AAA predicts record Thanksgiving travel. Here’s how many Idahoans are expected to hit the road this week.

BOISE — As millions of Americans prepare for turkey and all the trimmings, many travelers are gobbling up plane tickets and plenty of gasoline this Thanksgiving.

According to AAA, an astonishing 81.8 million Americans will travel for the holiday, including 478,000 Idahoans. That’s an additional 1.6 million people from just a year ago.

“I almost hesitate to call them ‘records’ when they keep getting broken each year, but that’s the trend we’re continuing this Thanksgiving,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. “With 1 in 4 people nationwide and here in the Gem State making a turkey day trip, U.S. roads and skies may very well be the busiest they’ve ever been.”

This year, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period runs from Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Dec. 1 – the busiest holiday travel window this year.

While new records are expected for every mode of travel, nearly 90% of people will be going by car.

The worst days to travel are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon before the holiday, and all of Sunday after the holiday. But with a record number of travelers throughout the week, roads and airports may be extra busy regardless of the day and time.

Where are Idaho families going?

This year’s top Thanksgiving destinations include:

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Anaheim, CA
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Seattle, WA
5. Honolulu, HI
6. Portland, OR
7. Billings, MT
8. Jackson, WY
9. Orlando, FL
10. Phoenix, AZ

How much do things cost this year?

The turkey day travel budget will be like a year ago, unless your adventure is on the high seas:

• Domestic flights are 1% more expensive than last year
• Domestic hotels are 3% cheaper than last year
• Domestic car rentals are 15% cheaper than last year
• Cruises are 40% more expensive than last year

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