It’s not too late to catch the tail end of the holidays and hie off to the nearest vacation spot.  You can pack your leather duffle bag with all your travel essentials for a weekend away from home.  There are still plenty of travel deals that you can find online.  With a great travel deal, you won’t have to worry about your savings dipping too low as the New Year rolls in.

For a hassle-free last minute holiday travel, remember these important tips:

1. Manage your expectations – you cannot possibly do everything that you want to do on a short notice and within a short vacation period.  Do not expect to get a grand vacation without much planning.  It’s only a weekend away from home, so it would not be advisable to cram your vacation schedule with too many things to do.  Since it’s also the peak season, you also cannot expect to have vacation spots all to yourself.

2. Check your finances – before you book anything, it is always wise to make sure that you have enough funds to cover your travel expenses.  Do not stop at considering transportation and accommodation expenses.  There are usually other incidental expenses that you have to think about when planning a vacation.  Choose packages that include as much amenities and activities that you would like to avail of so you do not have to think about allocating a budget for them separately.

3. Choose activities for everyone in the trip – it is also recommended that you choose activities that everyone travelling with you would enjoy.  Unless it is really your intention to have some “me-time,” you want to be able to spend time and share the activities with your family or friends as much as you can.