Best time to travel for Thanksgiving as experts predict record-high traffic

The roads are expected to be jammed with a record number of 71.7 million people traveling by car over Thanksgiving.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts that road travelers will surpass pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. There will be an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared with last year. Gas prices are also lower this Thanksgiving season compared with 2023.

“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.

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“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.”

Thanksgiving Travel Predictions 2024

AAA is projecting 79.9 million travelers heading 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. This is an increase of 1.7 million people compared with last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

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For the first time, AAA is including the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving in its holiday traveler predictions.

The association is predicting 71.7 million people traveling by car. This surpasses pre-pandemic numbers, which saw 70.6 million driving to their Thanksgiving destinations in 2019.

By air, Thanksgiving travel is also expected to set a new record. AAA is projecting 5.84 million people flying domestically this holiday season. This is an increase of 2 percent from last year and nearly an 11 percent increase from 2019.

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AAA booking data also shows air travelers are paying 3 percent more for domestic flights this year.

Internationally, flights are being booked by a 23 percent increase on last Thanksgiving. AAA pointed out that this is “in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5 percent.”

Nearly 2.3 million people are traveling by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises and trains. This is almost a 9 percent increase on last year and an 18 percent increase from 2019.

“The demand for cruises has been red-hot post-pandemic,” AAA reported. “Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.”

Domestically, the top 10 destinations are:

1. Orlando
2. Miami
3. Fort Lauderdale
4. New York
5. Anaheim/Los Angeles
6. Tampa
7. Honolulu
8. San Francisco
9. Las Vegas
10. Atlanta

Internationally, the top 10 destinations are:

1. Budapest, Hungary
2. Mexicali, Mexico
3. San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Cancún, Mexico
5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
6. Rome, Italy
7. Amsterdam, Netherlands
8. Paris, France
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Munich, Germany

Best Day To Travel by Car This Week

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving will be on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

“With a record number of travelers expected to be on the road, drivers should follow traffic apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle and Washington, D.C., where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day.”

The worst travel times overall by day are:

By specific metro area, it depends on the area for when peak congestion will take place. The majority of major metro areas will see their peak congestion on Tuesday, November 26.

The best time, however, to hit the road is on Thanksgiving Day itself. INRIX is expecting interstates and highways to be typically clear on Thursday.

For the travel back home, INRIX recommends that drivers returning on Sunday should leave early in the morning. Those coming back on Monday can expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road.

What is Travel Tuesday 2024?

Travel Tuesday takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. Similar to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday focuses on deals on flights, hotels and vacation packages. Consumers can expect more deals on Travel Tuesday than any other day in the post-Thanksgiving sales period.

In 2024, Travel Tuesday is on December 3.