So you’re heading out of town for Thanksgiving?

We’ve gathered a virtual roundtable of people who know what they’re talking about how to get you where you’re going — and home again — with safety and minimal headaches.

THE METEOROLOGIST

Holiday drivers can usually tell in advance what route they should take — if they pay attention to weather patterns from thousands of miles away, says the warning coordination meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

“Look west,” Greg Carbin says, “and you’ll get a sense of what’s coming.”

FLY RIGHT

It might seem obvious, but the best thing a Thanksgiving traveler can do is arrive at the airport early.

There aren’t necessarily more people flying; it’s just that more of them are less experienced. Business travelers typically don’t check bags, wear slip-on shoes for security and aren’t trying to buckle fidgety toddlers into seats. The influx of once-ayear fliers creates long lines.

“Air travelers set themselves up for failure by playing fast and loose with the clock,” says George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com. “It’s hard for type- A personalities to wait around at airports.”

There can be traffic, parking lots tend to fill up on holidays and you never know how long check-in and security lines will be.

Most airlines require your bags to be checked up to an hour early. That means you need to be at the front of the line with luggage tagged. And be at the gate at least 15 minutes before departure or you risk the plane leaving without you.

“If you find yourself with time on your hands, grab a meal before flight. More airports have very good restaurants these days,” Hobica says. And if you arrive early, you might even get an earlier flight.

DRIVING RAIN

In snow, ice or rain, speed is the enemy.

Driving too fast for conditions is among the biggest mistakes people make when navigating wintry weather, says Bill Van Tassel, manager of driver education for the American Automobile Association.

“It’s much harder to get into trouble if you’re going at a speed where your tires can maintain traction on the surface,” says Van Tassel, who holds a doctorate degree in safety education. His advice:

—Make sure you have decent tire treads and wiper blades.

—Keep eight or more seconds of distance behind the car in front of you.

—Expect ice on every bridge.

—Don’t steer and brake at the same time.

—If there’s a crash in freeway traffic, stay belted until vehicles behind you have stopped. Then move away or get out to help.

PACK RAT

First, pack a suitcase with everything you’ll need. Then take half of it out. That’s the not- so- tongue- in- cheek advice from Rudy Maxa, who knows a thing or two about packing.

If you can’t bear to part with too many clothing items, Maxa says, at least be efficient. “You shouldn’t bring anything you can’t mix and match and change around,” he says.

IN TRAINING

For a smoother train trip, get to the station early. Arriving early gives you a better shot of picking where you want to sit. Most trains don’t have assigned seating, so if you’re traveling with friends or family you have better chance of sitting together by arriving early.

Amtrak riders can download its app to alert you to the status of any train if you input its number.