Thanksgiving is just about a week away, and a lot of people across the U.S. are making travel plans. By a lot, we mean a record-breaking number close to 80 million people traveling 50 miles or more from home, according to AAA.
With that many people in airports and on the roads, avoiding congestion and traffic is bound to be tricky. Thankfully, AAA has released data to help travelers pick the best travel times for their trips over the busiest travel holiday in the country.
“So, starting Tuesday, you’re going to see people who are hitting the road and… that’s going to really be heavy Tuesday, Wednesday,” AAA’s Jim Garrity told Audacy this week. “Then it dies down.”
AAA said in a press release that its Thanksgiving forecast included the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day for the first time this year. It found that an estimated 79.9 million people are traveling more than 50 miles from home, an increase of 1.7 million over last year and 2 million more than in 2019, the last holiday year before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Garrity, the data shows that traveling on Thanksgiving Day itself might be a good way to avoid traffic.
“People are asking: ‘what is a good time of the week to travel for Thanksgiving?’ – and Thanksgiving is a great time of the week because a lot of people are already in place, so the traffic is a bit slower,” he explained.
Most of the forecasted Thanksgiving travelers – an estimated 71.7 million – are expected to hit the road for Thanksgiving, around 1.3 million more than last year. Lower gas prices might be contributing to the increase, AAA said. For motorists, the busiest car pickup day is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the busiest rental return days are likely to be the Monday and Tuesday following the holiday.
Citing INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, AAA said the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a breakdown of the best and worst travel times:
Monday, Nov. 25
BEST: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WORST: Before 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26
BEST: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
WORST: Before 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 27
BEST: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WORST: Before 10 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving)
MINIMAL TRAFFIC EXPECTED
Friday, Nov. 29
BEST: 7 to 10 a.m.
WORST: After 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30
BEST: 4 to 8 p.m.
WORST: Before 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 1
BEST: Noon to 6 p.m.
WORST: Before 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 2
BEST: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WORST: Before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
“Drivers returning home on Sunday should leave early in the morning, and those coming back on Monday should expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road,” said AAA. Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said travelers in metropolitan should expect traffic to be double what it is on a normal day when making travel plans.
“Even if you’re, you know, going somewhere rural, I would still give yourself that extra hour,” Garrity recommended. “That’s going to put you in a better position in many ways,” and should help reduce stress behind the wheel, he added.
Although most people are driving to their Thanksgiving destinations, air travel is also expected to reach a new holiday record. AAA projects that 5.84 million people will fly domestically for the holiday, a 2% increase compared to last year and an 11% increase compared to 2019.
“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations.”
Even heading out to sea isn’t a sure way avoid crowds this Thanksgving. Close to 2.3 million people are expected to travel by bus, train or on a cruise ship, per AAA’s forecast. This represents a 9% spike compared to 2023 and an 18% jump over 2023.
“An interesting trend that we’ve seen growing over the past couple of years at AAA is people who say they’re going to go on a cruise ship for Thanksgiving, and they’re trying out a new tradition,” Garrity told Audacy. “They’re going to have Thanksgiving dinner on a cruise ship at sea.”