BOSTON – Travel during Thanksgiving week could be a bit interesting in New England and beyond, with the possibility of a major storm in the region on top of the traditional holiday travel headaches.
Record expected holiday travel
According to AAA Northeast, 2024 holiday travel is expected to be much busier than last year. The travel company expects a record number of 71.7 million people to travel by car during Thanksgiving, which would be 1.3 million more than in 2023.
Air traffic is also expected to rise to record levels this year.
Jillian Young, public relations director for AAA Northeast, said that while gas prices in the Boston area are down about 40 cents compared to this time last year, that’s not necessarily the reason behind the high number of travelers.
“Leisure travel is interesting because even if gas prices go up, people aren’t really giving up their leisure travel. Even if they have to pay a little more, they’re not giving up that trip,” she said.
Overall, 2024 was a big year for leisure travel. Holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July also saw more people on the road than in previous years.
When should you travel for Thanksgiving?
According to Young, there will be the fewest cars on the road this week on Thanksgiving Day.
She said the worst times to travel before Thanksgiving are Monday and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The best times on those days are before 11am on Mondays and before 10am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
After Thanksgiving, AAA says the worst times to travel are Friday from 7am to 10am, Saturday from 4pm to 8pm, Sunday from noon to 6pm and Monday from 9am to 6pm. The best times to go on those days are on Friday after 1 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday before 1 p.m.
The best time to drive on Monday is before 8am or after 7pm
Storm possible during holiday week
There’s also a potential wrinkle in this year’s holiday travel. It is possible that one big storm could impact the Northeast at the end of Thanksgiving week.
Young said anyone driving for Thanksgiving should do a last-minute check on their car before hitting the road just to be sure.
“One of the things you can do now in case you’re traveling during a storm, and that’s a really good thing to do at this time of year, is things like check your wiper blades. Before this week It’s a long time It’s been a while since we’ve had any amount of rain in this region and many people’s windshield wipers haven’t been used in a long time.
Young also suggested drivers check their headlights before setting off.
