Thanksgiving Travel Tips to Help You Avoid Holiday Backups

OKEMOS, Mich. –– Like the other 46 million Americans that AAA estimates make Thanksgiving travel plans each year, you’re probably planning on driving towards your Turkey Day destination sometime around that Thursday.

But with millions of other drivers hitting the road across the country, it should be expected for you to run into a number of delays caused by traffic congestion. If you’re uninterested in freeway stagnation and more focused on turkey, follow these Thanksgiving travel tips to help you avoid holiday backups. Google spent two years analyzing Thanksgiving weekend traffic conditions to provide us with this information, so you can rest assured their travel insights are accurate as they get.

Avoid driving on Wednesday.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving might seem like the ideal day to make the drive for Thursday’s turkey, but that’s also why it’s the absolute worst day to travel. Like you, other families assume Wednesday is a great travel day because they can work a half-day then head for their Thanksgiving destinations, usually in the timeframe of 3–5 p.m. It’s a logical idea, but it also results in massive freeway congestion and gridlock.

Travel on Thanksgiving Day.

Traveling on Thanksgiving Day might sound like a hassle––of course you’d rather be watching football and relaxing in a recliner––but it’s likely you’ll have a more peaceful drive on Turkey Day than any other day. Most people will have already made the arduous journey for turkey on Wednesday, leaving the freeways and roads practically empty for you to cruise on without any setbacks.

Head for home on Sunday, not Saturday.

You could drive home on Friday, but it’s likely you’re planning on relaxing after a Thursday of too much food. However, it’s not recommended that you plan to head home on Saturday. According to Google, traffic is 40% worse than any other day on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This leaves you with one last option: head home on Sunday. Have another helping of pumpkin pie and relax while you watch college football on Saturday.

Just by following these Thanksgiving travel tips to avoid holiday backups you can make your trip a whole lot better. But you should also take a look at some of the other factors that influence the quality of your trip. Use these additional tips to make your trip as comfortable as it can be:

• Have an idea of what the weather will be like while you’re making your Thanksgiving trip. Knowing what road conditions could be like will give you an idea of how to drive, where congestion might occur, and what a safe route might be.
• Figure out your travel route beforehand so you’re aware of areas where construction is taking place or where roads could be closed. This way you won’t be surprised if something comes up and you’re forced to reroute without foreknowledge.
• Have emergency contact information for a roadside assistance service ready. You’ll be ready to call if anything detrimental happens to your vehicle on your trip.
• Is your vehicle ready to drive a long distance for Thanksgiving? Follow our seasonal driving tips here, or visit our Chevrolet dealership near Mason, MI for any auto service your vehicle could be due for.

We love making sure our customers have great driving experiences, even if it's just by sharing a few insights with you to make sure your Thanksgiving travels are safe and easy. Let our friendly team of Chevy professionals at Hank Graff Okemos help you with any other auto needs you might have. Call us at (517) 349-8300 or visit our showroom, located at 1748 W. Grand River Okemos, MI 48864. We’re just a few minutes from Mason!

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