Many students will be venturing home for Thanksgiving next Wednesday – one of the worst days to travel, according to Kent State travel consultants.

Lory Bumgardner and William Westover, two travel consultants from Traveline, an on-campus travel service, said Nov. 26 and 30 will be the worst days for traveling during Thanksgiving break, and Dec. 19 through Jan. 4 or 5 will be the worst days of travel during winter break.

Bumgardner and Westover said those are the worst travel days because of the peak in traffic at airports, train stations and on the road.

Travel Info: &bull Plan your trip in advance. &bull Listen to traffic and weather reports. &bull Leave early. &bull Be aware of detours. &bull Charge your cell phone before leaving. &bull Put the heavy items in the trunk to weigh your car down. &bull Don’t overpack. &bull Print your boarding pass at home, if you’re flying. &bull Don’t wrap gifts if you’re flying because they must go through security. Sources: Lory Bumgardner, travel consultant for Traveline at Kent State, and Bevi Powell, director of communications for AAA East Central.

In Ohio, about 1.6 million people will be traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, said Bevi Powell, director of communications for AAA East Central. Of those people, 1.3 million will be traveling by vehicle and 118,000 will be traveling by airplane.

Westover said if students plan on flying home for the holidays, they should be aware of extra luggage fees.

“Be aware that most airlines are charging $15 for your first checked piece of luggage and $25 after that,” Westover said.

For next year, Westover suggested students buy airline tickets for Thanksgiving and winter break in June and July, rather than this time of year.

He said Tuesdays and Wednesdays are off-peak days and are usually the best times to purchase airline tickets.

“Right now (students) should be booking for spring break,” Westover said.

Richard Watters, freshman computer animation and design major, said he follows basic road safety rules while driving home.

“If you’re driving on the road, take it slow to give yourself time to avoid any potential obstacle,” he said. “Try to drive when it’s more visible out, so you can see where you’re going. Headlights help, but the sun is better.”

Joe Misch, senior accounting major, jokingly said students should prepare themselves for the inevitable question – “What do you want for Christmas?” – while driving home.

“When you’re driving home, make sure you have a list of Christmas wishes or gifts,” he said.

Contact news correspondent Megan Moore at [email protected].