What are the best and worst times to travel for Thanksgiving? Here’s when to hit the road

The holiday season is slowly approaching and Thanksgiving travel this year is expected to be busier than last year.

According to AAA’s holiday forecast, 55.4 million are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, 2.3% more than in 2022. Travel experts say most travelers will be driving for the holiday, but airports are also expected to be packed with people flying to different destinations in the U.S.

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “Travel demand has been strong all year, and AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast reflects that continued desire to get away and spend time with loved ones.”

AAA projects 49.1 million people will be driving for Thanksgiving, a 1.7% increase compared to 2022. This year, airports are also expected to see the highest number of Thanksgiving flyers since 2005, with 4.7 million people traveling.

But it won’t just be a busy travel day on the actual holiday. It’ll be a busy time for travelers before and after Thanksgiving, experts say.

Busiest days for Thanksgiving travel

According to AAA, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are usually the busiest and most expensive travel days for flyers ahead of the holiday, and Sunday is typically the busiest day to return home.

The same goes for drivers.

“The day before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the most congested days on our roadways. Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said. “We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates.”

Here are the best and worst travel times for drivers over Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA’s travel forecast:

You can find AAA’s full holiday forecast online here.

This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 12:55 PM with the headline "What are the best and worst times to travel for Thanksgiving? Here’s when to hit the road."