With the holidays coming up fast, people all over the world are preparing to travel to see the ones they love and spend this special time of year together. But while you might be looking forward to seeing friends or family members that you don’t get to spend much time with normally, what you likely aren’t looking forward to is the stress that comes with holiday travel.

Luckily, with the right planning and mindset, you can make it through your holiday travel without driving yourself crazy or winding up on the side of the road. To show you how this can be possible, here are three tips for preparing for holiday travel. 

Pick The Right Travel Dates

The dates you choose to travel on can have a big impact on how successful your travel days end up being. Whether you’re traveling by car or by plane, it’s important that you consider a few things before you pick your exact travel dates.

According to Ed Hewitt, a contributor to Smarter Travel, it’s best to avoid flying anywhere on the days right before or after the holidays, as these are going to be the busiest. If you can, try to fly out a few days before and fly back a few days after the holidays are over for the best prices and the fewest amount of people.

If you’re driving, you’ll just want to be sure that you avoid any scary winter weather. While freeways can get busy, driving in a snowstorm in addition to heavy traffic is almost a recipe for getting in a car or truck accident. 

Be Smart When Packing

Packing for the holidays can be a challenge, especially if you’re planning on bringing gifts with you.

When flying with presents, Meredith Rosenberg, a contributor to Travel Channel, reminds us that you never want to wrap the presents before you get to the airport, as they’ll have to be unwrapped to get through security. And if you’re driving with presents, be sure you have a way to safely secure these items so they aren’t jostling all over your car while you’re on the road. 

Don’t Let The Stress Ruin Your Holiday

Although the holidays are supposed to be a time where you can take a break from work and enjoy spending some quality time with those you love, getting to these events can be stressful. And if your stress gets too high, you might find that you can’t relax and enjoy yourself during your holiday festivities. 

To avoid this, Aric Jenkins, a contributor to Travel And Leisure, recommends that you try not to stress when you’re traveling over the holidays. Recognize that things likely won’t go exactly according to plan and that things will probably be slower than you anticipated. By coming into the situation with this mindset, you should be better able to roll with the punches. 

If you have travel plans for the upcoming holiday season, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare for this.