be at times, I always try to make the best of the situation and just go with it. That crazy kid on the airplane screaming that he just wants to go home and he doesn’t want to use the airplane bathroom is just a tad bit annoying in the moment, but it will make for a funny story later on. The times where my boyfriend swears he knows where he’s going and then we are thirty miles away from the right road are definitely frustrating, but we always seem to make a new adventure out of it. Try to enjoy the crazy journey of traveling until you’re finally at your destination, because then you get to enjoy your crazy friends and family.

Happy holidays!