The classic ’80s comedy Planes, Trains & Automobiles showed just how difficult things can be traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday. While you probably won’t be experiencing the odyssey that Steve Martin and John Candy did in that film, it’s always better to be prepared before you head out this week.
AAA has forecasted that 54.3 million Americans are traveling 50 miles or more—be it on the road or through the skies—for Thanksgiving this year, the highest total since 2005. Working with global mobility analytics company INRIX, AAA has predicted travel times and the worst days to hit the road for the 48.5 million Americans expected to drive, offering specific insight for the Washington, D.C., area.
INRIX’s says that the worst day for travel in the Metro-D.C. area will be Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. along the Capital Beltway Clockwise, with an expected delay of two-and-a-half times more than normal. The best days to travel, per INRIX, are going to be Thanksgiving Day, Friday and Saturday. While D.C. traffic certainly won’t be pretty, New York, Boston and San Francisco are among the worst predicted areas, with expected delay times of three-and-a-half to four times the norm.
Gas prices are also projected to be the highest in the last four years, with a national average of $2.79 at the start of November, 31 cents more than in 2017.
If you’re planning on flying this year, AAA and INRIX say to consider how the increased travels will impact getting to the airport and getting through to your gate with longer security lines. The busiest airports could see delays to get there for as long as an hour and a half.
Also, if you’ve held out on getting a ticket, it certainly isn’t going to be cheap (average ticket prices during Thanksgiving week cost between $450 to more than $500 roundtrip), but like driving, traveling on Thursday might be the easiest in terms of crowds.
Other forms of transportation—trains, buses and cruise ships—are seeing a slight increase from past years, with about 1.48 million passengers choosing to get to their Thanksgiving dinner one of these ways.
Maybe you’re not the one traveling, but rather have guests coming to visit you? This info might be helpful to share because as AAA points out, D.C. is one of the top 10 destinations for travelers over Thanksgiving, coming in at number nine.
However and wherever you are traveling this Thanksgiving, travel smart and safe.
