Thanksgiving 2025: Must-Try Recipes, Travel Hacks & Last-Minute Deals Everyone’s Searching For

Americans are gearing up for what is expected to be the busiest—and most affordable—Turkey Day in years. According to AAA’s 2025 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast, a record-setting 81.8 million people will journey 50 miles or more between November 25 and December 1, up 1.6 million from last year and 5 percent above the 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark. Roughly 90 percent will drive, while 6 million travelers are projected to fly, a 2 percent annual increase as airlines add capacity to meet demand. Fueling the road-trip surge: falling gasoline prices, which sit nearly 40 cents below 2024’s holiday average, and mild late-November weather across much of the country. Traffic analytics firm INRIX warns that the heaviest congestion will hit metropolitan corridors Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday evening; motorists who can depart before noon or after 8 p.m. are likely to avoid the worst backups. Lower costs are also showing up at the dinner table. Deep retailer discounts on frozen birds have pushed the average price of a 16-pound turkey down 16.3 percent from last year, helping drive the total cost of the classic Thanksgiving meal to $55.18 for a party of ten—the lowest since 2021, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Shoppers will still feel inflation’s sting on select side dishes: sweet potatoes are up 37 percent and frozen peas 17 percent year-over-year. Retail analysts say aggressive grocery promotions are a bid to lure budget-conscious families before Black Friday. Walmart, for example, advertises a full Thanksgiving basket for under $4 per person by leaning on house brands and a Butterball turkey centerpiece. “The holiday is a critical foot-traffic driver,” notes Neil Saunders of GlobalData Retail. “If consumers see value this week, they’re more likely to return for Christmas shopping.” Travel tech start-ups are also seizing the moment. Flight-tracking app FlyRight says Thanksgiving week bookings are 28 percent higher than 2024, aided by flexible work-from-home policies that let travelers extend the holiday into a nine-day break. Meanwhile, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor reports its busiest schedule since records began in 2001 as travelers seek rail alternatives to gridlocked interstates. Public-health officials remind hosts to keep vaccinations up to date and to ventilate indoor spaces amid an early uptick in RSV and flu cases. Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts overall respiratory illness rates to remain “moderate” through early December, easing fears of a 2022-style surge. Key Takeaways for Thanksgiving 2025: • Record travel volumes: 81.8 million Americans on the move. • Cheapest turkey in four years offsets pricier produce. • Best drive windows: before noon Tuesday or on Thanksgiving morning. • Retailers use meal deals to jump-start holiday shopping. • Health experts advise simple precautions as flu season ramps up. With cheaper birds, busier roads and renewed enthusiasm for gathering, Thanksgiving 2025 is shaping up to be a holiday that’s both wallet-friendly and record-breaking—two things many families will surely be thankful for.