For many Americans, Thanksgiving is not only a holiday that is filled with delicious food and great company, but a very stressful time to travel. So before all of the Thanksgiving festivities can start, you’ll need to make your travel plans. From packing, figuring out when is the best time to leave, and actually getting on the road with every other person trying to arrive to their turkey dinner on time, this wonderful holiday can leave you feeling stressed rather than full from turkey. Since we would all rather enjoy pumpkin pie than be stuck in awful traffic, here are a few tips to help you save your sanity if you are traveling this Thanksgiving.

• Take Care of your Car Before Turkey Day- From filling up the gas tank early to making sure everything is running smoothly in your car, take the time before the holiday rush to make sure your car is ready to hit the open road. When you don’t have to stop for gas and wait in busy lines or worry that your car needs serviced on Turkey Day, you’ll be glad you were prepared.
• Be flexible with your Travel Days- While no one wants to be stuck in holiday traffic or long lines at the airport or train station, it seems that is par for the course when it comes to holiday travel-but it doesn’t have to be. If you are hitting the roads for Thanksgiving, try traveling on a day that will be a little less crazy. Most people travel on Wednesday-the heaviest traffic is Wednesday after work- so if you can leave the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving or even Thanksgiving morning, you are less likely to hit the major holiday rush. The same goes for the days you are returning. Most people head home on Saturday. If you can travel on Friday or Sunday, you are less likely to hit the majority of the traffic. You will still have some traffic, but you will miss the heaviest times.
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As we count down the days until we get to dig in to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, you may be worried about how you are going to travel with the dish you are bringing to dinner. But there’s no need to fret, you just need a few hacks to safely get the yummy food from your house to the Thanksgiving host’s home.

• Use a Crockpot- Not only will the crockpot keep your food warm-think mashed potatoes or sweet potato but it is also the perfect “suitcase” for your side dish. You can even place the slow cooker into a larger box and support it with a few towels so it doesn’t move around during the car ride.
• Use To-Go Containers- If you are going to make some of the food when you arrive, you can chop and cut up the food at home and pack the food in to-go containers-like stuffing ingredients. This way you can cut down on the mess when you arrive.
• Grab Some Towels- Find a few big beach towels and put them in your trunk or wherever you are placing the food. Start by putting towels down on the bottom of the car before you begin packing the food. Then wrap the food containers with more towels so they don’t move or bump into any other dishes while you’re on the road. As an added bonus, you can use the towels for a quick cleanup if anything does spill.

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There’s nothing quite like a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, and if you aren’t the one hosting the dinner, then you won’t want to show up empty-handed. Instead of simply bringing a bottle of wine or a small hostess gift, why not volunteer to bring a dish that travels well. Here are a few Thanksgiving sides that travel well and will impress everyone at dinner.

Mashed Potatoes – A Thanksgiving fan favorite and an easy dish to travel with. Simply pack the mashed potatoes into a slow cooker. Just be sure the slow cooker is warm while you travel. Then when you reach your destination, give the potatoes a stir and set the slow cooker on warm.

Mac and Cheese – For homemade mac and cheese, you can put the dish together and cook it once you are arrived at the host or hostess house for dinner.

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