Summer is here, which means it’s the season of barbeques, parties, and events.

Aviation Security Officers want you to know which well-intended gifts and items won’t make it through the security screening, so you don’t turn up empty handed at your in-law’s house.

“With domestic travel ramping up in December, we’ve created a checklist to make security screening as smooth as possible – don’t forget to check it twice,” said Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand spokesperson in a statement.

Batteries

These are the number one item that cause issues for passengers at screening points.

Batteries need to be packed in carry-on and each passenger is entitled to bring 20 batteries.

Each spare battery needs to be individually protected either in retail packaging, a protective pouch, in an individual bag, or with tape over exposed terminals.

Batteries are not allowed in checked baggage.

Electronic items

Gifting Air Pods or a power bank this Christmas? These items need to go in your carry-on luggage and not in your checked bag.

These items have lithium batteries which are classed as Dangerous Goods.

While extremely rare there have been cases of lithium batteries exploding in cargo holds, which would be catastrophic and potentially fatal on a passenger aircraft.

Tools and power tools

Thinking of fixing up the bach this summer? Put your power tools in your checked bag.

Please take steps to prevent the power tool from accidentally turning on.

Use trigger locks or secure the on/off switch in the off position with tape.

Spare batteries, including those in moulded cases, must go in your carry-on bag.

Batteries are prohibited from checked luggage.

Imitation weapons

Toy guns, toy swords – there are a lot of toys that look like weapons.

All these need to go into your checked bag.

If you put them in your carry-on there is a chance the item will need to be taken at the screening point.

“The same goes for gimmicky gifts that look like the “real deal” – we often see plastic grenades and fake guns that hold liquid or toiletries,” said the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand spokesperson.

Keep these in your checked bag.

Celebrating with a ‘bang’

At this time of year officers always see Christmas crackers, party poppers and fireworks in people’s luggage.

While Christmas crackers can go on planes in carry-on or checked-in luggage, cracker snaps, party poppers and fireworks are not allowed on an aircraft at all.

Keep it in your bag

“This past year we have installed Computed Tomography (CT) scanning machines which enables laptops and liquids to be left in carry-on bags, which has enhanced the passenger experience by streamlining screening for passengers,” said the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand spokesperson.

The volume of liquids, aerosols and gels, carried by travellers on flights still applies, and should be carried in individual containers of 100ml or less, with the total number of containers that are 100ml or less must not exceed one volumetric litre.

Arrive on time

It’s a busy time at the airports, so our advice to passengers is to check what can and can’t go on an aircraft, arrive at the airport with extra time to go through security screening, and expect queues due to the large number of people flying.

Make screening easy for yourself by not wearing over-the-ankle boots or coats and empty your pockets.

Our priority is keeping New Zealand skies safe and secure, so you can focus on what really matters this summer. Safe travels and happy holidays.

From ice skating and Christmas markets to fabulous hotels, there are many reasons to visit Paris in the winter. Here’s a guide to the season’s best offerings.

There’s no such thing as a bad time to visit Paris. The city retains its romantic charm all year long, with winter offering its own unique appeal: trees and Haussmannian boulevards gleam with twinkle lights, cafes glow with red heat lamps, and department stores go all out with lavish holiday displays. While the gray gloom gets old after a while (the French have a special word for it: grisâtre), it can provide the perfect wintry backdrop for a shorter séjour.

Whether you’re looking for festive activities to fill up your holiday itinerary or wondering what to pack or where to stay, here’s everything to know about how to make the most of your winter trip to Paris.

Things to Know Before You Go

Winter Weather in Paris

Between December and February, temperatures in Paris tend to hover between the mid-30s and the upper 40s Fahrenheit. Dazzlingly sunny winter days aren’t uncommon, but for the most part, you should prepare yourself for a grayish drizzle (made significantly more tolerable by easy access to spirit-lifting chocolat chaud or carafes of red wine). While there’s a small chance you’ll luck out with a white Christmas, it rarely snows in Paris, and it’s typically only a dusting when it does.

What to Pack for Winter in Paris

Deciding what to take on a trip to Paris is always a challenge, given the city’s legendary fashion and its extensive but exhausting walkability. For a winter visit, pack clothing and accessories that can help you traverse the streets even in less-than-perfect weather. It’ll serve you well to bring waterproof shoes or rain boots, and you’ll certainly want an umbrella. Invest in a chic and sturdy winter coat to complete your outfits, and pack plenty of layers to be ready for any temperature.

Holiday Closures in Paris

If there are any particular restaurants on your must-try list, be sure that they’ll be open during your visit. Many restaurants take a winter break during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and plenty of establishments that don’t take longer breaks will be closed on the actual holidays. Also, keep in mind that, throughout the year, many restaurants and shops close on Sundays and Mondays, while museums are often closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Things to Do in Paris in Winter

From ice skating in the Marais to window shopping at festively decorated department stores, there are a range of winter-specific activities to enjoy in Paris.

