Planning Your Family Thanksgiving Trip: What Actually Works
A family enjoying a beautiful Thanksgiving sunset
I came to Thanksgiving as an adult, having grown up in England without it. What I love most about it is that it's all about gathering, with none of the pressure of presents. It's one of the few times a year when the whole family is free at once.
Which is exactly why more families I talk to are choosing to spend it somewhere other than their own kitchen.
Why go away for Thanksgiving
The reality of Thanksgiving at home, for a lot of people, is one person cooking for two days while everyone else watches football. Going away changes that. The table is still full and the people are all there, but nobody is basting a turkey at six in the morning.
It's also a lovely week for a multigenerational trip. School is out, many workplaces slow down, and grandparents who might not manage a long summer trip can easily do five or six days somewhere warm.
Choose the right distance
Thanksgiving is a short week, so the destination has to earn its travel time.
Easy from California: Hawaii, Los Cabos, Punta Mita and the desert are all a short flight or drive, with warm weather and resorts that do Thanksgiving well.
Worth a longer flight if you have the whole week: the Caribbean, or somewhere like Costa Rica, if you can leave the weekend before.
Ski: tempting, but snow isn't guaranteed this early in the season. I'd only suggest it somewhere with good snowmaking, and with a plan B for the family if the slopes are thin.
Fly on the quieter days
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are some of the busiest travel days of the year. If you can, fly on the Saturday or Sunday before and come home on the Monday after. You'll get better flights, calmer airports and a much more relaxed start to the trip.
If school makes that impossible, fly early in the morning. Delays tend to build through the day.
Keep the traditions that matter
The question I always ask families is: which parts of Thanksgiving do you want to keep?
For some, it's the turkey and all the trimmings. Many resorts put on a proper Thanksgiving dinner, and in a private villa a chef can cook your family's own recipes, pie included. For others, it's simply being around one table. For some, it's the walk, the game, or the moment everyone says what they're grateful for.
Once I know what matters, I can plan around it. A beach at sunset can be just as good a place for that moment as the dining room at home.
When to book
Now. By mid October, the best family rooms and villas for Thanksgiving week are going quickly, and flights on the good days are filling up. There is still choice, but it narrows every week from here.
And if this year is already sorted, it's worth knowing that the families who have the easiest Thanksgivings book the next one the spring before.
If you'd like help finding somewhere for your family this year, you can work directly with me here.
Quick answers
Where should families go for Thanksgiving from California? Hawaii, Los Cabos, Punta Mita and the desert are all short trips with warm weather and resorts that host a Thanksgiving dinner.
What are the best days to fly at Thanksgiving? The weekend before and the Monday after. Avoid the Wednesday before and the Sunday after if you can.
Can you still have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner away from home? Yes. Many resorts serve one, and in a private villa a chef can cook your family's own recipes.
