Travel

Simplify Your Thanksgiving Travel Plans

The Thanksgiving holiday is undoubtedly the busiest travel time of the year with notorious transportation delays, traffic and travel snags all meeting travelers at nearly every turn. But with a bit of foresight and some Thanksgiving travel planning, you may ease some travel headaches whether you're heading home for the holidays or escaping for a drama-free adventure. Regardless of your plans, you'll be thankful for these Thanksgiving travel tips.

It's never too early to start your holiday travel planning. In the early fall, you can take advantage of lower rates and seats aplenty. To jump on a bargain, sign up for sale notifications from your preferred airlines or Amtrak and follow your favorites on Twitter and Facebook where special sale notifications may pop up before they are available to the general public. Discover these other secrets to snagging travel deals .

Choose the Best Days

The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. closely followed by the Sunday after the big day when travelers tear themselves away from the leftovers and football to make the journey home. Avoid these days by flying out on Monday or Tuesday or even Thanksgiving morning to avoid the dreaded Wednesday travel rush. When you're ready to head home, take flight on Friday when the masses have moved on from the airports to the shopping centers to score the best holiday deals. The crowds pick up again on Saturday, reaching a critical peak on Sunday, before leveling out on Monday.

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Houston's H-E-B Holiday Parade

McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade

America's Thanksgiving Parade