Ice Skating in Paris

Rent a pair of skates and glide around against the backdrop of one of Paris’s most beautiful buildings: the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), in the heart of the Marais neighborhood. Each winter, the historic landmark transforms its courtyard into a public ice skating rink, which is open daily during the season. As a bonus, it’s a stone’s throw from the BHV, a department store that gussies up its windows every December in true festive fashion.

Christmas Markets in Paris

From late November until early January, a panoply of chestnut-scented Christmas markets spring up around the city. Vendors in Swiss-style wooden chalets serve up every soul-warming thing you can think of — hot mulled wine and cider, wheels of raclette, and more. The most famous — and certainly most sprawling — is by the Tuileries Garden, where the market has expanded into something of an annual carnival. Other beloved markets (there’s one in nearly every neighborhood) can be found next to Notre Dame and in Montmartre at Place des Abbesses.

Window Shopping in Paris

At beloved department stores like Galeries Lafayette, Printemps Haussmann, and Le Bon Marché, the holiday season comes with a host of visual (and sartorial) delights. Extravagantly festive window displays are the initial draw, with panoramas that range from smiling Santas and cancan-dancing gingerbread men to full-blown mini winter villages. Step inside the stores, though, and you’ll be dazzled by the stories-high Christmas trees glittering overhead and twinkle lights decking the halls.

Winter Sales in Paris

Les soldes (the sales) take place twice a year in Paris and are a shopper’s dream, with prices slashed on everything from designer clothes to home goods. The winter sales run from January to February, with markdowns majorly increasing as the weeks go by.

Museums in Paris

If the weather gets too gloomy for a stroll along the Seine, there’s no shortage of excellent museums and exhibits to pop into all around the city. Whether you’re a fashion fanatic, impressionist lover, or history buff, there’s something for every sort of traveler. (Just note that it’s always best to book tickets in advance.)

Eye-catching exhibitions this winter include the “Pop Forever Tom Wesselmann” at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, a Harriet Backer exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay, and “Figures of the Fool” at the Louvre.

Eat Pastries in Paris

The abundance of pastries in Paris can add a sweet note to your visit at any time of year. A winter-specific highlight, though, is bûche de Noël, a traditional Christmas dessert that’s essentially a rolled-up sponge cake — but with endless variations and extravagant formations. You’ll find the cakes all over Paris during the holidays, but some of the best come from the Ritz Paris, Hôtel Lutetia, and Pierre Hermé.

Where to Stay in Paris

Whether you’re looking to splurge on the ultimate luxury experience or keep things more budget-friendly, there’s a wide range of hotels to choose from.

For higher-end options, there are few places more synonymous with classic French luxury than the Ritz Paris in the 1st arrondissement (neighborhood). You’ll get to check out the hotel’s elegant holiday decor and iconic Ritz Bar, where you can sip astrology-themed cocktails.

Design buffs will love Philippe Starck’s Brach Paris hotel in the 16th arrondissement. The property oozes new-world cool, with warm wood paneling, geometric throw pillows, and a jaw-dropping view of the Eiffel Tower from the rooftop garden (complete with a Norwegian bath). Best of all, the sprawling hotel spa includes an indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, and Himalayan salt cave.

For a more budget-friendly option, you can’t go wrong with the quaint Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais, a boutique hotel smack in the middle of the Marais. Rooms here run on the smaller side but come equipped with all the charms of old-school Paris, from exposed wooden beams to a delightful breakfast in bed.

Finally, travelers in search of quirkier lodging can try the Remix Hotel. This ’80s-themed spot is located in the 19th arrondissement and features neon accents, marble bathrooms, velvet headboards, and checkerboard hallways.

Rediscover these abandoned cities by traveling to see their ruins, where you can readily imagine their lost-to-time structures and civilizations.

When the lost city of Kweneng, South Africa, was discovered last year, it wasn’t because someone found a fossil there or excavated it with a shovel. Instead, archaeologist Karim Sadr relied on LiDAR technology, which uses lasers to measure distance, to create detailed images of the surrounding Suikerbosrand hills, where Tswana-speaking people first built stone settlements in the 15th century.

It was a slow process that spanned more than two years, sort of a digital version of clearing vines from a hidden temple. Sadr pored over the data looking for patterns beneath the area’s thick brush. Rounded shapes emerged on the black-and-white LiDAR images, helping to reconstruct the lives of families who lived in the stone homesteads, herded cattle, and created ash heaps (typically the remainders of feasts) to flaunt their wealth. While scientists had long believed that the hills held a series of small, lost-to-time communities, Sadr’s finds extended far beyond the aboveground ruins already visible on the site. “There was no real ‘eureka’ moment,” said Sadr, “but it seems that one day I was looking at a collection of villages and the next day I saw a city.”

