ORLANDO, Fla. – Millions of people are expected to travel this Thanksgiving season, and with Orlando listed as the top destination according to AAA, many travelers decided to get ahead of the post-holiday rush by heading home on Thanksgiving Day itself.
AAA reports that nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving season, with most choosing to drive following recent flight cancellations.
Nationwide, officials say one of the heaviest travel days—for both roads and airports—will be the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
For Joey Coker, he says he was driving back to his home in Florida on the holiday so he could avoid the possible mayhem of traffic this weekend.
“Get my turkey and go.” He added, “Tomorrow (Friday) will be crazy.”
Other drivers shared similar reasoning.
Ted Berbower said, “It would have been terrible. We would not have made it back in time.”
Some drivers told News 6 they’re already expecting long waits on the road. One said the best approach is to stay positive.
“Make the best out of it. It’s just family time—listen to music, crack jokes,” said Jenson Marc.
Meanwhile, travelers flying back on Thanksgiving Day were also hoping to avoid airport congestion.
Orlando International Airport projects Sunday to be its busiest day, with more than 177,000 travelers, and recommends passengers arrive at least three hours before departure.
Sarah Goretski, traveling from Michigan, said she wanted to avoid the nightmare at the airport and live by the plan ahead to leave on the holiday.
“We’ve been allowing a little extra time to get to the airport, trying to make it as stress-free as possible.”
AAA notes the heaviest traffic window on Sunday will be after 11 a.m.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers say they’re preparing for the surge.
FHP Trooper Garcia said, “We’re going to have a lot more inbound and outbound traffic through our state on the roads, but if we are all patient and prepared, we can be safe.”
Other drivers offered simple advice for avoiding the gridlock.
Marc put it plainly: “If you don’t want to sit in it, leave early.”
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