These will be the busiest days for Thanksgiving traffic, according to AAA

A record that sets nearly 80 million Americans to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, packing roads across the country. But while traffic may be unavoidable, it’s worse to leave on certain days than others.

A total of 79.9 million travelers will drive 50 miles or more from home for Turkey Day between Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Dec. 2, according to AAA. Of those, a record 71.7 million will travel by car, or 1.3 million more motorists than last year.

The busiest times to travel will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, while travelers hoping to avoid the worst of the crowds should consider leaving on Thanksgiving Day itself. Travelers should also consider the weather forecast, as wet and snowy weather leading up to the holiday can complicate matters.

“With record numbers of travelers expected to be on the road, drivers should follow traffic apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, which provides transportation data and insights to AAA, said in a statement. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas such as Boston, New York, LA, Seattle and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day.”

For travelers who will be driving on busy days, they should consider leaving in the morning in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, consider leaving after 6 p.m. 1 p.m. on Black Friday, consider leaving before 13.00 Saturday or Sunday after the holiday, and consider departure either before 8 or after 19 on Monday 2 December to avoid as much traffic as possible.

Getting a head start on holiday traffic may sound appealing, but hitting the roads too early can also be costly, as the Friday before Thanksgiving is often the busiest time to travel, especially from 1 to 2 p.m., according to data shared by Google Travel + Leisure. Travelers who need to stop for gas should also try to avoid going to the pump around 16.00 to 17.00 on Fridays, when it is often most crowded, and instead drive over around 7.00 to 8.00 on Sundays.

Amanda Leicht Moore, director of product at Google Maps, told T+L that she hopes the tips “help bring some calm to a hectic season” and allow travelers to “enjoy more time with loved ones.”