Top Travel Tips to Keep You Sane This Holiday Weekend

AAA is predicting that 47.6 million Americans will be traveling for the 4th of July holiday this upcoming weekend. This is in spite of the exorbitant gas prices and the countless air travel cancellations that have been occurring over the past few weeks.

For those hitting the road or the sky in the next few days, here are some simple ways to keep your travel forecast bright.

Car Travel Tips

1. Set Your Cruise Control

Not only will this simple tip improve your fuel economy, but it will also help to prevent those with a lead foot from getting a ticket. However, if rain is in the forecast on your route, this tip will not facilitate a safe ride so pay attention to the weather. Also, if you're traveling far enough to be hitting some hills, cruise control will not be effective. However, in flat West Texas, you'll be good to go.

2. Be Picky at the Pump

If you're running low on fuel, by all means, fill up. However, there's no need to top off the tank if there are cheaper options a little farther down the road. Apps like GasBuddy can give you a clear view of the ideal spots to get the most bang for your buck.

3. Avoid Rush Hour Departure and Arrival Times

Stop and go traffic is a recipe for wasting gas. If you can time your travel to where you avoid high traffic times, this can save you both time and money.

Air Travel Tips

1. Calculate The Cost

How far away are you traveling and how many people are coming with you? While air travel is normally more convenient, there have been extreme staffing shortages with the airlines and thousands of cancellations have occurred over the past few weeks.

Are the savings in time, money and sanity worth the potential problems that are expected this weekend? If your trip is less than five hours down the road, you might consider driving to your destination instead and banking those air miles for a more ideal travel time.

2. Don't Check Your Luggage

Lost bags are a quick ticket to bigger delays, so pack light and carry on.

3. Allot Extra Time for Delays

Get to the airport extra early this weekend. With cancellations popping up left and right, the lines to speak with an airline representative will be longer than normal. In order to ensure that you will not miss your flight, be proactive and arrive early. Also consider downloading the airline's mobile app to get up-to-date information about your specific travel.

4. Be Kind

Finally, as the saying goes, don't shoot the messenger. It's always frustrating when our plans unexpectedly change, but the representative at the ticket counter did not cancel your flight. They just told you the unfortunate news. Remember to not take your frustrations out on them.

Lastly, if you're traveling with a baby or toddler this weekend, check out these car, air, and hotel travel hacks for when little ones are in tow.