The Best & Worst Times for Thanksgiving Travel, According to Google

It's that time of year again, the blissful few days when you and family gather around a table to devour food and drink, catch up on new love interests and fall asleep watching football. If only you can beat the traffic. Without a doubt, Thanksgiving travel is some of the worst at any point during the year. It's a popular holiday, after all, a work-sanctioned long weekend where sweatpants are encouraged and there's no such thing as having a few too many pumpkin beers. If you're traveling from the Boston Area this Thanksgiving, like we all are, you should know a thing or two before hitting the road. Luckily, Google is back with its annual traffic trends report for the Thanksgiving holiday. Before you pack up the Grand Cherokee, read this first: Best day to leave: Sunday before Thanksgiving: Leave the Sunday before Thanksgiving at 6 a.m. for a smooth trip. Avoid traveling around 3 p.m. when traffic is at its worst. Worst day to leave: Day before Thanksgiving (Wednesday): If you have to leave on Wednesday, your best bet is to hit the road at 7 a.m. and avoid driving around 3 p.m. Best day to return: The day after Thanksgiving (Friday): If you can leave the day after Thanksgiving, your best bet is to hit the road at 6 a.m. Avoid traveling around 4 p.m. when traffic is at its worst. Worst day to return: The Saturday after Thanksgiving: If you have to return on Saturday, leave by 6 a.m. and avoid traveling around 4 p.m. when traffic is at its worst. Screenshot via Google.