Even though gasoline is more expensive this Thanksgiving, more people are taking road trips. According to GasBuddy.com, road travel will increase 20 percent over last year.
"I think a lot of Americans just want to get back to normal," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
And the increase comes in a year when gas prices are at the highest they have ever been for the Thanksgiving travel period. GasBuddy expects that gas will average around $3.68 a gallon nationwide come Thanksgiving day, almost 30 cents a gallon higher than last year, and more than 20 cents higher than the previous record, set in 2012.
De Haan says it may have been cheaper to fill up in 2021, but that wasn't enough.
"Gas prices were a little bit more affordable but there were still a lot of concerns about COVID-19," he explains.
So are travelers cutting back in other ways, maybe not going as far, or for as long?
"Surprisingly the duration of travel are also on the increase this year," said De Haan, "that is, more Americans driving further away."
De Haan says most drivers stayed within an hour of home when they traveled, this year, it's a one to three hour trip.
GasBuddy says Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be the busiest period before the holiday, with Friday morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. being the busiest after Thanksgiving.
