Best, worst times to travel in the NYC area this Thanksgiving holiday

NEW YORK CITY - Planning to travel this Thanksgiving holiday? You’ll have plenty of company on the road.

This year, the AAA projects nearly 80 million people will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. 

JUMP TO ROAD TRAFFIC | BEST/ WORST TIMES TO TRAVEL BY CAR | GAS PRICES | AIR TRAVEL | BUSES, TRAINS AND CRUISES 

For the first time, AAA's forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving, offering a more comprehensive view of holiday travel trends. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period runs from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2.

For our area, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that more than 8.7 million travelers are expected to use its airports and vehicular crossings during the holiday travel period.

"Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising," said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a news release. "Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that."

Here's what you need to know just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday travel period: 

Plan on hitting the road?

This year, the most popular mode of travel is by car at 89.83%. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey projects about 5.5 million vehicles will cross its bridges and tunnels during the holiday period, matching 2023 levels.

Note: All ongoing repairs and construction projects will be suspended from 5 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 to Monday, Dec. 2, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.

According to AAA, they project a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving – that number is also higher than pre-pandemic numbers, when 70.6 million drove in 2019.

Best/ worst times to travel by car

"With a record number of travelers expected to be on the road, drivers should follow traffic apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays," Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX said. "This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day."  

Here are the best and worst times during the Thanksgiving travel period to hit the road: 

Mon, Nov. 25

• Worst time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Best Time: Before 11 a.m.

Tue, Nov. 26

• Worst time: 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Best Time: Before 10 a.m.

Wed, Nov. 27

• Worst time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Best Time: Before 10 a.m.

Thurs, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Day)

• Minimal traffic expected

Fri, Nov. 29 (Black Friday) 

• Worst time: 7:00 a.m. – 10 a.m.
• Best Time: After 1 p.m.

Sat, Nov. 30

• Worst time: 4:00 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Best Time: Before 1 p.m.

Sun, Dec. 1

• Worst time: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
• Best Time: Before 1 p.m.

Mon, Dec. 2

• Worst time: 9 a.m. – 6 a.m.
• Best Time: Before 8 a.m. / after 7 p.m.

Gas prices

Believe it or not, gas prices are lower compared to 2023. Last year on Thanksgiving Day, AAA said the national average was $3.26. 

AAA predicts that declining oil prices this fall could drop the national average below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, potentially just in time for Thanksgiving travel.

Air travel

Air travel is also expected to set a new record. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey anticipates about 3.2 million passengers will travel through John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and New York Stewart International airports during the holiday travel period. 

This expected volume marks a 2% increase over the previous record set during the 2023 travel period.

Sunday is expected to be the busiest day at the airports, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

AAA projects that 5.84 million people will fly domestically for Thanksgiving, which is an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase over 2019.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it, too, was preparing for what could be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record and offered tips for passengers to help make traveling through airports as easy and stress-free as possible.

According to AAA booking data, air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic Thanksgiving flights this year, while the number of flight bookings is similar to last year. International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%. 

To see travel tips from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, click here.

Buses, trains, and cruises

AAA reports that nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by buses, cruises, and trains this Thanksgiving.

This marks nearly a 9% increase from last year and an 18% rise from 2019. The surge is largely driven by the soaring popularity of cruising, with domestic and international cruise bookings up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving, AAA reported. 

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