What you need to know before you travel this Thanksgiving holiday

FLORIDA - Are you hitting the road for Thanksgiving?  Well you and about 53.6 million people are expected to do the same thing in the nation this week, according to AAA. 

Some 2.2 million of those travelers will be Florida residents and Florida Department of Transportation wants to make sure you get to your destination safely.  That's all while trying to avoid any major road headaches that could arise.

AAA estimates about .5 percent increase in road travel this year from last, which is why you are encouraged to be on the road by 7:00 Wednesday morning. 

That doesn't mean still packing the kids, stopping for breakfast or arguing about which route you should take to Grandma's house.  It means, on the road, because travel experts seem to think you wait until 5:00 Wednesday afternoon, you may be facing a highway parking lot.

Another helpful hint for your road warriors out there: dial 5-1-1 with any road updates, detours, and/or traffic accident information.  The service is available through your mobile phone anywhere in the country and has details about every state.  You're also encouraged to bring that GPS along with you, especially if you are traveling alone.  Nothing is worse than mapping and driving.

If you're taking to the air, you're still advised to leave with extra time to spare.  Tampa International is expecting around 53,000 people to fly on the peak days between now and Sunday.

For information on travel guidelines for TIA and airports nationwide, head to the following website: http://bit.ly/10aZ9g5