Some tips on holiday traveling

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1999 | 11:19 a.m.

In the popular Thanksgiving ditty, a family travels "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go, the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifting snow."

While it is doubtful any Nevadan will travel on a sleigh this week and few Las Vegans will have to cross rivers, woods or snow, a great many will nevertheless be getting out of town to grandmother's house and other destinations.

The American Automobile Association, a San Francisco-based auto club with more than 200,000 members, estimates that 12.5 percent of Nevadans will travel significant distances starting today and continuing though the long Thanksgiving weekend -- the busiest travel days of the year.

"Roadways will be stuffed like turkeys," AAA Nevada said in a news release this week. "About one in eight Nevadans will make a pilgrimage at least 100 miles from home -- up 6 percent from last year."

McCarran International Airport expects to have about half a million people -- half the population of the Las Vegas Valley -- pass through its terminals from Wednesday through Sunday.

AAA estimates that 33.8 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend, with 82 percent going by automobile.

"Wet and icy roads, fewer daylight hours and record travel make this a challenging holiday for drivers," AAA spokesman Paul Moreno said. "Air travelers can expect long lines at check-in and tight restrictions for carry-on baggage."

More travelers this weekend will stay with loved ones than in hotels and motels, AAA said, noting that 58 percent of those who stay overnight at their destinations will stay with family or other friends.

AAA recommends that travelers: