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A record 79.9 million travelers are expected to head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, AAA forecasts. That’s up 1.7 million over last year.
Broken down by mode of transportation, a record 71.7 million people will travel by car, up 1.3 million over last year, while a record 5.84 million people will fly domestically, an increase of 2 percent compared to last year.
Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes, including buses, trains, and cruises – a jump of almost 9 percent over last year.
“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and AAA continues to see demand soar post-pandemic as Americans reconnect with family and friends and seek memorable trips to new destinations,” said Lauren Fabrizi with AAA Northeast.
The worst times to drive over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, according to the transportation analytics company INRIX. Expect 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday to be the busiest.
Post Turkey Day, Friday from 7 to 10 a.m., Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. are considered the worst times to head home.
The best travel times, according to INRIX, are Tuesday and Wednesday before 10 a.m., Friday after 1 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday before 1 p.m.
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