Thanksgiving Travel In MA: The Best, Worst Times To Hit The Road

MASSACHUSETTS — Highways and airports in Massachusetts are expected to be congested with projections for record travel over Thanksgiving weekend, the busiest travel holiday of the year.

AAA said Monday that about 80 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the Thanksgiving travel period. This year, AAA expanded the Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 travel period by an additional two days to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. Thanksgiving is on Thursday, Nov. 28.

This year, 1.7 million more people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving than in 2023. AAA expects travel to be up across the board, from driving to flying to cruising.

About 72 million people plan to drive. Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to 2023, when the national average for regular gas was $3.26 a gallon. As of Tuesday, Massachusetts motorists were paying an average of $3.01 for a gallon of regular gas, according to AAA.

Falling oil prices could push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021, and that could happen before the travel period starts, AAA said.

The auto club's transportation data partner, INRIX, suggests staying away from certain metropolitan areas — including Greater Boston — when traffic is the heaviest.

"With the Thanksgiving holiday next week, MassDOT is forecasting increased traffic volumes throughout the week with the heaviest outbound traffic expected in the afternoons of Monday through Wednesday," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "We also expect returning volumes to be heavier on Sunday, December 1.

"We encourage travelers to make their trips outside of peak hours and drive safely."

The Highway Division will suspend work on major roadways starting Tuesday morning and continuing through Monday morning on Dec. 2.

The High Occupancy Vehicle lane between Boston and Quincy will be open to all traffic from 2 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, from 1 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

The Sumner Tunnel swing lane to Logan Airport will not be deployed on Thursday and Friday.

When To Avoid The Roads

Heavier traffic than usual is expected on Monday and Tuesday with additional delays likely during midday hours on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Day and throughout the weekend following Thanksgiving.

Drivers are encouraged to travel during morning hours if possible.

Monday, Nov. 25: 1-5 p.m., worst travel time; before 11 a.m. best travel time
Tuesday, Nov. 26: 1-7 p.m., worst travel time; before 10 a.m., best travel time
Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1-5 p.m., worst travel time; before 10 a.m., best travel time
Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28: Minimal traffic impact expected
Friday, Nov 29: 7-10 a.m., worst travel time; after 1 p.m. best travel time
Saturday, Nov. 30: 4-8 p.m., worst travel time; before 1 p.m., best travel time
Sunday, Dec. 1: noon-6 p.m., worst travel time; before 1 p.m., best travel time
Monday, Dec. 2: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., worst travel time; before 8 a.m. after 7 p.m., best travel times

Flying Out Of Logan Airport?

Air travel is expected to set records this year with about 5.84 million people flying domestically for the holiday, an increase of percent compared to last year and 11 percent over 2019.

People who are flying out of or expecting guests to fly into Logan Airport should prepare for long lines. A separate report, Hopper's 2024 Thanksgiving Outlook & Busiest Airports, said the busiest day for air travel will be Sunday, Dec. 1 while the least busy day will be Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday on Nov. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Massport is expecting increased passengers at Boston Logan International Airport around the holiday weekend and suggests travelers allow for extra time to get to Logan and through security.

Extra staff will be on hand to help passengers and families who may need assistance. Massport continues to recommend that those traveling arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international.

As always, Massport recommends passengers to take public transit or HOV modes such as the Logan Express or MBTA.

It's a good idea to check a flight-tracking service such as FlightAware to see if flights are running on time before leaving for the airport.

The forecast also noted a 23 percent increase in international flight bookings, compared to last year, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5 percent. On domestic flights, travelers are paying about 3 percent more.

Cruises Are Also Up

Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains. This category is seeing an increase of almost 9 percent compared to last year and an 18 percent jump over 2019, in large part due to the popularity of cruising.

The demand for cruises has been red-hot post-pandemic, AAA said. Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20 percent compared to last Thanksgiving.