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Thanksgiving travel: Here are the best and worst times to hit the road

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Thanksgiving travel: Here are the best and worst times to hit the road

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Thanksgiving Day may be your best option if you’re planning to travel for the upcoming holiday, AAA says in their 2024 Thanksgiving travel forecast.

Between Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Dec. 2, 79.9 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home, according to AAA, which is an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to 2023 and two million more than in 2019.

Gas prices should be better than last year, too, as the national average could fall below $3 per gallon due to falling oil prices right in time for Thanksgiving-related travel, AAA says. Last year, travelers saw the national average at $3.26 per gallon.

“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,” Vice President of AAA Travel Stacey Barber said in the news release.

Here’s what to know.

Where are the most popular domestic Thanksgiving destinations?

New York City ranked high on AAA’s list of the top 10 most popular Thanksgiving destinations in the U.S. for 2024, in fourth place, behind Orlando, FL, Miami, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Here’s AAA’s list of the top 10 most popular Thanksgiving destinations in the U.S. this year:

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

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What are the best and worst times to drive for Thanksgiving 2024?

As AAA is projecting a record 71.7 million people to travel by car between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, you should avoid traveling by car Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, according to transportation data and insights provider INRIX, but you should have the best travel luck on Thanksgiving Day itself.

If you’re returning home on Sunday, it’s best to leave early in the morning, and if you’re choosing to head home on Monday, be prepared to face a mix of fellow travelers and work commuters.

“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,” transportation analyst at INRIX Bob Pishue said. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day.”

Here are the best and worst times to travel by car this Thanksgiving, according to AAA and INRIX:

Best times for departing

  • Monday, Nov. 25: Before 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: Before 10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27: Before 10 a.m.
  • Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Day): Minimal traffic impact is expected

Worst times for departing

  • Monday, Nov. 25: 1-5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: 1-7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1-5 p.m.

Best times for returning

  • Friday, Nov. 29: After 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: Before 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 1: Before 1 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 2: Before 8 a.m., after 7 p.m.

Worst times for returning

  • Friday, Nov. 29: 7-10 a.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: 4-8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 1: noon-6 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 2: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

If you’re planning to drive from New York City to the Hamptons via the Long Island Expressway E, the worst travel day will be Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 4:30 p.m. as you’ll experience an estimated travel time of almost 3 1/2 hours — a 133% increase compared to the typical drive.

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The best and worst days to fly for Thanksgiving

Air travelers should prepare for long lines at U.S. airports as the number of airplane seats scheduled for the Thanksgiving travel period this year is up 4.8% compared to last, according to Hopper’s 2024 Thanksgiving Outlook & Busiest Airports, USA TODAY reported.

A new record of people flying domestically between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2 is expected to be set this year as AAA projects 5.84 million people will do so, which is up 2% from 2023 and nearly 11% from 2019.

The busiest day for air travel will be Sunday, Dec. 1, while the least busy day will be Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28; Black Friday, Nov. 29; and Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Contributing: USA TODAY

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.

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