'Stay alert.' Holiday travel ramps up in Connecticut ahead of Thanksgiving

News 12 Connecticuts Justin DeVellis caught up with some travelers in Darien.

Justin DeVellis

Nov 25, 2024, 1:16 PM

Updated 30 days ago

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No matter where you’re going or how you’re getting there, the roads and skies are set to be packed this week leading up to Thanksgiving.
AAA says a record 80 million people will travel for the holiday, most of them by car.
“I’m originally from Ohio," Mike Bichsel, of Massachusetts says. "I’m going home now and then on Wednesday, we’re going to drive all the way to Ohio."
While some plan lengthy journeys to different parts of the country, others say they're staying close.
“That’s why I go to my sister’s 16 miles away," Steve Kurilla, of Toms River, New Jersey says. "I’ve been doing it for years and I’m not going to put up with traffic when I don’t have to."
About six million people are expected to catch domestic flights, AAA says, and airfares are sitting around $280 for an average round-trip flight.
“We have people coming in from D.C.," New Haven's Christine Bartlett-Josie says. "My family is in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and then some in D.C."
Wherever Thanksgiving takes you, experts suggest leaving plenty of time to get to your destination and, as always, make sure to obey the rules of the road.
"Keep your eyes open and stay alert," Rhode Island's Max Donohue says. "Don’t do anything too stupid and just take care of yourselves.”
The worst days to travel are Tuesday, Wednesday and the Monday after Thanksgiving, experts say. If you do have to travel those days, travelers are encouraged to leave early in the morning.