Travel Tips: Booking, Baggage, Seats and Fare Rules Explained

Quick answer: Book Christmas flights now, and by mid-November at the latest. Google's analysis of five years of flight prices, published for the 2026 holidays, found Christmas fares are usually at their best about 56 days before departure, within a r...

Quick answer: In 2026, Black Friday is November 27, Cyber Monday is November 30 and Travel Tuesday is December 1. Over those days, many airlines, cruise lines, hotels and travel companies run short sales. The fares on sale are usually for off-peak tr...

Quick answer: Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. For a warm break, the strongest choices are Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Punta Cana, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Orlando and Arizona. For a festive city trip, it is New York, where the 100th Ma...

Quick answer: Taking an older parent for Umrah works best when the trip is built around their energy, not the itinerary. Travel in the cooler months, from about December to early February. Book a hotel within a short walk of the Haram. Request wheelc...

Quick answer: For most US travelers, the most comfortable time for Umrah in the 2026-2027 season is December 2026 to early February 2027. The weather is at its mildest, and the weeks of Rajab and Sha'ban before Ramadan are calmer than the peak. Ramad...

Quick answer: If you are flying through Saudi Arabia with Saudia or flynas, you can add a stopover visa when you book the ticket. It allows a stay of up to 96 hours, it is issued electronically, and the airlines say stopover travelers can perform Umr...

Quick answer: Nusuk is the official app of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Visitors use it to book two separate permits. The Umrah permit gives you a date and time to perform Umrah at the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, whichever visa you entered on...

Quick answer: A US citizen can perform Umrah on the Saudi tourist eVisa. The official portal lists the United States among the eligible countries and includes "Umrah (excluding Hajj)" among the permitted activities. The eVisa is a one-year, multiple-...

Quick answer: The Haramain High Speed Railway links Makkah and Madinah in a little over two hours, at speeds of up to 300 km/h. It has five stations: Makkah, Jeddah Al-Sulimaniyah, Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic...