8 Tips for Winter Travel Safety

Let’s be clear: The only person who likes winter travel is Santa Claus. The rest of us approach flying and driving in winter with a mix of fear and caution, meaning we need some advice on winter-travel safety.

If you fall into that big bucket of having to travel sometime between November and April, these eight tips may help increase your chances of coming out unscathed:

· Take watches and warnings seriously

· Take your time

· Pack it all

· Follow both legal requirements and recommends

· Know what to do if you get stuck

· Know how to get yourself unstuck

· Make alternative plans before you leave

· Invest in travel insurance with travel assistance servicesIn 2025, travel is faster, costlier, and more vulnerable to disruption. With tighter itineraries, unpredictable weather, and rising global demand, smarter travel protection is essential.

Travel in 2025 is defined by ambition, complexity, and volatility. According to the Holiday Barometer from Generali Global Assistance, 71% of Americans plan to travel this summer, a record high. But while enthusiasm is surging, so are the risks. Travelers are navigating tighter schedules, unpredictable weather, and rising costs, all while global demand stretches infrastructure to its limits. In this environment, smarter travel protection is of utmost importance.

Take watches and warnings seriously

Even though you’ve got your extra boots and new wiper blades, you still need to take winter-storm watches and warnings seriously.

After all, maybe you can drive in snow, but what about the other person? And if you are the other person, and not used to driving in winter weather, don’t drive in winter weather. You’re a hazard to yourself and others, and on-the-job training isn’t going to cut it.

As for flying, this is the time of year to consider investing in fully refundable tickets. They obviously cost more, but the benefit is being able to back out at the last minute if the weather turns.

There’s no shame in staying home if snow and ice make you question your ability to get where you’re going.

Take your time

Allow lots of extra time to get to your destination. Be glad about it! This is honestly a no-lose proposition: If you’re right about the weather and the travel time needed, you’re right; if you overestimate the time needed and arrive early, your mom’s happy. Boom.

When booking flights in the winter, choose early departure times with longer connection times than you might choose in the summer – early flights because weather delays pile up as the day goes on, and longer connection times to allow for those delays. And allow even more extra time to get to the airport.

Pack it all

If you’re driving long distances through snow and ice, consider packing what the Canadian Automobile Association recommends. It doesn’t take up that much space, and it could save the day.

If If you don’t want to dig through the full CAA list, here’s the condensed version:

Food – granola bars are always good – and water
Ice scraper, brush, and small shovel
Tire chains
Sand or cat litter
Blankets, boots, handwarmers, gloves, and extra winter clothes (as much wool as possible)
First-aid kit, tool kit, pocket knife
Flashlights and flares
A spare, charged cell phone that can dial 911
Jumper cables, tow rope, Fix-A-Flat
A portable charger
Any important medication
Newspaper (for insulation, starting fires, or reading)
Matches
Whistle
Radio

It may seem like a lot, but it’s really not that much. And when you need it, you need it.

Do everything the law allows – and recommends – Don’t do what it doesn’t

You want to do all you can to improve your ability to drive on snow and ice. That could mean studded snow tires in some states, tire chains in others, or installing an engine-block heater so your car starts in -20°F weather.

Also, don’t be mistaken: that note on Google Maps that a certain mountain road is closed November through April is meant for you and not the mythical other person. Don’t believe it? Don’t believe it? You might after finding yourself stuck in a snowdrift and needing a lift out—without your SUV. You can come back for that once the snow melts.

Know what to do if you get stuck

If you choose to drive through sketchy winter weather, tell someone where you’re going and the route you’re taking. And if you get stuck here are some tips on what to do from CAA Magazine:

Use your phone’s GPS to determine your exact location, then call 911 and tell them where you are, who’s with you, and how much food, water, and gas you have.
After calling 911, call a family member or a friend who can contact authorities if you don’t get home or they don’t hear from you in a specified amount of time. After that, call for a tow.
Stay put. Do not – repeat, do not – venture out to look for help. Stay in your car and conserve your body heat.
Signal that you need help. Attach an emergency flag or spare piece of fabric to your antenna or door handle. If it’s night, turn on an internal light. Prop up your hood once it’s stopped snowing. Keep your hazard lights on, so you’re visible to other vehicles and they can see you need help.
Wrap up in extra clothing, blankets, and anything else you have, including bags, newspapers, and road maps.
Conserve gas. Run your car for about 10 minutes every hour, less if you’re staying warm, and crack a window while the car runs to prevent carbon-monoxide buildup.
Keep your exhaust clear. If carbon monoxide isn’t flowing out of the exhaust, it’s flowing into your car. Check the tailpipe every time you start your car, and if it’s plugged, clean it out.
Stay hydrated. If you have to consume snow, melt it first. Eating snow can lower your body temperature.
Make your food last. Eat in moderation.
Make your power last. Turn off your phone except to call for help. Keep your phone and charger close to your body to keep it from bricking.
Exercise to keep warm. Flex fingers and toes, rotate your arms, shake your legs, roll your shoulders and neck.

Know how to get unstuck

If it’s stopped snowing, it’s time to get unstuck. Try these options from Schicker:

When digging yourself out, start with the roof, then the sides, then shovel out the tires, and finally shovel a path back onto the road.
Get creative about tools. A credit card can double as a scraper. The panel that covers your spare tire can be a makeshift shovel. Car mats or twigs under your wheels can suffice in lieu of sand.
Turn your wheels from side to side before trying to move. Once you’ve started the car, point your wheels straight ahead and “rock it” – alternate between slowly driving forward and backward – to get traction.
Go slow. If your tires are spinning, flooring it will either dig you deeper or turn the snow under your tires to ice.
If you get out, keep going slow until you get to your destination. The only thing worse than getting stuck is getting stuck again.

Make alternative plans before you leave

Know your Plan B for getting to grandma’s before you leave. If your flights through O’Hare are cancelled, can you fly through Houston? Can you catch a train or bus, or rent a car? If the Interstate is closed, what other roads can you take? If everything’s shut down, where are you going to stay?

Answer these questions before you leave, and then if the worst happens, you’ll have your new roadmap all planned out.

Invest in travel protection with assistance services

If you didn’t follow the previous tip and you find yourself in dire need of a Plan B, good travel assistance is invaluable. It can help with everything from rebooking to summoning help in case of a roadside emergency.

Fortunately, good travel assistance comes with good travel protection, in the case of Generali Global Assistance. Generali Global Assistance’s plans can help cover your winter travel, from getaway vacations to snowy road trips.

Get a quote today and see for yourself.