Hello, I’m Emre, I have visited 28 countries and 104 cities so far, and I have had very different experiences. Everywhere I went, I gained various experiences and learned strange things specific to those places. I will try to share them with you in my articles, thank you in advance for your time.

Wouldn’t you like to travel with a smaller suitcase or just a backpack? So how? Here, the task of preparing a small and light suitcase is actually not difficult at all. Believe me, a little comfort, and a few small tips will save you from a big burden.

Imagine getting off the plane and walking past the others, who are looking anxiously at the luggage belt, with a smile. Because you don’t have a suitcase at risk of getting lost. Because they were all with you from the beginning. Perhaps the most important of all easy travel tips are light travel. Isn’t it torture to settle into the hotel easily, especially on trips where you won’t be stationary (a city every day), carrying a heavy suitcase from the room all the time and getting it out of the room?

Small suitcase preparation secrets:

Roll up your clothes:

Yes, twist, roll. Make their cigars. Even if you fold it well and stack it tightly together in rolls, it does not crumple and takes up much less space.

Prepare a medicine bag:

Put the medicines that you use regularly or that you take with you as a precaution in this bag, unboxed. If you know exactly what they are called and what they do, of course.

Notice the volumetric gaps:

Here is the most important tip of the suitcase preparation business; Not leaving any gaps. Stuck small things like socks into shoes.

To the fashion show? Decide whether to travel:

You may want to pose in a different costume for each photo. But remember, you are traveling for your own pleasure. Ignore the friends who look at the photos and say, ‘The moon is always wearing the same t-shirt’. You can suggest that they focus on the Pizza tower you are trying to fix in the background, not your outfit.

There was such a thing as #hand washing, remember:

It’s summer ahead of us, there’s no point in putting 5 different t-shirts on a 5-day trip in case I get sweaty. If you are not going to Greenland, wash it in two minutes in the evening and it will be beautiful in the morning. (Hotel shampoos are there for this job)

Use loincloth instead of a sea towel:

Here is another must for preparing a small suitcase: Goodbye sea towel, hello loincloth. It absorbs water and dries quickly. When you roll it, it occupies a micron level, unlike that fluffy sea towel.

I don’t necessarily go without an iron, where should I put my travel iron?:

The travel washing machine is as ridiculous an invention as the travel sofa set. There is nothing as easy as ironing at the hotel. Fill the tub with hot water. Hang the clothes on the hanger, and keep the bathroom closed for half an hour. All the clothes you want to iron are already raging. (Should we do this method at home too?)

Choose clothes to combine:

If you want to carry little things, but you can’t compromise on my elegance, here is another practical piece of information for you: Choose a color for each trip. Choose matching clothes that you will change and use in these tones. or complete and replace with small accessories. (For example, it can be a black scarf, a headband during the day, a scarf at noon, and a dress belt at night)

Feel free to share:

Lightweight packing secrets will also make you a sharer. Sometimes you can share your wife’s sweater or your daughter’s shorts on some days of the trip. No one will notice except with very careful eyes (Yes, we wear that white sweater as a family)

Instead of a single thick sweater, choose several thin sweaters that can be worn on top of each other. Increase your chances of permutation.

Be honest with yourself: Tired of carrying items in your suitcase that have returned untouched all this time? Wouldn’t you like to taste the pleasure of returning with 100% of your suitcase used? Despite all this, you can buy whatever you need but do not take it with you wherever you go. If you are not going to the desert safari or to the poles, remember that something you buy and use there will be the best souvenir for you on your return

Travel has proven to be a terrific stress reliever for everyone in the hectic urban lifestyle because it is an amazing method to engage both the mind and body while learning about new places. However, choosing what to bring can be difficult and leave you out in the cold if you are from the tropics and are not particularly accustomed to travelling in the winter.

Depending on how long your trip is expected to last and any potential weather issues, you should pack accordingly.

Plan in Advance And Check The Weather Forecast

Always keep in mind to take all necessary safety precautions when travelling during the cooler months of the year. Precaution is always preferable than cure, as they say. Check the weather forecast for your trip before you leave. Knowing what to anticipate can make it easier for you to pack adequately and make any required preparations in advance.

Pre-book An Airport/Railway Station

In the winter, try to reserve morning flights since, in the event that your flight is cancelled or delayed, the airline will often rebook you on a later trip, if there are seats available.

Due to the thick fog cover in the northern region of India, flight delays during the winter months are an unavoidable aspect of travelling. In order to prevent the inconveniences of travelling to and from the airport, it is always a good idea to double-check your flight itinerary to see if there has been a delay or cancellation.

