NEW YORK (WABC) — Heavy traffic is expected over the weekend as millions of Americans make their way back home after celebrating Thanksgiving.
Nearly 82 million people are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving week, according to the AAA.
Commuters are hitting the roads, taking trains or heading to the airports for flights amid the holiday travel rush. Travel experts say the best times to head home are Saturday before 10 a.m., Sunday before 11 a.m. and Monday after 8 p.m.
Here’s what you need to know about traffic surrounding planes, trains and automobiles across the Tri-State area:
Air Travel
Many people are opting to fly this Thanksgiving. Airlines for America says U.S. airlines will carry an all-time high of 31 million passengers until Dec. 1.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving — Nov. 30 — will be the busiest day to fly, according to Hopper.
The cheapest days to leave for your trip are Thanksgiving Day or three days earlier, on Monday, Nov. 24, Expedia said. The cheapest days to fly home were Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 28) or this upcoming Travel Tuesday (Tuesday, Dec. 2).
Check your flight status
Newark Liberty International Airport
JFK Airport
LaGuardia Airport
Train Travel
NJ Transit
New Jersey Transit is adding additional service for the Thanksgiving weekend for the rush of travelers.
Regular weekend schedule will operate on both Saturday and Sunday on all NJ Transit rail lines.
Officials say to book tickets for earlier these days as ridership is expected to be lighter earlier in the day. Also make sure to allow extra travel time as traffic congestion can impact bus travel time to and from NYC.
More information on the New Jersey Transit website.
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road is expected to run on a regular weekend service schedule on both Saturday and Sunday.
Check the latest LIRR schedules here.
Metro-North
Similar to the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro-North Railroad is expected to run on a regular weekend service schedule on the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Check the latest Metro-North schedules here.
Road Travel
A record 73 million people were expected to travel by car for Thanksgiving, up by 1.3 million people from last year, according to AAA.
If you’re heading home on Saturday, Nov. 29, or Sunday, Nov. 30, analytics company INRIX recommends hitting the road before 1 p.m.
Traffic could be more than double what it is on a typical day in cities including Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle, INRIX warned.
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