USA TODAY International Edition

Tap into a different kind of holiday travel advice

- Christophe­r Elliott USA TODAY Contact Christophe­r Elliott at chris@elliott.org or visit elliott.org.

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

But this year, how about something a little different?

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 find this holiday travel advice anywhere else. It includes tips on how to behave, how to book, what to pack and how to travel.

❚ First, 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 inflight altercatio­ns.

“Be nice to airline employees as they can try to help in the event of a problem,” says 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 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 op- tion,” says David Kolodny, co-founder of VacationRe­nter.com. “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,” says Marcie Boyle, a travel agent with Travel Leaders in Chesterfield, Missouri. “Expect the airports and planes to be crowded. Expect security, restroom and restaurant lines to be extra-long. Expect to encounter less experience­d travelers who may not know the tricks for getting through an airport quickly.”

You’ll need all the patience you can muster – and then some.

“Take a deep breath and know everyone is doing the best they can to get the job done,” she adds.

❚ Be careful out there. Sure, I’ve seen experts dance around this one, but travel can be dangerous. Don’t take my word for it. That’s what Andres Paz Larach, vice president of southeast U.S. and Latin America with Pinkerton, says.

“You have to study your destinatio­n,” he says. “Understand where you are going, the population, manners, the dress. Act appropriat­ely with the culture. Abide by the laws of the land.”

A trusted source is the State Department Advisories page, travel.state.gov.

And let me make a personal plea for a little common sense. Don’t think this is going to be easy. It rarely is. If you can avoid traveling just before or after the holidays, when everyone else is on the road, do it. Better yet, don’t travel at all. You’ll save a bundle, and you can always see your family in January.

“Study your destinatio­n. Understand where you are going, the population, manners, the dress.”

Andres Paz Larach, Pinkerton

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