holiday travel

When's the Best, Worst Times to Travel for Thanksgiving?

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Hitting the road for Thanksgiving?

More than 671,000 people in the Philadelphia five-county area are expected to do some traveling this Thanksgiving week, an increase of 1.8% over last year. More than 595,000 Philadelphia-area residents (nearly 90% of local travelers) will be hitting the road, and nearly 63,000 Philadelphia-area residents (nearly 9% of local travelers) will travel by air, which is up more than 8% over last year.

Before you go, take into account when road are expected to be the busiest.

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AAA Mid-Atlantic worked with INRIX to compile its travel time predictions.

When's the Worst Time to Hit the Road?

According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the worst time to travel is Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve), between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. The best times to travel on Wednesday is before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

If you’re returning Sunday, AAA suggests traveling before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

Willing to Wait to Hit the Road or Fly?

“If you can travel on the holiday itself, you'll probably see the least amount of traffic out there," AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Jana Tidwell said. "The same is true for air travel as well if you're flexible and can fly out on Thanksgiving day you'll probably see the least amount of traffic or crowds in the airports on Thanksgiving day itself.”

Thanksgiving travelers were lined up at Philadelphia International Airport Wednesday morning. NBC10's Matt DeLucia reports from the busy airport. NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal was at a less busy 30th Street Station talking to train riders.

When's the Best Time to Head Home?

Check out this chart to figure out the times to avoid throughout the holiday weekend. (Hint: afternoons and early evenings aren't expected to be good):

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