Weather Appropriate Packing

While you examine the weather, you should make a note and prepare your baggage. A jacket cannot adequately cover the sensitive neck area, which is what it requires. Scarves and headwear protect your head, neck, and throat area, thus they are essential items to carry for a winter holiday.

Although the sun is not as strong and the temperature is rather pleasant in the winter, it is still a good idea to wear sunscreen lotion and carry sunglasses for eye protection to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.

Have Extra Buffer Time Up Your Sleeve

During the winter travel season, airports may be hectic. Snowfall and unexpected weather patterns throughout the winter can cause delays to flight schedules. The situation is the same while travelling by car. Your timetable and your entire vacation agenda might be completely ruined. As a result, add at least 4 to 8 hours to your airline and ground travel itineraries as a buffer. Don’t overplan, and leave room for some flexibility. In case you need to
spend an additional day at your location, have a backup plan as well.

Travel To Lesser Known Destination

Choosing locations that may be a little less popular with tourists is a crucial method to save costs while on vacation. Vacations in the less well-known areas of the nation are simply amazing. Get to experience a variety of unique activities, avoid crowds, and discover the untouched natural beauty and diverse civilizations. Nowadays, a lot of people search for locations apart from the mapped routes.

Please Note: Stay hydrated. Even if you might not feel thirsty when it’s chilly outside, it’s still crucial to drink lots of water. Beware of coffee and alcohol. While these beverages may help you feel warmer, they can make you lose body heat. If you’re ready for it, the cold can be wonderful. With the aforementioned necessities, you may relax and take in the lovely season.

How to Breeze through the Freeze

Christmas is supposed to be a peaceful time of year. A time for eating, drinking and being ‘merry’ or relaxing and putting your feet up at the fire (it is called a ‘holiday’ after all). But for many of us, Christmas can be a stressful time of year, and for none more so, than those travelling during the busy festive period. Whether you are travelling ho, ho, home for the holidays or celebrating in a different country, Here are 5 top tips for travel this Yuletide season…

5 Top Tips

#1 Plan in Advance

Just like any other time you’re travelling, it is better to plan your trip in advance. With added pressures at Christmas time, such as remembering to order the turkey or trying to recall the name of that expensive perfume your partner asked for, it can be easy to forget the travel essentials. To prevent this from happening, make a list of all the things that you to need pack a few weeks before your trip (and don’t leave packing your suitcase until the night before). Check that your passport is still in date before booking travel and don’t forget to ensure you have travel insurance cover. Buy a folder to keep all of your travel documents in, such as your passport, visa, boarding pass and the name of your hotel. Alternatively, you could ‘go digital’ by storing travel documents on your phone and checking in for your flight online, saving you time at the airport; however, it is still safer to have a paper back up just in case your phone runs out of battery or decides (like most technology) not to work.

#2 Leave Early

With Christmas being the second busiest time of year for travel (after summer), it’s better to leave early, allowing extra time for any unexpected mishaps along the way. Traffic may be heavier than usual and airports busier, so be prepared to spend longer travelling than you usually do. As Christmas falls over the winter months, expect that bad weather could negatively impact your journey. Snow, ice, rain and storms can cause delays for all types of travel, so make sure to check flight and rail statuses before leaving and be prepared for cancellations (including a back-up plan). If roads are icy, make sure to drive slowly and only if necessary. You should have an emergency car kit in case of a breakdown or accident.

#3 Avoid Peak Travel Dates

If possible, avoid travel during peak dates over Christmas. For many of us, work schedules mean that we only have a short amount of time off, so think of dates when people are going to be maximising the most out of their trip home/away. For air travel, the cheapest time to fly is on Christmas Day followed by Christmas Eve. The dates just before Christmas and just after Christmas are more expensive, so if you are lucky enough to have extra time off work then considering flying earlier or later. If you are travelling by road, peak dates are the weekend before Christmas so bear this in mind when planning your trip. The earlier you book your trip, the more likely you are to get a cheaper rate, so make sure to contact us about your booking as soon as possible.

#4 Pack Wisely and Lightly

Whilst it would be ideal to have a Santa moment arriving home with all your gifts for your family and friends, remember you have to pay extra for going over the baggage limit. Pack your essentials first and then weigh your case; if you have any spare room you could purchase a few smaller gifts for your nearest and dearest. Alternatively, just order the gifts online and have them delivered to your home address. If you are going away for Christmas and you want to take a number of gifts for the kids, only take the most important and consider booking an extra suitcase. Do not wrap the presents before going to the airport as security may want to inspect your bag and then all that planning and prepping will have gone to waste. Similarly, if you are taking food or bringing it home make sure to check the regulations for both the airline and country as this could be confiscated.

