When are the best and worst times to drive in Florida during Thanksgiving week?
If you like company, you’ll get plenty of it on your Thanksgiving week road trip.
Your fellow road warriors will be scrambling to get to their family for holiday dinner. Or scurrying to snag those pre-Black Friday sales at stores and malls. Or just escaping to a few days of R & R out of town.
To help make your trip go more smoothly, AAA, the organization behind the emergency road service, has put together a best of times/worst of times schedule of when you should take to or stay off the streets during the holiday stretch.
More than 4 million Floridians will be hitting the road during the holiday stretch, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 25 and runs through Monday, Dec. 1, according to AAA. And that number can rise if people decide at the last minute not to fly.
“Floridians are embracing the Thanksgiving spirit with record-breaking travel plans this year,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Whether it’s driving across the state or flying across the country, people are making time to connect with loved ones. Even with concerns about flight cancellations, travelers are showing flexibility and resilience and relying most on driving.”
While holiday air travel might spring some surprise delays, at least the cancellations from the federal shutdown are over. On Monday, Nov. 17, the FAA ended andated flight cutbacks at 40 busy airports, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
If you’re renting a car during your holiday journey, be prepared for a rush. Rental company Hertz reports that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest day for vehicle pick-ups. And Miami ranks among the top five markets in the country for rental demand. But there is some good news: Rental car rates are down 15% from last year.
Gas prices are up about 8 cents a gallon this week in South Florida, but AAA expects prices to be lower statewide than last Thanksgiving.
So, when the absolute worst time to hit the road during the holiday stretch?
Expect lots of fellow drives on the road Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, according to INRIX, an analytics firm that works with AAA.
And after Thanksgiving? All day the following Sunday, when everyone hits the road to head back home to get back to work and school on Monday, Dec. 1.
MORE: Miami is ‘abnormally dry.’ Will we see rain by Thanksgiving? What forecast says
Here’s a breakdown of the traffic forecast:
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Worst time: Noon to 9 p.m.
Best time: Before noon
Wednesday, Nov. 26
Worst time: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Best time: Before 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 27
Note: Minimal traffic expected
Friday, Nov. 28
Worst time: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Best time: Before 11 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 29
Worst time: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Best time: Before 10 a.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30
Worst time: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Best time: Before 11 a.m.
Monday, Dec. 1
Worst time: Noon to 8 p.m.
Best time: After 8 p.m.