A Wazer’s Guide to Holiday Travel
It’s the most wonderful time of year…and the least wonderful time to travel. Nothing puts a damper on the holiday mood quite like traffic. Thankfully, Waze is here to help with our comprehensive holiday guide, so you can plan ahead and take advantage of all the features designed to get you home for the holidays.
Before you go: Waze trip planning features
Planned drives
In the Waze app, you can start planning your drive up to a week in advance. From finding the best time to leave based on traffic trends, to syncing up with your calendar, Waze helps you plan ahead, drive with a little less anxiety, and get to your destination on time.
Time to leave notifications
Turn on your notifications and Waze will remind you when it’s time to leave for your planned drive. The app also provides an accurate ETA, based on real-time traffic alerts. During the busiest travel season, leaving at the optimal time can mean the difference between keeping your dinner plans and losing the better part of a day in traffic.
Share your drive
Before you head out, Waze lets you share your drive with friends and family in the app, so they get the most accurate arrival times instead of calling you every half hour for an update. That way, you can focus your full attention on the road and the cheesy Christmas tunes on your playlist.
On the road: the best real-time trip data
Real-time gas prices
We’ve all been there — driving through an unfamiliar town and frantically searching for the lowest gas prices before running out of fuel completely. Waze shows real-time gas prices, so you never have to waste time or money searching for a place to fill up.
Weather alerts
This time of year, the weather outside is sometimes, well, frightful. To help keep you safe and traffic flowing, Waze offers an in-app option to report snow (or ice, freezing rain, hail, heavy rain, and unplowed roads) so you and fellow drivers can see where the road gets rough.
Roadside Assistance
The last thing anyone wants while traveling for the holidays is to end up stranded on the side of the road in the cold. While we do everything we can to make your travels a breeze, emergencies still happen sometimes. If you’re stuck with a flat tire, run out of gas, pull over and use the roadside help feature. You can make emergency calls, request help from fellow Wazers and service partners like AAA and Allstate, and flag your exact location so they can find you.
Thanks to Waze, your travel troubles will be out of sight. From planning your trip in advance to safely navigating the drive, these features are designed to make your journey merry and bright. Start planning your trip.
Which Wazer are you?
We all have routines, preferences, and app features we like to use when we hit the road. Consider these “bonus features” to compliment your travel style.
The Planner
Two days before your trip, you check the weather in the town you’re driving to and pack accordingly. You fire up Waze and input your trip details to find out the best time to leave. Calendar synced, you turn on your notifications so you get a prompt to leave on time. Finally, you curate the perfect playlist for the drive, down to the minute.
Bonus feature for you: Real-time gas prices, because you seem to have everything else covered.
The Insider
Being the first to report deer crossings or icy roads sparks joy. Sure, it’s the right thing to do, but it helps you feel like a more accomplished motorist, too. You mark every hazard you see and have probably helped thousands of drivers avoid crater-like potholes. You’re a born leader who knows the situation and genuinely likes to give others a leg up when you can.
Bonus feature for you: Waze Audio Player, for the more passive moments of the trip when you’re not reporting everything in sight.
The Chiller/Snoozer/Whatever-er
Some people describe you as laid-back, go-with-the-flow or just overall chill. Others call you “the late friend.” You almost run out of gas 40 minutes into your drive because you forgot to fill up before you left town. Thankfully, you can count on real-time gas prices and discounts in the Waze app to direct you to the best gas station nearby.
Bonus feature for you: The Time to Leave alert to nudge you out the door in a somewhat timely manner.
