The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rubana Ikram

For most of us, the few weeks of annual leaves are the highlight of the year. The quality time way from work will rightly feature highly in your life plan too. If you can't afford a Greek holiday, it doesn't mean that you need to sit at your home feeling gloomy. There are always alternative ways that you can spend your time off from your regular work that can leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

Ever think of enjoying holidays at your home itself. If no, then try out this time! Visit all the places you have never bothered with because it's where you live. Eat out every night and use your home like a hotel. Don't do the household chores, take a rest and open the post.

Look after someone's pets and plants whist they are away. Enjoy being somewhere different. Go out and explore your area.

Why don't you try out house swap? There are specialist agencies that arrange house swaps. You get to stay in another country for free and so does the person you swap with. You don't need a glamorous home in a popular location either. Believe me, home swappers are usually people just like you and me!

Try being a carer. You will find that many residential houses organize trips away for the people who live there. Why not go with them as a helper and see the world afresh through the eyes of someone else. You will feel so much relaxed and contended deep inside your heart.

Holidays can give you the chance to experiment with every aspect of your looks, so take a charge and bring some noticeable changes in your looks. For e.g. if you are a man, you might grow a beard.

Holiday season also means that most families go for vacationing at this time of the year. It is the peak travel season all over the world. You should be prepare for are traffic jams, flight delays, packing problems, lost luggage and other traveling woes.

Diabetics and allergic people should always have a note from the doctor to carry the needles and injections while traveling, so they do not face much problem with the heavy security areas.

With the global economy in crisis and both travelers and airlines feeling the pinch, it may not seem like 2008 will be the cheeriest of holiday travel seasons. Airlines have cut flights, raised fares and added a surge of surcharges for everything from checked bags to phone bookings. Meanwhile, many travelers are postponing or canceling their holiday plans to save money..

Book early.

Haven't booked your holiday travel yet? It's time to stop waiting and start booking. Fares are only rising as Thanksgiving approaches, so those who hold out in hopes of a late-breaking sale are likely to get left out in the cold or pay a very steep price for their procrastination. Book sooner rather than later, particularly if you require very specific travel dates or times. With the current state of the airline industry, it is never too early to book your holiday travel flights.

While many of the best deals are probably already gone, keep an eye on our Holiday Deals section for any last-minute bargains. Be prepared to be flexible with dates and flight times.

Shop around.

During peak travel season, casting the net as wide as possible will help you understand all of your options.

For many travelers, price isn't the only or even the most important factor, especially during the holidays.

Know your airports.

Checking alternate airports is a pretty standard tactic, but at this time of year it can really make a difference. At no time can the alternate airport gambit pay off better than during the holiday crush. You can score on almost every front -- parking, rental cars, traffic to and from, nearby hotels -- and save both time and money.

Also, keep in mind that smaller airports see fewer flights and, typically, fewer delays -- not a small consideration during the busy holiday travel season.

Plot connections carefully.

When booking flights, check your search results carefully for sufficient time during layovers, and build in some time for flight delays and weather woes. Particularly during the winter months, peak travel times often bring peak travel delays, and your connection is more likely to be jeopardized. Avoiding really tight connections may save you a sprint through the terminal at least, and a really nasty stranding at worst. Also, it is best if you can muscle your flight path into position so that connections are in places less likely to experience delays -- specifically, airports in warmer climates. For more advice, see our.

Leave early.

During peak travel times, much of the trouble you'll face lies on this side of the security check-in, from traffic jams and full parking lots to absent shuttles and long lines. Rather than striving to "arrive at the airport early," you may want to try to "leave for the airport early" to anticipate all the peripheral delays you may encounter.