The Don’ts of Thanksgiving Travel
Happy Thanksgiving! Today we’re sharing the “don’ts” of Thanksgiving travel. If you didn’t know, Thanksgiving is the busiest travel week in the United States. With all that traveling, I thought it was time to share my list of things you should not do when it comes to Thanksgiving travel.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #1: Don’t Forget to Pack Your Patience
It’s the busiest travel time of the year, which means crowds everywhere. Ticket counters and departure gates? Full. Security? Long lines. Highways? Full. Parking garages? Full. Shops? Full. Grocery stores? Full. Give yourself a little extra time when traveling somewhere during Thanksgiving week, even if it’s just to the grocery store.
Tip: Try to book the first flight of the day to avoid crowds and cancellations.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #2: Don’t Pack Too Much
If you’re visiting family over Thanksgiving, you don’t need to bring very much. Chances are, you can do laundry during your visit. Don’t check any luggage if you are flying over Thanksgiving week. This will save you from the check-in line, as well as wait time at baggage claim on the other end.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #3: Don’t Wait to Book Thanksgiving Travel
If you plan to travel over Thanksgiving weekend, expect prices to jump as the holiday approaches. Last minute deals will be hard to come by this week. If you know you are traveling over Thanksgiving, make your reservations a few months in advance, and you’ll likely save money on flights and hotels.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #4: Don’t Be Afraid to Travel on Thanksgiving Day
While it’s a very busy week for travel, the best day to fly is actually on Thanksgiving day. Most travelers will have already arrived at their destination, so prices are lower, as are the crowds. Likewise, if you plan your travel for the following Monday, rather than Saturday or Sunday, you’ll likely have better prices and fewer crowds. Travelers can save hundreds of dollars on flights by waiting one more day to fly home.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #5: Don’t Think Thanksgiving Travel Will Be Cheap
As one of the high travel peaks of the year, don’t expect to find deals, and don’t expect to save money. Gas prices may be higher, and flights and hotels will be more expensive. To avoid missed connections, and possible added costs, it may be worth it to pay a bit more for the direct flight if you can.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #6: Don’t Leave Wednesday Afternoon for a Thanksgiving Road Trip
Wednesday afternoon around 3:00 or 4:00 is the busiest time to get on the road for Thanksgiving travel. People tend to leave work a bit early, schools release early and everyone hits the road at the same time. For shorter trips, it’s probably better to leave Thursday morning, when fewer people will be on the road.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #7: Don’t Forget to Gas Up the Car Before Leaving
Make sure to fill up the gas tank and stock up on road snacks before leaving for your Thanksgiving road trip. If you’re in a winter climate, you may run into weather issues, or you might just have trouble finding an open gas station on Thanksgiving day.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #8: Don’t Return on Saturday Afternoon
Again, most people will hit the road to go back home on Saturday afternoon, so if you want to avoid traffic, leave on Saturday morning when everyone else is sleeping late. Traffic will be much lighter,
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #9: Don’t Treat Family Members Like a Taxi
If you are flying to visit family, and have relatives pick you up at the airport, don’t rely on them to drive you around for the whole trip. It’s a good idea to have another mode of transportation in case they have other guests to drive around.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #10: Don’t Be Scared to Take Food Home
Nearly every Thanksgiving tradition involves food, and there are always leftovers. If you are flying, it’s generally OK to bring food with you, as long as it’s not liquid. Just think about how delicate the food you are transporting will be, and whether it can stand up to being squished into your luggage.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #11: Don’t Try to Fly With Gravy or Sauces
Thanksgiving foods that are liquid fall under the same three-ounce rule as everything else at the TSA checkpoint, so if you want to bring your special gravy to Thanksgiving, you’ll have to make it once you arrive.
Thanksgiving Travel Don’t #12: Don’t Forget to Be Thankful
There are so many things to be thankful for this year. We are especially grateful to our fans for getting us to 100 million YouTube views! We want to thank those fans and fellow travelers for following our journey!