Royal Oak: Thanksgiving Travel Tips To Beat Traffic, Save At The Pump And Avoid A Call to AAA

ROYAL OAK, MI — More than 1.5 million people in Michigan are hitting the road this Thanksgiving and traveling 50 miles or more from home, according to AAA. Will you be one of them?

If you're departing from Royal Oak this week, here are some travel advisories for a successful and stress-free road trip:

-Avoid the roads if possible on Wednesday, Nov. 23 (especially at 3 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 26 (especially at 4 p.m.). Google Maps research shows those are the heaviest traffic days. The ideal time to road trip this week is Friday, Nov. 25 at 6 a.m.

-Save at the pump with Gas Buddy. Type in your ZIP code, and the latest prices from nearby stations will pop up. Right now, the cheapest place to gas up in Royal Oak is at the Speedway at 1720 Rochester Rd. and 12 Mile Rd. for $1.83 a gallon.

-The only thing worse than sitting in Thanksgiving traffic is breaking down in Thanksgiving traffic. AAA estimates that it will respond to 370,000 road side service calls this Thanksgiving. The most common issues: dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. So, do a quick check of your vehicle before you get the show on the road. Otherwise, make sure you renewed that AAA membership!

And here's the full Thanksgiving week weather forecast so you can pack your suitcases accordingly. Spoiler alert: You're going to want to get your hands on an umbrella.

Tuesday, Nov. 22: Cloudy, chance of freezing rain late tonight with a high of 39.

Wednesday, Nov. 23: Grab your umbrella! 90% chance of freezing rain. Showers will start early and turn into a heavy rain as the day goes on. High of 41.

Turkey day, Nov. 24: Cloudy and a high of 47 - the warmest it will be all week.

Friday, Nov. 25: More clouds and a high of 44.

Saturday, Nov. 26: Partly cloudy with a high of 45.

Photo by David Ludlers via Flickr