With the festive season now turned up to 11 it is easy to forget this season is also one of the most dangerous and risky for all us if we are travelling. I know, Bah Humbug! But there are some things that we really need to be aware of to ensure we stay safe.

Weather

Probably the most obvious one, but the weather is often either the middle of winter or the middle of summer. Either way, we need to make sure we are aware of the weather predictions, not just for the destination, but also to be aware of how extreme weather may impact our transport plans. Flights are often delayed and roads can be much slower so make sure you pack and plan for delays.

Peak Travel Times

Whilst we are on the subject of travel, it is also worth checking to see when peak travel times might be. There are often well documented dates and times where the majority of people will travel to visit friends and family. The more aware of this you are, the more choices you have to plan to avoid unnecessary delays or reduce the risk associated with large volumes of people.

Public Spaces

Airports can be horrendous when they are busy, heaving with people all grumpy and bothered. Not my bag at all. But another place where there can be large numbers of people are Christmas markets and shopping centres. The challenge there is that large volumes of people are often a target for potential terrorism attacks, but also and much much more likely, a place where criminals operate. Pick pockets, purse snatching etc etc. Be warned, and be vigilant.

Parties and Alcohol

With the festive season comes the parties. Love them or loath them, they are an inevitable part of this time of year. As someone who volunteers regularly to help party goers keep safe after a few drinks, I regular see first-hand, the impact alcohol can have on someone's safety. I have seen people put themselves in significant danger after just a couple of drinks, let alone the excess that is often associated with those parties.

Familiarity

When we visit friends and family, we are normally visiting places which are often very familiar, even though we may not live there anymore. Familiarity however is not always a good thing when you think about safety. There are definitely a bunch of positives here, but we also need to ensure we don't let our guard down, and keep up the Travel Safety best practices.

So yes, bah humbug, but I would rather be sceptical and safe than going into festive autopilot.