Christmas Travel Checklist – Sorted

To help Brits prepare their homes and lighten the heavy load of Christmas travel, we reached out to Byrd Bergeron, travel enthusiast and founder of The Travel Byrds, who shares her top tips for a travel preparation checklist. 

Below are Byrds tips on things to do at home to prepare for the Christmas travel chaos.

• Take Measures to Secure Your Home
  • To prevent break-ins while you are away:
  • Put some of your lights on timers so your house isn’t sitting dark every night,
  • Ask a neighbour to get your mail while you are away,
  • Ensure all of your windows and doors are shut and locked,
  • Park a spare car in your driveway to make it look like someone is home, and
  • Consider investing in a security system. 
• Make a Packing List and Pack Ahead of Time
  • Making a list helps anytime you leave town, but it is especially helpful during the holidays. Ensure you have outfits for any Christmas gatherings you plan to attend as well as any seasonal activities. If you are planning to participate in outdoor activities, check the weather because you may need to throw some snow boots in that bag. 
• Wrap Gifts and Pack or Ship Them
  • Packing gifts ahead of time is a game changer, even better if you can just ship them directly and not lug them to your location. Check out cloth bags and reusable materials that will hold up as you travel and can be used again later. 
• Stop Grocery Shopping & Clean Out Your Fridge
  • No one wants to come home to a refrigerator full of rotten foods. Spend the week or so before you leave eating what you have on hand and make sure everything is cleared out before you leave. If you can throw together a freezer meal for the night you get back even better!
• Email Final Travel Plans to Hosts
  • Hosting is often just as stressful as travelling to your destination. Part of being a good guest is including them on your itinerary so they know when you will get in, and keep them informed about any delays. 
• Clean House
  • If you have never cleaned your home before leaving town, we highly recommend it! There is nothing like coming home to a clean home after a long day of travel. 
• Program Thermostat
  • To decrease these costs while you are away, program your thermostat to a lower setting before you leave. 
• Become a Registered Traveller
  • If you are a UK resident, becoming a Registered Traveller will help you get through the UK border faster. You can use UK Passport entry lanes at some airports and train stations, and ePassport gates if your passport has a chip. 
• Ensure You Have the Proper Documentation Especially for Underage Travellers
  • If travelling locally, ensure you have a photographic ID such as a valid passport, or a valid drivers licence, provisional or full, and if travelling abroad make sure you have an updated passport. If you are planning to take a child abroad without their biological parents or have a child travelling alone, make sure you have a letter from the person with parental responsibility giving permission to take the child abroad. 
• Download Some Holiday Entertainment
  • Get into the Christmas spirit! Download a Christmas movie, podcast, or pick up a Christmas book to enjoy during your travel downtime. If you have kids, Netflix and Disney+ have some excellent movies you can download onto your device and watch on the go.

About the Expert: Byrd is passionate about creating authentic cultural experiences. She believes in fostering growth and empathy through immersive travel and aims to provide these experiences to many people. Dedicated to crafting memorable moments, Byrd values building meaningful connections. She is also a mother, committed to making her daughter’s childhood unforgettable. To enhance her skills, Byrd has invested hundreds of hours in travel advisor training, focusing on researching destinations and collaborating with local suppliers. Her expertise lies in assisting busy, full-time working parents to plan efficient family vacations that foster empathy and learning in children, as well as arranging self-care trips for adults. Byrd holds several travel certifications, including Hawaii Destination Specialist, Certified Accessible Travel Advocate, Jamaican Travel Specialist, Disney College of Knowledge, and National Geographic Journeys Specialist.