Travelling for Thanksgiving? Expect delays as thousands plan long weekend getaways

Transportation providers are preparing for a busy Thanksgiving long weekend as thousands of people are expected to travel to meet up with friends and family.

And they're reminding travellers to give themselves plenty of extra time.

At Vancouver International Airport (YVR), staff are expecting around 205,000 passengers over the long weekend. That compares with 199,000 on the same weekend in 2019.

Passengers should arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours in advance for international flights, said Megan Sutton, YVR's senior communications specialist. 

She said the number of people travelling has been steadily rising above pre-pandemic averages.

"We are just coming off the heels of what was a very busy summer," said Sutton.

"This Thanksgiving, we're seeing the numbers go higher than what we experienced in 2019."

Travelling by sea

On the water, BC Ferries will have more than 3,000 sailings between Oct. 5 and Oct. 10 and the company expects about 380,000 passengers.

People with vehicles are encouraged to book a reservation, said Deborah Marshall, executive director of public affairs. If no reservations are available, people should consider travelling as foot passengers as standby vehicle spaces are limited.

But Marshall warned that even foot traffic is expected to be busy.

"We see a lot of university students going home for the first time, so it will be exceptionally busy for foot passengers," she said.

About 70 additional sailings have been added to BC Ferries' busiest route between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, she said.

The Coastal Renaissance has been out of service since the middle of August for repairs, meaning there will be no extra sailings from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.

Hullo, the new foot passenger ferry between Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo, has added extra sailings on Friday and Saturday to serve the extra Thanksgiving demand.

"Many of our morning and mid-afternoon sailings throughout the long weekend are filling up quickly, so we encourage everyone to beat the rush and book their seats in advance," the company said in a statement.

Guests are reminded to arrive 20 to 30 minutes ahead of their sailings.

On the roads

Drivers planning to head to the U.S. should go in the early morning or during non-peak times, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) said. People can also check border wait times online.

"Monday of holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest, with longer border wait times – pick another day to cross the border if you can," the CBSA said in a statement.

Highway 1 near Cache Creek reopened Friday morning following a fatal accident that closed the highway in both directions for more than 24 hours.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the Lions Gate Bridge between Vancouver and West Vancouver will be closed from Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. to Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. to complete repaving work.