Thousands of travelers in Philadelphia area face traffic, large crowds ahead of Thanksgiving

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the worst days of the year when it comes to traffic.

And here in Philadelphia, drivers took to the open rodes to get to their final destinations ahead of the big holiday.

"We're out and about doing our stuff, getting ready for tomorrow before it gets too busy," said Erin Deon from Center City.

Drivers who don't have to be on the road this holiday say they're doing everything they can to avoid the traffic.

SEE ALSO | Here's what to know for the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade

"Yes, absolutely I like to be in the comfort of my home with my family," said Vivian Hundzynski from South Philadelphia.

Traffic on I-76 was bumper-to-bumper as rush hour drivers met thousands of people hitting the road on what is expected to be the third busiest holiday travel day on record.

AAA told Action News it expects roughly 684,000 Philadelphia-area residents to travel 50 miles or more to holiday destinations.

"AAA has seen strong demand for travel throughout 2023 and Thanksgiving is clearly no exception to that," said Jana Tidwell with AAA.

Experts also predict that 49.1 million Americans will get behind the wheel to get to their Thanksgiving destination. That's a 1.7% increase compared to last year, according to AAA.

Some people had to squeeze in tight in their cars to make the long trek home.

"Like four hours and it hurts. It's tight back there, but I'm just lucky I'm with everybody," said Joshua Gallimore from Essex Fells, New Jersey.

Despite the long drive, Gallimore says he's ready to spend the holiday with loved ones.

"Just eating and spending time with the family. That's the best part," he added.

At the Philadelphia International Airport, travelers catching early-morning flights were met with lines, but reasonable waits. Airport officials say they're ready for the crowds.

"As always, it's all hands on deck. TSA has got the line moving. They have all their staff here. They bring out the K9 dogs to make it even quicker," said airport spokesperson Heather Redfern.

The ready response from TSA came as a relief to the Fife family, who said they were worried about the big crowds while traveling with two young kids.

"Traveling with young ones, so we were kind of concerned. We haven't traveled during the holiday weekend in a long time. So it was a little concerning but we got here early," said Kayon Fife from Sicklerville, New Jersey.

Those traveling by train at 30th Street Station are seeing much lighter crowds than those driving or flying, but there are plenty of long lines nonetheless.

"It's not as many people as I thought it would be, so hopefully when we get our train, it's not as crowded as it is now," said John Kilkenny from Washington, D.C.

Another family told Action News they were making a surprise stop in Atlantic City before Thanksgiving dinner.

"It's a surprise vacation for the children," explained Waltrina Blake from West Philadelphia.

When asked what Blake's plans were, she answered, "I'm going to hit the casino!"

Reilly Schaefer says she's getting together with family in Virginia this Thanksgiving. She decided to skip driving in exchange for a ride on the rails.

"I'm a train girl for life, so I'll be taking Amtrak," she said. "Avoid the headache, I'll just take a nap the whole time."

The headache of traveling doesn't just end on Thanksgiving, however. Many will face the same traffic and crowds as they make their way home once the holiday is over.