Cities such as Kweneng are forgotten for a variety of reasons, and their remains have always exerted a powerful draw on inquisitive travelers. While Kweneng’s visitor infrastructure isn’t quite as developed yet, there are plenty of other rediscovered cities to visit. Whether you’re among the dusty palaces at Xanadu or walking along ancient Troy’s battlements, you can channel your inner explorer while visiting these ruins, whose cultural breadth and evocativeness show how enduring lost cities can be.

Persepolis, Iran

Achaemenid Empire kings fortified a natural stone terrace into an imposing platform when they founded Persepolis in the 6th century B.C.E., leveraging the landscape to awe-inspiring effect and military advantage. After centuries in the sand, the delicate carvings, inscriptions, and palaces of Persepolis were excavated in the 20th century. Apadana Palace dominates the oldest part of the site, where travelers will see 13 of the original 72 towering stone columns—the only survivors of a 331 B.C.E. attack by Alexander the Great. If you travel to Iran, we recommend booking through a tour operator like Intrepid, which can help facilitate visas.

Petra, Jordan

The entrance to Petra is designed for maximum impact, leading visitors from a shadowy gorge to views of soaring, tangerine-colored rock. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Petra was carved by Nabateans (who likely established it as the capital city in the 4th century B.C.E.) and is Jordan’s star attraction. It’s still easy enough to find solitude in the now-uninhabited desert site. Ditch the tour groups by climbing a steep pathway to the High Place of Sacrifice; its pair of monumental obelisks are believed to represent Nabatean gods.

Ciudad Perdida, Colombia

Founded in the 9th century, this forest city developed a unique architectural plan of stone pathways, plazas, and houses over centuries, but dense jungle swallowed them shortly after the arrival of Europeans. The five-day trek to Ciudad Perdida (the only way to get there) is an adventure in and of itself. Brave the steep, muddy trail to reach ceremonial terraces and to meet Colombia’s indigenous Kogi and Wiwa people, who are some of the site’s modern-day guardians and live in the region.

Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy

Billowing ash from Mount Vesuvius dimmed the sky above Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 C.E., then buried the cities for nearly 17 centuries. While history this ancient often requires leaps of imagination, the tragic past remains eerily vivid here. Take a transporting walk through the cities, which are about a 20-minute drive apart, to see brilliant frescoes, visit the site of an ancient brothel, see the petrified bodies, and pay your respects in the Temple of Apollo.

Knossos, Greece

The Minoan palace at Knossos was already ancient when Homer wrote his Odyssey, and it has myth and history layered into its Bronze Age foundations. Archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavations of the site on Crete in 1900; he linked his findings of the remains of the palace to the mythological labyrinth where the minotaur—a half-man, half-bull born to a Cretan queen—lurked in darkness. While that story remains unproven, travelers can judge the creature’s legendary origins for themselves when visiting the palace’s east wing, which is adorned with a fresco that depicts three figures and a giant vaulting bull.

Caracol, Belize

Trees curl around Caracol’s stone pyramids, which the Belize jungle overtook after residents abandoned the site in the 11th century. Its architectural achievements are impressive even by modern standards: Caana, the temple complex at the heart of Caracol, remains the tallest structure in the country at 141 feet, and archaeologists believe the Maya metropolis would have dwarfed the area of today’s Belize City. Rediscovered in 1938, Caracol draws far fewer visitors than nearby Tikal—plan an early-morning visit and you might have it to yourself.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Carved high in the Andes, Machu Picchu was a fitting sanctuary for the Inca, who honored the turbulent gods of the mountains. Emptied by the fall of the Inca Empire in the 16th century, the gorgeous synthesis of peaks and fortifications have drawn adventurers to Peru since the citadel was rediscovered in 1911. Journey to Machu Picchu by footpath, bus, or luxury train, then trek to the neighboring peak of Huayna Picchu for classic views across the main site.

Troy, Turkey

A dramatic setting for the ancient world’s most consequential love triangle, Troy has a 4,000-year history that merges with myth near Turkey’s Aegean coast. Discovering Troy was a driving passion for Heinrich Schliemann, an archaeologist who used Homer’s Iliad like a treasure map and found the site in 1870. After you walk through the ancient fortifications and palaces here, see the troves they once held in the Troy Museum, which opened in October with interactive exhibits highlighting gleaming jewelry, marble statues, and other treasures.

Ubar, Oman

As camels laden with frankincense crossed the Empty Quarter of the Arabian peninsula, travelers gathered for dates and gossip at trading posts deep in the desert. Lost to the blowing sand for nearly 1,000 years, Ubar is one such site; it was found in 1992 using images taken from space. Located on the southernmost edge of Oman, Ubar is two hours inland from the Arabian Sea city of Salalah. Make the trip to see stone walls and fortifications that are rising from the dusty ground as excavations proceed.

