Whether you’re driving, flying or taking the train, leaving early is key to the holiday
Whether you’re traveling by plane, train or automobile for Thanksgiving and beyond, leaving early, if possible, will help your journey, experts say.
Driving
Interstate 5 traffic in the Olympia/Tacoma area on Wednesday will be “really busy,” the state Department of Transportation announced Tuesday. Southbound traffic — everyone leaving the Seattle and Tacoma area — is expected to be congested most of the day. Northbound traffic is not expected to be as bad, but will still be busy around the middle of the day.
You can avoid both by leaving early. How about going to grandma’s house at 4 a.m.? WSDOT expects traffic to be light in both directions at that hour on Wednesday.
Traffic is expected to be lighter on Thanksgiving.
AAA says the Seattle metro area is among the country’s worst for Thanksgiving traffic, with trips from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday expected to take nearly three times longer than normal.
Almost 1.3 million Washington residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the holiday, according to AAA.
Riding the train
Wednesday and Sunday are expected to be the busiest days for Amtrak Cascades, spokeswoman Laura Kingman said.
“If you don’t have a ticket, buy one quickly,” she said, adding that there’s a chance of a sellout on Wednesday.
Amtrak expects to operate four round trips per day between Seattle and Portland.
“Trains will be full,” Kingman said, “but it’s so much more relaxing than getting stuck in traffic and being frustrated behind the windshield.”
Kingman also encourages passengers to get to train stations early, with one exception: trains in Oregon will be operating on a “weekend” schedule, which means departure times will be later in the day.
Amtrak in Thurston County is served by Centennial Station, just outside the city of Lacey off Yelm Highway. It is staffed by volunteers who will be working the holiday, she said, but they do not sell tickets. Tickets need to be purchased through the Amtrak website or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.
Flying
The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, says passengers can expect rush-hour congestion 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the mornings and 8 p.m. to midnight in the evenings.
Wednesday and Sunday are expected to be the airport’s two busiest days, according to airport information, so airport officials are encouraging alternative forms of transportation.
The options include Link Light Rail, King County Metro or Sound Transit buses, or one of the ride-hailing services, such as Uber or Lyft.
Weather
Western Washington weather is forecast to be dry and cold through Saturday, with a chance of a “wintry mix” Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
If you live or are traveling north of Seattle, winds could be gusty in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties.
Weather in other parts of the country is not as inviting, including the Midwest, where snow is in the forecast.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 1:01 PM.
