Is it better to travel on Christmas Eve or the day before?

Traveling on Christmas Eve: If it's important that you're at your destination by Christmas morning, then leaving on Christmas Eve is your best move. While crowds are heavier than Christmas Day, Christmas Eve is typically the least-crowded day of the seven days ahead of the holiday.



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On Christmas Eve, though, INRIX recommended that people travel before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. The day after Christmas, people should be on the road before noon and then after 7 p.m. For the day after New Year's Day, travel before 3 p.m. and after 8 p.m.

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Because winter breaks are a bit more spread out, you have many more affordable options when it comes to Christmastime travel. Based on Hipmunk's historical data, departing on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve makes for the most inexpensive flights, with median round-trip prices for domestic flights under $400.

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This year, you might expect Friday, Dec. 22, to be particularly busy. Friday is typically the busiest travel day in any given week, and — especially during Christmas week — many holiday travelers may leave on that day. According to Chase Travel, Friday, Dec.

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Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier, according to travel deal site FareCompare. Leisure travelers tend to fly on the weekends, either starting their vacations on Friday or taking a long weekend Friday to Sunday.

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TSA is projecting to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday, Nov. 21; 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and 2.9 million passengers on Sunday, Nov. 26, which will likely be the busiest travel day.

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Some of the worst days for congestion will be after Christmas but before New Year's Eve, when travel for the two holidays overlaps, according to Inrix analyst Bob Pishue.

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As it's a busy time of year, December flight prices tend to go up in the days around Christmas. But if you're flexible with flight and trip duration, and you book well in advance, you can usually bag a brilliant deal.

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