2025 Thanksgiving Journey Tips | KSFR

It’s that point of 12 months when KSFR turns to the American Automobile Association for recommendations on vacation journey. Just this week, AAA launched knowledge predicting {that a} document 81.8 million Americans will take to the roads and skies and seas this Thanksgiving. Most vacationers will hit the highway for the vacation, however greater than 6 million of us will fly. Here within the Rocky Mountain West, 6.3 million of us will take Thanksgiving journeys going 50 miles or extra from residence.
Will the latest authorities shutdown and absence of air site visitors controllers have an effect on Thanksgiving journey? What ought to we count on in terms of fuel costs? Where are we going and the way ought to we put together?
KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper reached out to AAA-New Mexico spokesperson Daniel Armbruster for solutions to those questions and extra. We ought to word that per AAA, the Thanksgiving vacation interval begins Tuesday November 25 and ends Monday, December first.
Tips for flyers from AAA

• All indications recommend that air journey is returning to regular after the latest authorities shutdown.
• Heaviest days for air journey are Tuesday and Wednesday earlier than Thanksgiving. Thursday would be the lightest day for flyers.
• Get to the airport 2 hours prematurely for home flights and three hours prematurely for overseas flights.
• Check in on-line and obtain your airline’s ap to keep away from delays.

Tips for drivers from AAA

• Gas costs might be just like final 12 months right now of 12 months—e.g. $2.70 a gallon for normal unleaded in Santa Fe.
• Cost of home automobile leases is down 15%.
• Biggest points requiring roadside help primarily based on final Thanksgiving are: flat tires, lifeless batteries and engine issues. Have a trusted mechanic look below the hood earlier than your departure, prime off fluid ranges and ensure your tires are in fine condition with right air stress. Check the battery in case your automobile is greater than 3 years outdated.
• Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and evenings earlier than the vacation are probably the most congested driving days with Thanksgiving Day having the lightest site visitors. Anticipate that the Sunday after the vacation additionally can have site visitors.
• Avoid impaired driving. From 2019 to 2023, 35% of vacation site visitors fatalities occurred over Thanksgiving. Use a experience share or designate a sober driver this vacation.

Top Thanksgiving journey locations

• For home journey, Orlando, Florida might be this 12 months’s prime vacation spot, with Ft. Lauderdale and Miami within the quantity two and three spots for Thanksgiving. That’s as a result of many individuals might be taking cruises this vacation and departing from these cities. 2025 has been a document 12 months for cruising.
• For worldwide journey, Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna are the highest three locations that Americans are reserving this vacation.