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Avoid these 10 top destinations at Thanksgiving unless you love crowds — wait a week and you’ll have the place all to yourself

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Avoid these 10 top destinations at Thanksgiving unless you love crowds — wait a week and you’ll have the place all to yourself

Whatever happened to “over the river and through the woods?”

Seems like a whole lot of us are planning to venture a lot further afield than Grandmother’s house this Thanksgiving, according to the travel trackers at Google Flights — that is, unless Nana and Pop Pop happen to live at Disney World.

Orlando was ranked No. 1 on a list that claims to have revealed our innermost desires — and our travel plans — for the upcoming national day of gratefulness and gorging.

The favorable weather and beaches of Honolulu appear to be beckoning a large number of travelers this holiday season. ggfoto – stock.adobe.com
And then there’s Las Vegas, where it’s always time for a big meal — Sin City is likely to see a lot of travelers either around or just after Thanksgiving, according to search data. littlestocker – stock.adobe.com

And the home of the House of Mouse wasn’t the only city on Google’s list that sounded a little bit too fun to be everyone heading off to spend a few restless nights on sofabeds with family.

For example, there’s the beach resort of Cancun, known for its all-inclusive resorts and sandy beaches, coming in right at No. 2 — though it is possible that everyone could be headed there to sample the turkey dishes the Yucatan Peninsula is known for.

The Mayans are said said to have revered the festively-attired Ocellated Turkey, unique to the region, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The bird winds up on local tables year-round, in various forms.

Google Flights said that the list was compiled based on frequency of queries for travel between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1 — here’s the complete list of the ten most-searched.

The Top 10 Destinations for Thanksgiving 2024

Plenty of us will be headed to Los Angeles — but not as many as international destinations like London and Tokyo, according to the Google Flights list. frank peters – stock.adobe.com
  • #1 Orlando
  • #2 Cancun
  • #3 New York City
  • #4 Tokyo
  • #5 London
  • #6 Miami
  • #7 Paris
  • #8 Los Angeles
  • #9 Las Vegas
  • #10 Honolulu

Thanksgiving week can be notoriously tough for travelers — and this year, the hordes are likely to be even horde-ier, as passenger numbers at U.S. airports have broken numerous records already in 2024.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to once again be the busiest day in any airport of the entire year, according to Nerdwallet, which said that the number of travelers that day is expected to set a new record once again.

Tokyo’s popularity this year could be down to the very good exchange rates available to American travelers in 2024. Askanioff – stock.adobe.com
Perennial favorite London will likely welcome plenty of travelers in the last days of November. Dani – stock.adobe.com
The theme parks of Orlando appear to be tempting the most travelers this upcoming holiday — the home of the House of Mouse ranked No. 1 on the list of desired Thanksgiving destinations. Solarisys – stock.adobe.com
Paris will be a popular choice this year as well, researchers stated. Creative Cat Studio – stock.adobe.com

On the flip side, the Thanksgiving crush typically gives way to one of the most affordable times of the year to venture out — the first half of December.

The quiet time between the two major American holidays is sometimes talked up as one of the best travel periods to any place that isn’t a holiday shopping hotspot, at least — thanks to lower airfares, better hotel rates and plenty of elbow room.

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