Travel experts provide advice for the nearly 160 million Americans that will hit the roads and airports over the holiday season.
WASHINGTON – AAA predicts that 119.3 million people in America will travel 50 miles or more this holiday season. They expect that number will surpass the record set before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, according to their latest news release.
AAA defines the holiday season as the period between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. For the first time since 2005, Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day.
According to AAA, 90% of people will travel by road this holiday season. Some 7.8 million are expected to fly to their holiday destination despite plane tickets being more expensive than last year.
While the holidays are supposed to bring tidings of comfort and joy, they’ve become synonymous with travel anxiety. If wrangling the whole family into the car isn’t difficult enough, extreme weather can have a major impact on a timely arrival at your destination.
Cars travel down Route 66 in Portland, Connecticut, as heavy rain falls in the region on Sept. 13, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) ( )
Travelers walk through O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on November 22, 2024, ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Travelers check in at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA on Thursday, November 21, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register)
This image shows the dangerous travel conditions between Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio, as a winter storm slams the region on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Robert Ray)
Best time to hit the roads
AAA is advising drivers to take it slow and drive in two hour increments to help stay alert.
The automotive association reminded drivers that driving 80 mph instead of 75 mph over 100 miles saves only five minutes.
As for driving in snow, ice and other extreme weather, experts said staying off the road is the safest option. If you have to drive in the elements, experts like Ian Coke, Pirelli North America’s Chief Technical Officer, believe that driving in winter tires and increasing your following distance are important tips to keep you safe.
Regarding the best time to hit the roads, AAA reports that congestion generally builds after 11 a.m. during the holidays.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are expected to have minimal traffic impacts, according to AAA.
The company expects the most congested drive of the season will be from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Houston, Texas, on Dec. 27, with an expected drive time of 4 hours and 54 minutes.
Ian Coke, Pirelli North America’s Chief Technical Officer, discusses which tires can offer the best grip and traction on wet and icy roads while handling low temperatures, and provided tips on driving in the ice and snow and the technology behind winter tires.
Top holiday destinations
Many Americans in the northern tier and northeast will look to escape winter for the holidays.
Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is the season’s top international travel destination, according to AAA.
Cities in Florida make up four of the five top domestic vacation spots, with Orlando being the most popular.
Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say. Honolulu is expected to be the seventh most-visited holiday destination in America.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported this year that weather is the largest cause of air traffic delays.
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