Travel Dispatch: Tips For Surviving Thanksgiving Travel

November 23, 2024

Sunset at Gates Pass above Tucson, Arizona. Nate Abbott for The New York Times

Dear Travel Fan,

It seems like Thanksgiving travel starts earlier every year. With record numbers expected to be traveling over the next week, we’ve put together this survival guide, with some of our best advice whether you are flying or driving.

There was a lot of news in travel this week: Arthur Frommer, who built an empire of guidebooks and more, died at 95. Our Frugal Traveler, Elaine Glusac, wrote about his influence on her. José Andrés, the chef and philanthropist, opened a new restaurant and lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in partnership with the credit card company Capital One. And at the COP29 U.N. climate summit in Azerbaijan, a day was dedicated to travel. We assess how well the industry has done in living up to its climate promises.

The country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves told us about her favorite spots in Nashville. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world and this week we tour some of its African and Caribbean neighborhoods. And since 2019, the nonprofit Rails to Trails Conservancy has been working to create a bike path across America that would let you ride safely from the East Coast to the West. We went to Nebraska to ride some of the new trail and check in on the progress.

Our Tripped Up columnist looks at the rules around flying while pregnant, based on the case of a woman who was denied boarding by her international carrier. And if you’re thinking of taking a heritage trip to explore your family’s roots, we’ve got tips for you.

Our 36 Hours column stops in Tucson, Ariz., this week. With fall’s cooler temperatures, this is a great time to visit that desert city.

Wishing you safe and happy journeys,

Amy Virshup

OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

Surrounded by a bright yellow wall with rows of blue rectangles, an entranceway gives way to shops and restaurants, with red, orange and yellow lanterns overhead. People can be seen browsing, and one person is walking out, holding a blue plastic bag. Above the entrance is a blue sign with white letters that spell out "Brixton Village."

Ayesha Kazim for The New York Times

Getting to Know ‘Black London’

Nigerian cuisine with a twist, live reggae and a bustling market: Here’s where — and how — to experience the British capital’s vibrant and multifaceted Black communities.

By Desiree Ibekwe

Nate Abbott for The New York Times

36 Hours

36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz.

Stargaze from desert observatories, try traditional Sonoran spirits and hit the local trails in Arizona’s mountain-ringed second city.

By Abbie Kozolchyk

A wooden bridge just wide enough for pedestrians or bikers spans invitingly underneath green trees.

Terry Ratzlaff for The New York Times

Someday, We’ll Bike on a Path Across America. But First, Nebraska.

A pedal-powered tour through the geographic midpoint of the proposed 3,700-mile Great American Rail Trail.

By Rowan Moore Gerety

A woman in a plaid dress with long brown hair sings into a microphone.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

5 Favorite Places

Kacey Musgraves’s Nashville

The country singer and songwriter, up for five Grammy Awards this year, including best country album, recommends spots in her adopted home.

By Celeste Moure

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TRAVEL

People crowd around luggage carousels waiting. Overhead a line of signs with numbers indicate the different carousels.

Erik S Lesser/EPA, via Shutterstock

How to Survive Thanksgiving Travel

The busiest travel period of the year can be daunting, but we’ve got tips to help minimize the stress, at the airport and on the road.

By The New York Times

An illustration of a blue airplane in the background which has a wing ending with a hand that halts a pregnant woman from walking down a red carpet.

Charlie Padgett

Tripped Up

Help! I Was Denied Boarding While Pregnant.

The policy of La Compagnie, which was not posted online, required a doctor’s note for anyone more than 28 weeks pregnant. A last-minute midwife’s letter would not do.

By Seth Kugel

A black and white photo shows a man in a suit and two young children squatting down in the middle of a city square to feed pigeons crusts of bread. In the background are stately white buildings and a white church with a tall steeple. Overhead, a pigeon flies.

Terence Spencer/Popperfoto, via Getty Images

The Frugal Traveler Remembers Arthur Frommer, the Guy Who Inspired Travelers to ‘Just Do It’

The creator of the popular guidebook series, who recently died, not only democratized travel, but supported sustainable travel, before it got that name.

By Elaine Glusac

A flock of black birds fly over an urban skyline with wave-shaped skyscrapers and squat office buildings.

Anatoly Maltsev/EPA, via Shutterstock

Travel Pledged to Help Cut Carbon Emissions. How Has It Done?

The tourism industry will be officially recognized at COP29 on Wednesday. Industry leaders signed a climate accord in 2021 to make travel more sustainable, but the results so far are meager.

By Shannon Sims

People at a check-in area for Spirit Airlines.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

What Travelers Should Know About the Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy

Flights will still take off and travelers can keep booking tickets, the low-cost carrier said, as the company enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

By Danielle Kaye

TRAVEL 101

An illustration of a person with long blond hair, wearing a dark gray hat and a blue long-sleeved shirt and carrying a backpack walks in a narrow lane of a small town or village. The traveler is carrying a digital tablet and is looking at a group of three people sitting on a terrace in front of a three-story house with shutters.

Weston Wei

travel 101

Explore Your Roots: How to Plan a Family Heritage Trip

Online tools are helping Americans travel abroad to discover their ancestry, seek out relatives and obtain documentation for dual citizenship. Here are tips for your journey.

By Shannon Sims

Feedback, thoughts, tips? Email the Travel desk at travel@nytimes.com.

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