Roe weighs in on New Year's Eve travel plans

BECKLEY W.Va. – Dr. Joshua Roe was among a series of experts interviewed by WalletHub about the best ways to plan travel on New Year's Eve.

What factors should people consider when choosing whether and where to travel for New Year's Eve?

The big factors to consider are: 1) How far do you want to travel and how will you travel? 2) Do you want a quiet cabin in the woods for respite and recreation or a night buzzing with lights, dancing, music, and friends? 3) How will weather and safety impact potential travel plans?

What money-saving tips do you have for people planning to travel for New Year's?

Book your travel arrangements early. Try to avoid traveling on New Year's Eve and Day as they tend to be expensive travel days. Look toward traveling back on Tuesday if you can afford the extra day that week. Avoid the popular big-city destinations if you want to save money. Look toward a traditional B&B, or an Airbnb, or pitch in with a group of great folks and get a cabin for the weekend.

What are the biggest New Year's Eve money-wasters?

Throw-away party favors, inevitably get tossed either just after midnight or later in the morning of the 1st of January. Instead, put the money towards a snowy train ride, an extra day on the slopes, buying a friend a beverage, or something that will make a great memory or last the whole year (and longer?). If you just have to have decorations, opt for biodegradable products over plastics. Instead of a night out on the town in <insert metropolis here>, develop a circle of friends and family and continue or start a new tradition of spending time together at someone’s house. This can be far more enjoyable to reflect, revel, and ring in the new year with a toast among friends. Finally, high demand times for ride-share services will really hit the pocketbook. Why not put that toward a nice bottle of Champagne, Riesling, and that first month of gym membership?

New Year's Eve falls on a Sunday this year. How does holiday timing affect people’s spending and travel plans?

New Year’s Eve being on Sunday might have a strong correlation to fewer revelers out late and using surge-priced ride-share services. Will there be a significant uptick in early paid-time-off requests or will employees be trudging in on Monday morning? Either way, be smart and responsible. If you are going out and consuming alcohol, be sure to have a designated driver or plan for the surge-priced ride.

Read the full story here: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-for-new-years-eve/17263