Looking for New Year’s ideas? Check our guide.

New Year’s Eve is traditionally a night to go out on the town to celebrate with family and friends. Such celebrations tend to be rowdy, as millions of people across the globe say so long to one year while welcoming in the next.

Because New Year’s Eve is such a popular night to paint the town red, prospective revelers may want to begin planning their celebrations early to ensure they have the safest and most enjoyable night possible.

• Book dinner reservations early. According to the National Restaurant Association, New Year’s Eve is one of the five most popular nights of the year to dine out. Restaurants can book up quickly and early for New Year’s Eve, so book reservations as early as possible. Try to get as accurate a potential headcount as possible before booking a reservation, erring on the side of an extra person or two if necessary. Once a reservation has been made, call the restaurant if the party size changes. If choosing a favorite restaurant, keep in mind that the typical menu might not be available, as many establishments offer limited prix fixe offerings on nights as busy as New Year’s Eve.

• Choose a celebration spot well in advance as well. Restaurants book up quickly on New Year’s Eve, and so do bars hosting festivities. Some establishments sell a limited numbers of wristbands to celebrants, and once those wristbands are sold out, they may not allow additional celebrants to enter the premises. Discuss potential post-dinner spots with all the members of your party, ideally deciding on a spot well ahead of New Year’s Eve.

• Utilize mass transportation. Because New Year’s Eve is such a popular night to go out, roads can become crowded in and around city centers or downtown areas. If possible, use mass transportation when going out on New Year’s Eve. Doing so can help revelers avoid traffic jams and keep the focus on fun.

• Choose a designated driver or utilize a taxi or ridesharing service. In areas where mass transportation is unavailable or unreliable, celebrants should choose a designated driver or drivers from their group, or arrange for rides home via a taxi or ridesharing service. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that, between 2010 and 2014, there were an average of 118.2 crash deaths on January 1. Many of those were likely New Year’s Eve revelers on their way home after midnight. Designated drivers, cabbies or ridesharing services prevent potentially impaired celebrants from getting behind the wheel.

New Year’s Eve is one of the most popular nights of the year to go out. Celebrants who plan early can ensure a fun, safe and memorable night.