by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 PM ET, Wed November 11, 2015
Traveling to see your family can be stressful enough, but add in bumper-to-bumper traffic and all the holiday cheer you've been saving up all year goes right out the window.
While some people like to get an early jump when traveling, community-based navigation app Waze released its travel predictions for Thanksgiving and this year is shaping up to be a headache regardless of when you hit the road.
The report from Waze indicates that heavy traffic will begin around 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 24 as the first wave of holiday travelers begin their journeys. The traffic will remain bad through Wednesday, with the heaviest traffic occurring each day between 4 and 8 p.m. local time.
For those looking to avoid the mad rush, Waze suggests traveling in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day when there is far less traffic. The app also reminds travelers that the roads will once again be congested on the holiday itself between noon and 4 p.m. local time.
As for heading home after the festivities have concluded, avoiding travel on Sunday, Nov. 29 would be ideal. The report from Waze says that heavy traffic is expected throughout the day Sunday, and that Monday would also see heavier traffic than normal.
With an estimated 46.3 million Americans driving more than 50 miles for the holiday, it's clear that traffic will be a major issue wherever you are.
Waze also shared a tip with travelers looking to avoid any back road routes. Instead of setting the Routing Styles option in the app to "fastest," set it for the "shortest" and stay on the main highways for the majority of the trip.
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