#5 and lastly – ENJOY

If you are going away then bring some home with you – whether this is a mini Christmas tree, a few small gifts or even some cosy Christmas jumpers – but don’t forget to embrace experiencing Christmas in a different country by adopting local traditions or celebrating the holiday as other cultures do. If you want to make Christmas truly magical, go somewhere where the snow is or visit cities famous for its festive atmosphere, such as New York. Whether you’re travelling home or away, enjoy spending quality time with your loved ones, stress-free.

Millions of Americans plan to be like Santa and his reindeer and take to the skies in late December.

AAA predicts about 113 million Americans will travel for the 2022 year-end holidays.

Hopper, a company that monitors airfares, forecasted more than 54 million people — including close to 29 million on Christmas week alone — will travel through U.S. airports for the holiday season.

The average cost of round-trip domestic flights for Christmas travel was $339, down 15% from 2021 and 11% from 2019, according to Hopper. But the company said airfares are rising $5 to $10 per day as the holidays draw closer. Hopper expects a peak average fare of more than $400 round trip for domestic travel.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport will welcome thousands of travelers during the holiday season. If you’ll be one of them, here are tips to help get you through the terminal and on your way with a minimum of fuss.

What are the best and worst days to fly around Christmas?

Generally, the days leading up to and after Christmas and New Year’s Eve tend to be the busiest, while it’s less busy to fly on the holidays themselves.

Hopper anticipates more than 3 million travelers nationwide on all but three days between Dec. 18 and Jan. 3. Its forecast showed the three lightest travel days will be Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

In 2022, the busiest days for holiday travel nationwide were Dec. 16-20, 22-23, 26-27, 29-30 and Jan. 2, according to the Transportation Security Administration. It screened at least 2 million passengers on each of those days.

How busy will airports be for the holidays?

In a forecast issued Dec. 12, American Airlines announced it has 91,715 scheduled flights worldwide Dec. 16 through Jan. 2 to meet the holiday travel demand. It expects Dec. 16 and Dec. 22 will be its busiest travel days with more than 5,500 departures each.

American, which accounts for about 40% of Sky Harbor’s flights, has 7,395 flights scheduled to and from Phoenix during the holiday travel period, airline spokesman Derek Walls told The Arizona Republic.

Be sure to leave early enough before your flight’s scheduled departure to give yourself enough time. Arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

How much does it cost to park at the Phoenix airport?

Here’s what you’ll pay to park at Sky Harbor Airport:

• Garages at the terminals cost $30 per day.
• Three economy garages, one on the airport’s west side and two on the east side, charge $16 per day.
• An economy surface lot on the east side costs $14 per day and you can ride the free PHX Sky Train to your terminal.
• An economy “park and walk” lot that offers no transportation to the terminals is $9 per day.

Off-site parking is available through companies like PreFlight Airport Parking and the Parking Spot. They offer covered and uncovered parking plus shuttle service to and from the terminals.

PreFlight’s rates start at $12.99 per day for an uncovered spot. The Parking Spot’s rates vary based on demand, starting at $19.50 per day for uncovered self-parking.

How to drop off or pick up passengers

Sky Harbor strongly urges people to avoid congestion along roadways and terminal curbs during peak travel times by picking up and dropping off passengers at the PHX Sky Train Station at 44th and Washington streets in Phoenix. The traveler can ride the free Sky Train to the terminals.

If you’re picking someone up, wait in one of the free cellphone lots at Sky Harbor instead of driving laps around the terminals.

What if my Christmas flight is canceled?

Download your airline’s app before you travel and enable notifications so you’ll get real-time updates of your flight status.

If your flight is canceled, you can use the app to quickly search for flight options and rebook yourself. It beats hustling to an airline customer service desk and waiting in a long line with your fellow passengers or calling your airline’s 800 number and waiting endlessly to get a customer service representative on the line.

If a cancellation requires an overnight stay and it isn’t weather-related, the airline may also provide reasonable hotel and meal accommodations.

What can you take through security?

Anything considered a liquid or gel can fly in checked luggage. Quantities greater than 3 ounces can’t fly in carry-on bags. These include jams and jellies, oils and vinegars, hummus, ice cream, sauces and dressings, bottled water and alcoholic beverages.

Some items like cakes, pies and solid cheeses can fly in carry-on bags, but ultimately, it’s up to the TSA screener if an item can pass. So, when in doubt, pack an item in your checked luggage. For a full list of foods and drinks and whether you can travel with them, visit https://www.tsa.gov.

TSA strongly advises travelers not to bring wrapped gifts in their carry-on or checked luggage. While wrapped Christmas presents are not prohibited, anything that raises a red flag with a screener can be opened for further inspection.

Don’t forget to go through your empty bags before you pack them and remove any prohibited items. The TSA’s What Can I Bring page has a full list of what can and can’t be packed.