Record Number of Texans Set to Travel This Thanksgiving

“Travel volumes for major holidays this year have consistently surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and the Thanksgiving holiday will be no exception,” said AAA Texas Vice President and General Manager Galen Grillo. “This trend highlights growing consumer confidence to travel as families and friends jump on the opportunity to reconnect, whether through shared vacations or trips to visit loved ones.”

Gas Prices

Thanksgiving travelers in Texas will pay the lowest average gas prices for this holiday since the pandemic year of 2020. The statewide average price for regular unleaded fuel is around $2.65 a gallon. To find the cheapest gas prices closest to your location, use the AAA Mobile app, and visit gasprices.aaa.com to find the average gas prices at your destination or calculate the estimated gas cost for your Thanksgiving trip.

Top Destinations

Texans will continue to visit their favorite destinations this holiday weekend, including San Antonio, Austin and the Hill Country, as well as major cities like Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. The Caribbean continues to be the top cruise destination for Texans, while Orlando is the top domestic air destination. Rome, Italy is the top international destination by air.

Nationwide, according to AAA Travel booking data, the top destinations are:

Domestic Destinations:

• Orlando, FL
• Miami, FL
• Fort Lauderdale, FL
• New York, NY
• Anaheim/Los Angeles, CA
• Tampa, FL
• Honolulu, HI
• San Francisco, CA
• Las Vegas, NV
• Atlanta, GA

International Destinations:

• Budapest, Hungary
• Mexicali, Mexico
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Cancun, Mexico
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Rome, Italy
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Paris, France
• Barcelona, Spain
• Munich, Germany

Travel Tips

• If traveling by automobile, make sure your vehicle maintenance is up-to-date and your tires and battery are in good condition. AAA expects to respond to more than 29,400 calls for help in Texas over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. If you need some help getting your vehicle road trip ready, visit AAA.com/AAR to find a reputable AAA-Approved Auto Repair facility near you.
• Air travelers should plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours ahead of time for international departures. AAA Texas recommends people who drive themselves to the airport reserve a parking space to make sure they have one, download their airline’s app, and check in for their flight at home to avoid long lines at kiosks in the terminal.

Busy Roads

According to the transportation analytics firm INRIX, Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be the overall busiest time to travel by car, with an average 38% increase in travel time compared to typical traffic volume. The worst traffic congestion in Texas is expected to be on the afternoon/evening of Monday, December 2 on northbound Interstate 45 between Galveston and Houston, when the traffic volumes are expected to be 30% higher. All major highways including Interstate 35 are likely to be congested on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving, so drivers should expect longer travel times during those periods and plan to leave early.

*Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period

For this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the seven-day period from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2. This is the first year the Thanksgiving forecast is a longer timeframe to include the Tuesday before the holiday and the Monday after. Historically, AAA only looked at Wednesday through Sunday.