Traveling for Thanksgiving? These are the best times in NJ to hit the road

🚗 Most New Jerseyans will travel by car this Thanksgiving holiday, AAA predicts

✈  Area airports and security screenings are expected to be busy too

🚆 Trains, buses, and cruises are seeing the biggest bumps in traffic

It’s going to be another busy Thanksgiving holiday travel season.

For the first time this year, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before (Nov. 26) and the Monday after (Dec. 2) Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers, said Tracy Noble, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The Number of Travelers

AAA is projecting two million New Jersey residents will travel 50 miles or more over the seven-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period, an increase of nearly 44,000 people, and up 2.3% over last year, Noble said.

Nationally, AAA is predicting that 80 million people will travel, an increase of 1.7 million people, and up 2.1% compared to last year, she added.

Car Travel

Driving to their holiday destination is still the number one mode of transportation among New Jerseyans, Noble said.

“We have almost 1.8 million New Jersey travelers, 90 percent — driving to their destination. That’s an increase of 2.2 percent compared to last year. No surprise there. Driving is still the absolute cheapest way to move your family,” Noble said.

Nationally, almost 72 million people are expected to travel by car, an increase of nearly 2% over last year.

As far as gas prices, drivers across New Jersey are paying on average, $2.92 for a gallon of regular. That’s 36 cents less for gas compared to last year when the statewide average was $3.28 per gallon, Noble said.

But no matter what, the roads will be congested, so “pack your patience” as Noble likes to remind us.

Be road-ready, too. Noble suggested checking the car battery and fluids. Make sure the tires have good treads and are properly inflated. Freshen that car emergency kit. It should include jumper cables, reflector triangles, flashlights, gloves, a small tool kit, a blanket, non-perishable snacks, and bottled water.

Air Travel

The area airports will definitely be busy.

“We’re projecting almost 170,000 New Jerseyans taking to the skies, so that is 8.5 percent of those who are traveling, up 2.5 percent compared to last year,” Noble said.

Nationally, air travel is up 2.1% over 2023, with nearly six million Americans flying to their Thanksgiving destinations this year.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is also projecting its busiest record for security scanning, with Dec. 1 being the busiest for security screenings.

In order to make your trip run smooth, Noble suggests reserving an airport parking space ahead of time as they will fill up fast, arrive early, anticipate long TSA lines, and if possible, avoid checking a bag to allow for more flexibility if flights are delayed or you need to reschedule.

Other Modes of Travel

Believe it or not, other modes of transportation such as trains, buses, and cruise ships are seeing the biggest jumps for Thanksgiving holiday travel, Noble said.

“We’re jumping up six percent compared to last year, with over 37,000 New Jersey travelers going by bus, cruise, or train this year,” Noble said.

Nationally, nearly 2.3 million travelers are going out of town for the long holiday period using these modes of transportation, an increase of almost 9% from 2023.

Noble said people have discovered other options for traveling, hence the big jump. For many, Thanksgiving and travel are synonymous, and this holiday is no exception, she said.

“For all of 2024, cruising has been one of the most popular travel options. We are seeing that continue not only into the end of the year but even into next year because we already have a good number of bookings well into 2025,” Noble said.

Best Travel Times

The early bird and the night owl will fare better when traveling this extended holiday weekend, Noble said.

The best time to travel is before 11 a.m. on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, she said. The worst travel times on those three days will be between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

She expects travel to be lighter than usual on Thanksgiving Day because people will already be at their destination.

“But, for the return, Sunday, pretty much all day is going to be bad. Between noon and 6 p.m. — expect the roads to be crowded,” Noble warned.

No matter where you’re going, please arrive at your destination safely. Noble reminded everyone to put the phone down when you’re behind the wheel, and never drive drunk or high.

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