Without a doubt, the Thanksgiving holiday is the most hectic travel period of the year. It is notorious for transportation delays and leaving travelers hitting a whole lot of travel and traffic snags. However, with some careful Thanksgiving travel planning and a bit of foresight, you could alleviate some of the hassles wherever you are heading this Thanksgiving. Irrespective of your travel plans, you will be grateful for these tips on Thanksgiving travel.
Advance Planning
Planning your holiday travel can never be too soon. Early in the fall, you will be able to take advantage of plenty of seats and lower ticket prices. To access bargains, you can register for sale notifications from Amtrak or your preferred airlines. You can also follow your favorites on social media where special notifications could pop up before becoming available to the public in general. These are some of the ways to snag travel deals and maximize Atlanta safety.
Drivers in Atlanta should leave on Thanksgiving day at 6 a.m. and return home on Saturday at 6 a.m. The worst times to be on the road are likely to be Wednesday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. So, whether you’ve booked a whale watching California charter as a family thanksgiving gift, or you’re off to see your parents, you need to try and leave as close as possible to these recommended times. Otherwise, you might be stuck in traffic for a very, very long time and miss your boat, or the buffet your parents have put on!
Avoid Checked Bags and Pick the Best Days
More and more airlines are charging for checked bags; therefore, traveling with just a carry-on bag is a great idea. However, many of your fellow travelers will have the same idea so overhead space could be tight. To lessen your load, you could ship some of your possessions to your destination in advance. This is especially true for gifts and bulky items like extra clothes or diapers that will not be needed for the trip. In addition, you should make plans to be on a flight on the Monday, Tuesday or the morning of Thanksgiving. This will allow you to avoid the hassle of Wednesday travel.
When it comes to travel, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the most hectic and chaotic day of the year.
This is followed closely by the Sunday after Turkey Day when travelers have no choice but to leave their loved ones and journey back to reality. As was previously mentioned, these days should be avoided, as best as possible. On your return home, choose Friday when the airports are free of the masses; many of whom have moved on to the shopping centers for the best holiday deals. On Saturday the crowds will start picking up again, critically peaking on Sunday and leveling off on Monday.
Technological Troubleshooting
You should strive to arrive early at the airport as you will need extra time for parking, security checks and other things you may not have considered. However, some airport hassles can be avoided by taking advantage of handy smartphone applications.
IPhone users can keep abreast of airport happenings via the GateGuru app, which displays maps of gate and other pertinent information. American, Delta and Southwest airlines all allow passengers to check in via their respective mobile websites. Passengers can also confirm seats and track the status of their flight. In addition, planning your route in advance and using a GPS system when travelling by motor vehicle will also help to shorten your travel time this Thanksgiving.
Traveling By Land
Traveling in a motor vehicle will definitely save you money and prevent some headaches. However, traversing the highways has its own special set of challenges during the protracted Thanksgiving holiday weekend. For example, the I-95 corridor located on the East Coast and other heavily traveled routes can be choked by traffic, adding hours to normal trips. You should stick to the best road travel practices, including evading the highways on the day before and the Sunday following Thanksgiving.
Be sure to plan your route ahead of the travel time and to prevent unnecessary delays, take along change for the tolls or an E-ZPass. In addition, you should ensure there is plenty of snacks for everyone and that the car tank is filled up with gas before hitting the road. Additionally, you should brush up on guidelines to handle dangerous road conditions during stormy or icy weather.
Have a bit of advice to add? Please leave it in the comment section. Should you or a loved one suffer an injury over the holiday season do not hesitate to contact our Atlanta personal injury firm today.
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