Thanksgiving Travel

Thanksgiving is always one of the busiest travel times of the year. But not everybody is heading home to mom. Some folks go skiing, some head to Orlando or Vegas, others cram the streets of New York and Chicago to watch parades. And some far-flung families gather at a hotel instead of grandma’s house.

Travel by car

A Mapquest poll regarding Thanksgiving traffic indicated that most people who travel by car for Thanksgiving, have more than an hour’s drive ahead of them – and 25% have road trips that exceed 200 miles. With all those Thanksgiving travel cars on the road, traffic can get pretty messy.

The busiest Thanksgiving travel days are Wednesday and Thursday. If your schedule allows, try to leave Tuesday. It feels early, sure, but nothing dampers the fun of a family holiday more than hours stuck in close quarters, as the highway – crowded with cars at a near standstill – stretches out interminably before you.

And, since you’ve started a day earlier than usual, you may then be able to avoid traffic jams post-Thanksgiving, by returning on Friday. The Mapquest poll suggests that Friday is the best day to return home for those traveling by car. Most people polled either leave Thursday night, or stay for a long weekend.

The time of day with most cars on the road appears to be between 9 in the morning, and 12 noon. It follows, then, that either leaving very early, or in the afternoon, should also cut done a bit on your time spent sitting in traffic during Thanksgiving week.

Travel by train or plane

A telephone poll by the AAA indicates that around 82% of all holiday travelers, travel by car. In light of this, another way to reduce the stress of holiday travel, could beto take a train or even (shudder) air travel . I know, I know, but let me finish! There was a time when flying, and airplanes, were the epitome of Luxury travel. Some of that remains today; after the decidedly unglamorous herding of passengers like cattle, travelers at least get to relax en route to their destination. (Same with train travel, if it’s convenient.)

Since holidays are major airline’s blackout days for using frequent flier miles, Thanksgiving can also be a good excuse to try that low-cost airline you’ve been eying, like Jet Blue. Budget, no-frills carriers such as these usually have cheaper Tickets.

But take some food with you; no frills generally means very little in terms of on flight amenities.

Remember to leave yourself plenty of time (2 hours are recommended) before takeoff. The calm Luxury of let-someone-else-do-the-driving air travel can be easily ruined by a mad dash to your terminal, luggage and children in tow.

Do something new this year

In Massachusetts, more than 70,000 people visit Plimoth Plantation each November to learn about life among Colonial settlers and the native Wampanoags — more commonly known as Pilgrims and Indians. Here you’ll find costumed interpreters plucking the feathers off real turkeys and chatting about a harvest celebration that took place in 1621. Could be fun!

In New York, the balloons and floats of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade attract thousands of spectators. If you’d rather avoid the crowded streets or the weather — which can range from balmy to freezing — you can watch the spectacle from inside the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The building has four floors of glass windows, and some of its stores will be open Thanksgiving Day if you want a head start on Christmas Shopping. Chicago has its own Thanksgiving Day parade, with 300,000 people lining State Street to watch. Always a great time!

The glitz and glam of Vegas may not remind you of hearth and home, but you’ll have plenty of distractions to keep you from pining for mom’s apple pie. Restaurants offering Thanksgiving meals include Top of the World at the Stratosphere; Spago at Caesars Palace; David Burke at the Venetian; the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris; and MIX at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Tony Bennett and Wayne Newton are both in town for shows, and the Bellagio Conservatory has a spectacular autumn-themed scene on display through Nov. 24, complete with a 35-foot-tall cider mill, babbling brook, a bed of pumpkins and 1,000 red and green apples. It’s Vegas baby!

Happy Thanksgiving and be safe where ever you travel!