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Tips for Turkey Day, the busiest travel time of the year

Posted at 7:12 AM, Nov 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-22 07:14:10-05

Turkey day travel is here and people across the country are jumping in their cars, planes, and trains. 

Driving tips: 

The Thanksgiving travel rush hits its peak on Wednesday and the Maryland Transportation Authority expects more than 2-million people to travel through the state over the holiday weekend.

To avoid the worst traffic, the MDTA is recommending people leave after 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night, or before 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. For the trip home, they suggest hitting the road early Sunday morning

Flying tips: 

Lots of people are also planning to take to the skies. AAA predicts 30-million have a flight to catch for this Thanksgiving, and that influx of passengers could mean lots of delays and crowded airports.   

Airport officials suggest that you arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international ones. Be sure to also check with your airline before heading out the door for any changes or delays. 

Most airlines have apps that make it easier to check flight status and even check in before you're flight, and BWI Airport has already made some changes to try and make things easier for travelers.

There will be additional staff and volunteers working to help passengers, and you can now park in the hourly lot for free for one hour.  Airport officials are hoping this will help avoid some roadway traffic if you're dropping off or picking someone up. 

These changes will last through January 15 to get travelers through the holiday season. 

Train tips: 

And it is not only roadways and the sky that are affected by the holiday, Wednesday is also one of the busiest travel days for trains.

Amtrak is expecting around 760,000 passengers over the holiday weekend. To combat this they are running extra trains and adding extra seats. 

If you have a last-minute change of plans, no worries, you can still get a ticket. Amtrak suggests booking your trip in the morning and arriving 45 minutes to an hour early.