Your Guide to Surviving Holiday Travel

Speaker 1:                           Welcome back to Good Day Kentucky. If you are one of the millions of Americans planning a family getaway this holiday season, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re looking to make your trip as stress free as possible. So, joining us today, to share some tips is Kim Orlando, and she is the founder of travelingmom.com. Welcome to the show, Kim.

Kim Orlando:                      Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1:                           Well, I was so excited that you were going to be here, because I am one of those millions of Americans that are going to be traveling this holiday season. What are the most important things to keep in mind, would you say, when you’re planning your trip?

Kim Orlando:                      Yeah, I’m also going to be traveling actually. Going to Kentucky, just so you know.

Speaker 1:                           Oh, good for you.

Kim Orlando:                      But, yes. Back to your question. Yeah. I can’t wait. I’m from Kentucky, so I’m so excited to be home for the holidays. But, that’s not ’till Christmas. But for now, for all travel, actually, just planning is really important but also being flexible with your plan, and we’re working with some really good brands to help bring that together for this holiday season.

Speaker 1:                           Gotcha. Now, what are some of the great vacations, I guess, to consider too during this time?

Kim Orlando:                      Well, if you’re looking for something for the whole family, and I mean the whole family like grandparents, all the way down to families with babies, teenagers, everyone, cruising is a really good option. Norwegian Cruise Line has two new innovative ships coming out next year. The Norwegian Joy, which is going to Alaska, and Norwegian Encore, which is going to the Caribbean, and there are so many fun activities for everyone like go-kart racing. Everyone can do that. Even if you don’t have a driver’s license, you just buddy up with someone else, and the whole family can race, which I think is fun. Also, outdoor laser tag, and they have beautiful, of course, promenades where you can get 180 degree observation, or panoramic view.

Also, the food. I mean, when I’ve cruised with my family, we just have a blast trying all these different foods.

Speaker 1:                           Kim, I so want to go on a cruise, you have no idea. Now, what are some of the essentials that we should pack. Of course, not all of us are going to be cruising, so we’re going to be traveling to Grandma’s, we’re going to be going to Uncle Joe’s, what do we need to pack for these trips, would you say?

Kim Orlando:                      Well, keep in mind … And you said you were traveling season … Keep in mind that AAA said that this is going to be the busiest travel year since 2005. Airports are going to be very busy, and so are the roads. Pack a power strip for the airport, because you’ll probably need to share the port there. Pack a power strip for the car, because people want to charge their devices. Pack plenty to read, just in case you are waiting. The all new Kindle Paperwhite, it has twice the storage, long lasting battery, super thin, super light, and has a deal with Audible, so you have access to over 400,000 audio books. On November 22, it will be $40 off, so only $79.99, so mark your calendars for that.

The other thing I would mention is check the weather, because that will affect how you pack. If it’s going to rain, you want to pack one thing, if it’s not going to rain, you can lighten the load that you have to put in your suitcase, right? So, download the free AccuWeather app. I did that this week when I heard it was going to snow in New York, I was panicked, and I checked their snowfall probability index, and then I checked their minute cast feature, which told me minute by minute what the precipitation was going to be, up to two hours ahead. That was really helpful, because it changed from snow to rain this morning in New York, and I found that to be very useful. If you’re lucky to go on a cruise to a tropical place, they have a Zika risk index you can also check, so that’s also helpful.

Speaker 1:                           Those are very good tips. Then, also, where can we go for more information, too?

Kim Orlando:                      Well, we have lots of information on Traveling Mom, and one more that I’ll mention. It’s a free thing to do during the holidays. We have a holiday lights guide, and I’m pretty sure Lexington is in it. Put everybody in the car, take a drive, and check out the holiday lights. It gets you in the spirit. Doesn’t cost anything, and technically you’re traveling. So, travelingmom.com and travelingdad.com. Thank you.

Speaker 1:                           Great, great tips. Love it. We go to Southern Lights every year. You need to see it when you come here to Kentucky, and be careful in your travels. Thank you so much for being here with us today.

Kim Orlando:                      Thank you.

Speaker 1:                           And we have more Good Day Kentucky coming up right after this. Keep it right here.