What is the best day to travel by car for Thanksgiving?

The best times to travel during the peak Thanksgiving period are on Wednesday morning and Sunday morning, AAA says. “I'm always a big fan of leaving on Thanksgiving morning itself,” said Diaz of AAA. “The roads are certainly clearer on Thursday morning.”



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For travelers who are taking to the skies, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving will likely be the busiest — and most expensive — travel days ahead of the holiday, according to AAA. The Sunday after Turkey Day is typically the busiest travel day to return home.

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If you have to fly for the holidays, do it on the day itself And with fewer people, you can see lower fares and fewer disruptions, including delays and cancellations. So think about booking tickets to depart or arrive on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

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An analysis of national car crashes shows that driving on Black Friday, the shopping day after Thanksgiving, is safer than any other time in November but driving on Thanksgiving itself is much more dangerous.

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Thanksgiving travel by road Drivers should leave home in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest traffic, INRIX said. On Sunday, Nov. 26, the worst traffic is forecast to be between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The best time to hit the road will be before noon, according to INRIX.

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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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Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best weekdays to fly. Thursday is a bit more expensive but still reasonable. Saturday is usually the cheapest weekend day to fly. That does not mean you cannot find great flight prices on the other days of the week.

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