Expect another busy holiday travel season this year -- so busy that travel experts are anticipating some record-setting numbers.
AAA is predicting more than 115 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the 10-day year-end holiday travel period, starting the weekend before Christmas through New Year's Day.
That's a 2.2% increase, or an additional 2.5 million travelers, over last year and the second highest year-end holiday travel forecast since AAA began tracking the data in 2000.
The busiest Christmas and New Year's travel period on record is 2019 with 119 million travelers, according to AAA.
AAA said the numbers show that despite various inflationary pressures, Americans are still willing to budget for travel.
"With a near record number of travelers, the roads, airports and cruise lines will be more crowded than normal. So finalize your travel plans now, anticipate longer lines, and give yourself extra time to get to your destination," Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA, said in a statement.
Airports are expected to be the busiest they've ever been over the Christmas and New Year's travel period. AAA projects 7.5 million air travelers this holiday season, surpassing 2019's record of 7.3 million passengers.
With higher than normal passenger volumes during this period, the number one tip for travelers is to arrive at the airport early and prepared. The Transportation Security Administration recommends arriving two hours prior to your scheduled flight to allow for adequate time to park your car or arrive via public transit or rideshare, check your bags and go through security screening before arriving at the gate.
Another 104 million people are projected to drive to their holiday destinations, an increase of 1.8% compared to 2022, according to AAA. That's the second highest on record after 2019 when 108 million drivers hit the road for the holidays.
AAA said drivers can expect to pay about the same or less for a gallon of gas than they did last holiday season, when the national average on Christmas Day and New Year's Day was $3.10 and $3.20 respectively.
The easiest way to avoid heavy traffic? Do your driving on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, when minimal traffic impacts are expected. Every other day, the best times to hit the road are before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.
"Nationwide, drivers could see travel times up to 20% longer this holiday season. In major metros... drivers could experience nearly double the typical delays," said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.
The number of people traveling by other modes, like bus, train and cruise, is projected to surpass 2019. AAA expects more than 4 million Americans will take alternative transportation over Christmas and New Year's compared to 3.66 million in 2022 and 3.89 million in 2019.