Thanksgiving travel: You won’t be alone on the highway or in the air this year

It may be really crowded this Thanksgiving Day. We’re not talking about around the table. The crowds will be on the nation’s roads and airports.

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AAA said that almost 80 million people will be at least 50 miles from home starting Tuesday until next Monday with most traveling by car

Along with all of the traffic you will encounter, there is a glimmer of good news. Gas prices are down when compared to the 2023 holiday, averaging about $3.06 a gallon on Sunday down from $3.27 last year, The Associated Press reported.

So, when is the worst time to hit the road? INRIX, a transportation data and insights company, said Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are the worst, while the best to drive is on Thanksgiving itself. At the end of the holiday, you should leave early Sunday morning to avoid some traffic. If you wait until Monday you may get a mix of travelers and commuters, AAA said.

Here are the best and worst time breakdowns by day:

Monday, Nov. 25: Worst time - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., best time- before 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26: Worst time - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., best time- before 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 27: Worst time - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., best time- before 10 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 28: Minimal issues
Friday, Nov. 29 Worst time - 7 p.m. to 10 a.m., best time- after 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30: Worst time - 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., best time- before 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 1: Worst time - Noon to 6 p.m., best time- before 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 2: Worst time - 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., best time- before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

You’re also going to run into traffic at airports with the Transportation Security Administration planning on screening 18.3 million passengers over the next week, or about 6% more than last year, the AP reported.

One airport that may have extra delays this year is Charlotte Douglas International Airport where workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and provide wheelchair assistance staged a strike on Monday that was expected to last 24 hours over what they call unlivable wages, the AP reported.

Airport officials said they were working to make sure that operations were not impacted.

In addition to driving and flying, another 2.3 million people will travel by other means including buses, cruises and trains. That’s about 9% higher than last year, attributed to how popular cruises have become, AAA said.