Escaping Winter From BWI: Planning a Caribbean or Mexico Getaway, From Packing to the Ride Home

Somewhere around the second week of January, a lot of Marylanders start looking at flights to somewhere warm. BWI Marshall has a steady schedule of departures toward the Caribbean and Mexico through the winter, and a week in the sun can make February feel a lot shorter.

The tricky part is that both ends of the trip happen in a Baltimore winter. You leave before dawn in freezing temperatures with a suitcase full of shorts, and you come home late at night to ice on the driveway. This guide covers the practical side of a winter-sun trip from BWI: documents, timing, what to do with your coat, coming back through customs, and getting to and from the airport.

Check Your Documents Early

International trips have rules that domestic trips don't, and January is the wrong time to discover a problem.

• Passports. Most international destinations require a valid passport, and some require it to be valid for a period beyond your travel dates. Check the entry requirements for your destination on the U.S. State Department's travel website, and check every family member's passport, including children's, which expire sooner.
• Entry forms and fees. Some countries require an online form, a tourist card or a fee before arrival. Your airline or the destination's official tourism site will list them.
• Cruises. If your getaway is a cruise departing elsewhere, check the cruise line's document rules, which can differ.

Passport renewals take time, so if anything is close to expiring, start well before you book.

Plan for an Early Departure

Many flights to the Caribbean and Mexico leave in the early morning, and international trips call for more time at the airport than a domestic hop. Airlines generally recommend arriving well ahead for international departures, and checked-bag cutoffs are firmer. For an early flight, that can mean a pickup well before dawn.

• Check your airline's recommended arrival time for international flights, and add a buffer for holiday-season or spring-break crowds.
• Have bags and documents ready the night before. At 4 a.m. nobody wants to be looking for a passport.
• Watch the weather. A snowy morning in Maryland can slow the roads to BWI even when your destination is sunny. Our winter weather flight delay playbook covers what to do if a storm hits on travel day.

Our early morning departure checklist has more tips for pre-dawn flights.

The Winter Coat Problem

Every winter-sun traveler faces the same small dilemma: you need a heavy coat to get from your front door to the airport, and you'll have no use for it for the next week. Carrying it through the terminal and stuffing it into an overhead bin is awkward, and checking it uses up space.

A door-to-door ride solves this. With a chauffeur picking you up at home and dropping you at the terminal curb, you can leave the heavy coat at home and wear a light layer for the short walk from the car to the door. On the way back, pack a fleece or light jacket at the top of your carry-on for the walk from the terminal door to the car, so you're not stepping out into a February night in a T-shirt.

Packing for Two Climates

• Pack summer clothes in your checked bag and keep a warm layer in your carry-on for the return.
• Keep sunscreen and other liquids within the carry-on liquid limits, or put them in your checked bag.
• Check your airline's baggage allowance, since fees and limits vary by airline and fare.
• Leave room for anything you'll bring home.

Coming Home: Customs and Preclearance

Returning international travelers normally clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection on arrival. Some destinations, though, have U.S. preclearance, where you clear customs before you board, and your flight arrives as if it were domestic. Several Caribbean and Atlantic destinations, including Aruba, the Bahamas and Bermuda, have offered preclearance. It can make a real difference on a late-night arrival, because you walk off the plane and straight to baggage claim.

If your flight doesn't have preclearance, expect to clear customs at BWI before you can leave. Programs such as Global Entry can speed that up for eligible travelers; check CBP's official information for eligibility and how to apply.

The Ride Home After a Late Arrival

Return flights from warm-weather destinations often land in the evening or late at night, and winter weather can delay them. That's when a pre-booked ride matters most. Our chauffeurs track your flight and adjust to the actual landing time, and international arrivals include 60 minutes of complimentary waiting from touchdown, which helps if customs takes a while. If you've cleared customs before departure, domestic arrival waiting time of 45 minutes applies.

There's also no need to scrape ice off a car that's been sitting in a long-term lot for a week. Our BWI parking vs. chauffeur comparison walks through the trade-offs.

Choosing a Vehicle for Vacation Luggage

Vacation trips usually mean more luggage than business trips. Here's how our fleet compares:

• Mercedes-Benz E-Class: three passengers and about two standard suitcases.
• Lincoln Nautilus: three passengers and up to four bags.
• GMC Yukon XL: five passengers and five bags.
• Lincoln Navigator: six passengers and five bags.
• Mercedes Sprinter: up to thirteen passengers with a dedicated luggage area, ideal for families or friends traveling together.

If you're traveling with young children, we provide car seats on request; see our car seat service page.

Traveling With Children

Family winter-sun trips are popular during school breaks, and a few details make them easier. Every child needs their own passport for most international trips, and children's passports are valid for a shorter period than adults', so check expiration dates early. For a pre-dawn pickup, have children dressed in comfortable travel clothes the night before so they can go straight from bed to the car. We provide infant, convertible and booster seats on request; tell us each child's age and size when you book, and the seats will be installed before pickup.

If a Storm Hits Before You Leave

A winter storm in Maryland can disrupt a trip to the sun before it starts. When a big storm is forecast, airlines often issue travel waivers that let you change your flight without a fee. Check your airline's app or website, and if you move your flight, call us as soon as you can to change the pickup time. Sedan and SUV reservations can be cancelled free of charge up to 3 hours before pickup, and Sprinter bookings up to 12 hours before, so there's room to adjust if your plans change.

Booking Your Rides

Book both directions when you book your flights. Sedan and SUV reservations can be cancelled free of charge up to 3 hours before pickup, and Sprinter bookings up to 12 hours before. You can book online or call 877-609-1919 any hour. Include both flight numbers so we can track your return.