Xanadu, China

Kublai Khan ruled his empire from the city of Xanadu, surrounded by a grassland steppe that stretched to the horizon in every direction. Located about five hours northwest of Beijing, this is where Mongolian and Han cultures mingled, and travelers debated philosophy in gracious palaces and gardens. Find the remains of that cosmopolitan capital in Xanadu’s excavated temples, stone walls, and tombs, which were abandoned to the windy plains in the 15th century.

El Mirador, Guatemala

Only an adventurous few will reach the ancient Maya city of El Mirador, which dates back to 1,000 B.C.E. and is shrouded by the largest tropical forest north of the Amazon. There are only two ways to get here: Charter a helicopter or trek two days from the road’s end at the village of Carmelita. Make the journey to El Mirador to climb La Danta, a towering pyramid whose crest swells above the surrounding canopy.

Dr. Marc Siegel shares his top tips for preventing illness on the road

Travel is a big part of the holiday season, with statistics showing that more than 119 million Americans plan to embark on some type of journey between Christmas and New Year’s.

Unfortunately, traveling also increases the risk of getting sick — but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while away from home.

“When you’re traveling, when you’re on the road, there’s a lot of risk of stress and disorientation,” Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

“You’re not in your usual habitat, and that can make people disoriented, upset, anxious or even sleep-deprived, especially when changing time zones.”

Siegel shared some of his top tips for preventing illness during holiday travel.

1. Stay well-hydrated

Staying hydrated has been shown to boost the immune system and protect against illness.

Water is always best, but other hydrating fluids include plain coffee or tea, sparkling or flavored waters, 100% vegetable juice, and milk or milk alternatives.

2. Keep up with your exercise routine

It’s best to travel while “well-exercised,” Siegel said.

“If you have a regular exercise routine, I wouldn’t suspend it a week before travel,” he said.

“If you’re regularly exercising, sleeping right and eating right before you go, I think that that puts you in much better shape when you’re traveling.”

3. Wipe down surfaces

Siegel said he’s a “big believer” in wiping down surfaces, especially when traveling by plane.

“You wouldn’t believe what these surfaces carry — we’ve studied that,” he said. “There are a lot of germs in that tray table, and it’s the person next to you who could be sick.”

4. Stay up-to-date on vaccines

“When you’re about to take a trip, it is a good time for you to think about whether you’re up-to-date on your vaccines,” Siegel said.

One immunization that isn’t given enough attention, according to the doctor, is Tdap, a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).

It is given at least once every five to 10 years.

“There’s a ton of whooping cough around this year,” Siegel said. “Thousands of cases are reported, but many thousands aren’t.”

The doctor also recommends the shingles shot for those over the age of 50 and the pneumonia vaccine for people 60 and older.

“When you’re under stress from travel, that might be when you could get sick,” Siegel said, as the immune system isn’t functioning at an optimal level.

“That’s when shingles might reappear,” he warned. “Shingles is actually a chickenpox virus that’s dormant in your body for years, but can recur at times of stress.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that everyone 6 months and older receives COVID and flu vaccinations, with rare exceptions.

5. Pack a travel health kit

For those who take multiple daily medications, the doctor recommends traveling with one pill bottle and putting the various pills in it, making it less likely for any to get misplaced.

“Make sure you have more than enough,” he advised. “You never know when you’re going to get delayed, especially around holiday travel.”

Siegel recommends bringing three or four extra days of pills for all medications.

“Depending on what chronic illnesses you may have, it’s a good idea to be up-to-date with blood draws and visits to your doctor” before traveling, he added.

6. Get sufficient, quality sleep

It can be challenging to maintain a regular sleep cycle while traveling, Siegel noted, especially when time zones are changing.

“The more you can catch some winks while traveling, the better off you’re going to be,” he said.

For those who have trouble falling asleep while on the road, Siegel recommends identifying what makes you drift off at home and using those same techniques.

“I get asked a lot for sleeping aids,” he said. “For people who are traveling on long trips, I personally am uncomfortable giving medication if the patient hasn’t been taking it already.”

7. Use masks as needed

While masks “got a bad name” during the pandemic because of mandates, Siegel noted that they are tools that can be used for those who are ill or at a higher risk.

“If you’re a person who’s at risk of an infectious disease or has a chronic illness, the last thing you need is to get the flu, COVID or RSV.”

The doctor recommends considering a mask for tight spaces where there are a lot of people around.

“You don’t know what they have or what they are harboring,” he said.

“That’s why I would consider one, especially if you’re at high risk.”

Overall, Siegel said, “staying hydrated, eating right and sleeping properly as best as possible is the way to go in decreasing stress while traveling.”