Thanksgiving travel guide: Here are the best times to hit the road
PHILADELPHIA - There's no place like home for the holidays, but getting to your destination can be far less joyous if you don't plan ahead.
AAA estimates that more than 70M people will hit the road for Thanksgiving this year, which exceeds even pre-pandemic holiday travel.
"Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that," Vice President of AAA Travel Stacey Barber said.
As Thanksgiving nears, congestion on major arteries of traffic will worsen, meaning travelers should know when the best time to hit the road will be.
Despite the Thanksgiving travel week technically beginning on Friday due to the flexibility of remote jobs and some kids with week-long breaks from school, experts are still expecting Wednesday to be the biggest travel day, and Tuesday a close second.
When is the worst time to travel for Thanksgiving?
INRIX, a transportation data company, says the worst time to travel by car over the Thanksgiving holiday is Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
Perhaps worsened by rush hour and those still working, they suggest traffic will be the worst on both days between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
On Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, the traffic impacts are expected to be similar in the 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. window.
When is the best time to travel for Thanksgiving?
It might not fit perfectly into your holiday plans, but travel experts say the best time to travel for Thanksgiving is on Thanksgiving.
"The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving Day itself, when interstates and highways are typically clear," AAA says on its website.
If you plan to get to your destination a few days early, travel experts say you should leave before 10 a.m. on the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
When is the best time to return home from Thanksgiving?
If you're planning to leave your Thanksgiving destination on Black Friday, AAA says you'd better plan to leave early – like ‘sometime before 7 a.m.’ early.
It's advised that the worst travel times on Black Friday will be between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Your best bet to avoid major congestion is to leave after 1 p.m.
Not-so-early risers might have better luck traveling on the weekend, when it's expected that the best time to hit the road is before 1 p.m.
AAA expects the worst traffic congestion on Saturday to be between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thanksgiving travel forecast
The good news is that despite the anticipated heavy traffic, the weather will mostly cooperate to help make your travels safe.
Forecasters say there will be scattered rain on Tuesday and another chance of spotty showers on Thursday into Friday.
Otherwise, the weather pattern should stay partly sunny with chilly temperatures in the 50s and 40s through the weekend.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) travel notes
Philadelphia International Airport is projecting more than 187,000 travelers through its terminals over those two days.
"When we say give yourself two hours, we definitely mean it this week," said Heather Redfern, Public Affairs Manager at PHL. "And if you’re driving to the airport, you want to give yourself even more time because a lot of people are going to be on the roads too, so you have to factor that in."
Redfern says if you have flexibility with your travel plans, the best day to fly this week is on Thanksgiving. She recommends travelers sign up for e-mail and text alerts with your airline for the most up-to-date information.
Officials also suggest travelers consider public transportation such as SEPTA to PHL, but if you do want to drive and park, do your homework.
"We’re already starting to feel the congestion here at PHL, people are waiting to pick folks up, people are waiting to depart for their holiday destination," said Jana Tidwell, Spokesperson, AAA Mid-Atlantic. "If you’re coming here and hoping to park a car while you’re away for the holiday, make sure you have a plan to park."