In the U.S., today is the busiest travel day of the year. Thanksgiving, otherwise known as “Turkey Day”, marks the beginning of the holiday season where traveling to visit family, or taking family vacations is extremely popular. Even if you aren’t in the U.S. I’ve  pulled together my tips for making it to 2019 with the least amount of stress possible.

Travel Tips

• Reduce your stress: If you’re traveling across the country, arrive at the airport early — security lines are going to be long. Pick the security line with the least families, as kids tend to take longer to sort out their bags and take their shoes off. Download extra movies on your mobile device, just in case your flight is delayed or the in-flight wifi is down.
• Reduce stress on your host: Instead of asking your relative to pick you up from the airport — and risk a burned turkey — grab public transit or jump in a ride-share. Try Moovit for easy step-by-step guidance if you don’t know the route.

Accommodation Tips

• Remember what Founding Father Benjamin Franklin said: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Spending a week with family can be a lot. If you can afford it, stay a night or two in a local bed and breakfast or an AirBnB so you and your hosts can enjoy  your own space.

Activity Tips

• Be sure to arrange fun things for the kids (and adults) to make sure no one gets bored! One activity a day, whether it’s playing football in the park or going ice skating in town, can help keep everyone entertained
• Skip squeezing everyone into the car and finding parking, try taking public transit instead. Kids love taking the train and bus, and if it’s an adults-only day, it means that one of your “activities” can be you treating yourself to a holiday cocktail or two without needing a designated driver
• If you’re riding transit with your family to somewhere new, use Moovit’s Get Off Alerts to know exactly when your stop is coming up

Relaxation Tips

• Split up the chores over the holidays so that the burden of cooking and cleaning doesn’t fall on one person. This means no one is overly stressed, making for a more enjoyable experience for all
• Take charge of the music — jolly holiday music can be fun and help you relax. That said, nobody wants to hear Michael Buble’s Christmas album on repeat for the entire long weekend
• Turn your emails off and try to wind down and enjoy time with your loved ones
• Indulge without the guilt. It’s highly likely you will start the new year with a healthy diet and lots of exercise — new year, new you, right? So why not enjoy being the old you for the last few months of 2018? Enjoy the extra serving of candied yams (if you’re American) or minced pies (if you’re English)