Whether you need to travel to the next city or all the way across the country to be with your family this Thanksgiving, you’re likely to hit traffic. Why? Well, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation, more people travel for the four-day Thanksgiving holiday than any other time of the year. While you can’t completely avoid traffic this Thanksgiving unless you’re staying home, you might be able to circumvent the brunt of it. If you are taking the highways and byways (as opposed to the skyways) this November, here are some tips on getting through the drive as quickly and painlessly as possible:
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Avoid driving on Wednesday evening and Sunday altogether. Most drivers choose to get an early start by leaving for their Thanksgiving destinations after work on Wednesday. Many also take a half day and get started shortly after lunch. By timing your travel for Thursday morning, you’ll miss the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but you’ll also have the benefit of missing a lot of the traffic. At the end of the weekend, people begin leaving anytime between Sunday morning and Sunday evening, so if you can either leave Saturday or take an extra day and drive on Monday, you might find yourself avoiding standstills on the highway.
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Find an alternate route. Depending on your starting and ending locations, you might be able to take a less-traveled path. Even if taking the interstate is usually the fastest way to your destination, choosing a slower, more scenic route might make more sense when highways are likely to be congested.
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Plan ahead. If you are hoping to take an alternate route, plan it ahead of time, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the directions. Getting lost on Thanksgiving is not the way to spend the holiday! In addition to planning the route, figure out where you will be able to get gas, if you’ll need to fill up while en route. If you are going through a rural area, you might find that it’s difficult to find a gas station. Calculate where you’ll be when your gas tank is likely to hit the quarter-full mark and make sure there will be provisions available.
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Do what you can before you leave. On any road trip, it’s the stops and starts that get grating after a while. Make sure the kids use the bathroom before you leave. Pack snacks and drinks so that you’re not listening to a chorus of “I’m hungry!” an hour after you pull out of the driveway. Start off with a filled gas tank. If you are going a far distance, make sure that the oil has been changed and the tire pressure checked recently. Fill up the windshield wiper fluid. These are steps that you should follow before you go anywhere, but it’s easy to forget them during the bustling holiday season.
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Be aware of the weather. In some parts of the country, snow and ice can dampen Thanksgiving plans. Particularly if you are taking a “back woods” route, make sure that you’ll be able to pass through safely. If the weather is frightful, take some extra time to ensure that you arrive safely, even if you’re late.
Remember that while traffic can be stressful, the reason you even have anywhere to go on Thanksgiving weekend is that you have friends and family to be thankful for! Take your time and drive carefully.
