'It's going to be a big one': Experts predicting busy Thanksgiving travel weekend

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The day before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest travel day of the year and whether you're planning to travel by plane, train or automobile, there's millions who will be joining.

AAA is predicting 55.4 million Americans will travel over 50 miles or more between Wednesday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 26. This is an increase of 2.3% compared to 2022.

Of those 55.4 million travelers, 49.1 million are expected to drive while 4.7 million will fly, and another $1.5 million will travel by train, bus or cruise.

"It's going to be a big one," said Nick Jarmusz with AAA. "Our third biggest Thanksgiving travel period on record."

Wisconsin is expected to have 1.1 million travelers with 961,000 getting behind the wheel and 113,000 expected to fly.

"Air travel is actually setting an all-time record for Wisconsin," Jarmusz explained. "People want to shorten the amount of time that they're spending travelling."

For those who prefer to do their traveling on the road, another holiday treat is in store with gas prices continuing to drop.

"Every penny drop in the national average saves Americans roughly $37 million every single day," GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan told CBS News.

No matter what method of transportation you choose, Jarmusz says it's important to remember to pack patience.

"This is going to be a busy crunch time at the airport; give yourself that extra time," Jarmusz said. "If you're hitting the road, of course, again, give yourself extra time. Anticipate being stuck in some congestion, especially if your trip is going to take you through some major metropolitan areas."

A full look at the AAA Thanksgiving Travel Forecast can be found here.