Holiday excursion advice you won’t find elsewhere

Book early. Give yourself a little extra time at the airport or on the road. Prepare for bad weather. If you’ve read that obvious holiday travel advice once, you’ve probably read it a hundred times.

And I’ve probably written that holiday travel advice a hundred times. But this year, how about something a little different?

A record 107.3 million traveled during the busy winter holiday season last year, according to AAA. That’s the highest year-end travel volume on record. It looks like this one will be just as busy, which means chances are, you’ll get caught up in the craziness.

You won’t find this holiday travel advice anywhere else. It includes tips on how to behave, how to book, what to pack and how to travel.

Be kind to others

No, this isn’t obvious travel advice. If it were, then everyone would do it. But they don’t. The holidays are a time of road rage and in-flight altercations. You can scroll back to the main travel headlines now if you don’t believe me. Go on, I’ll wait here.

“Be nice to airline employees as they can try to help in the event of a problem,” said Marilyn Wexler, a travel agent with Tzell Travel-New England in Boston. “They’re more likely to go out of their way for a nice traveler. Remember, it is not their fault that the weather is bad. Most people do not enjoy being berated.”

Look before you book

That means doing your due diligence on your airline tickets and accommodations. Travelers assume that companies will disclose everything worth knowing at the time they quote a room rate or fare. Not true. In fact, many companies doctor up their initial price quote to make it look lower than it is, quoting rates minus taxes and mandatory fees.

“For travelers who can’t, or don’t want to stay with family members over the holidays, hotels aren’t the only option,” said David Kolodny, co-founder of VacationRenter.com, a vacation rental search site. “By considering alternative lodging, they can avoid the hectic, crowded feel of hotels over the holidays.” (Alternative lodging would be an RV, a vacation rental or Uncle Joe’s couch).

Pack your patience

OK, maybe you’ve heard that advice. But have you? Most of the holiday travel advice I’ve read allows you to conclude that by following a simple laundry list of suggestions, you won’t need to be patient. But you will. Oh, you will.

“Expect that everyone believes their trip is more important than yours,” said Marcie Boyle, a travel agent with Travel Leaders in Chesterfield, Missouri. “Expect the airports and planes to be crowded. Expect security, restroom and restaurant