Thanksgiving travel: what to know if you're driving OR flying

If you're planning to travel this Thanksgiving, expect to see big crowds at the airport and on the roads.  

AAA released its latest travel numbers for the year.  More than 54 million Americans are expected to be traveling more than 50 miles from home for the holiday.  The majority will be driving, with 48.5 million planning to take a Thanksgiving road trip.  Gas prices on the holiday are expected to be the highest they've been in four years.  Gas costs about 21 cents per gallon more than it did a year ago.

If you're planning to fly, AAA says the best day may be the actual holiday itself.  The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are expected to be very busy at airports, but if you travel on Thursday, AAA is predicting lighter crowds.  The flights, however, will cost you.  The average ticket price is expected to sit around $446 if you fly on Thanksgiving.  If you fly in the days ahead of the holiday, ticket prices could be over $500.

Here are the most popular Thanksgiving destinations this year:

1. Orlando, Florida 

2. New York, New York 

3. Anaheim, California 

4. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 

5. Las Vegas, Nevada 

6. Cancun, Mexico 

7. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 

8. Honolulu, Hawaii 

9. Washington, DC 

10. Miami, Florida

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