The best and worst times to travel to the New York area during the Thanksgiving holiday

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

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

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

For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving, providing a more comprehensive view of holiday travel trends. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period runs from November 26 to December 2.

For our region, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said more than 8.7 million travelers are expected to use its airports and vehicle crossings during the holiday season.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday in travel, and this year we plan to set new records in everything from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice -president of AAA Travel, in a press 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 season:

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

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

Note: All ongoing repair and construction projects will be suspended from 5 a.m. Wednesday, November 27, through Monday, December 2, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced.

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

“With record numbers of travelers expected on the road, drivers should follow roadside apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C., where traffic is expected to be more than double what it usually is on a typical day.”

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

Monday November 25

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

Tue November 26

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

Wed. November 27

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

Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving Day)

Friday November 29 (Black Friday)

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

Sat. November 30

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

Sunday December 1st

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

Monday December 2

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

Believe it or not, gas prices are lower than they will be in 2023. Last year on Thanksgiving, AAA said the national average was $3.26.

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

Air travel is also expected to set a new record.

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

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

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

AAA predicts 5.84 million people will fly this Thanksgiving, which is an increase of 2% from last year and almost 11% from 2019.

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

According to AAA reservation data, air travelers are paying 3% more this year for domestic Thanksgiving flights, while the number of flight reservations is similar to last year. International flight bookings are up 23% from last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost of international flights fell 5%.

To view travel advisories from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, click here.

AAA reports that nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by bus, cruise and train this Thanksgiving.

This represents an increase of almost 9% from last year and 18% from 2019. This increase is largely due to the growing popularity of cruising, with domestic and international cruise bookings up 20%. compared to last Thanksgiving, AAA reported.