(NewsNation) — As millions of Americans unwrap their presents this morning, many more are hitting the road and taking to the skies to try to get to their Christmas destination.
While winter storms are making it hard to travel in parts of the country, such as San Francisco and Raleigh, North Carolina, travel experts say Thursday should be predominantly hassle-free for those heading out. The mad dash to get out of town for the holidays has died down, and while many will not want their vacations and family visits to end, many people will be heading home in the coming days.
Starting Friday, travel is expected to pick back up, with airports and roads becoming busy again. The return home comes on the heels of AAA’s prediction that this year, there has been a record number of holiday travelers. Over 120 million traveled over 50 miles from home this season, which is up over 2 percent from last year.
For those flying home in the next few days, experts recommend getting to the airport early and staying up to date on any possible delays by installing airline apps on cellphones.
Experts tell NewsNation that Sunday could see quite a travel rush.
According to AAA, many travelers this year drove to their holiday destinations. The association said that between Dec. 20 and Jan 1, over 109 million people will have hit the road. One major reason many people hit the road could be how low gas prices have been. The national average for gas is 20 cents less than it was last month, and prices haven’t been this low since 2021.
If you’re one of the over 109 million drivers this season, AAA says there shouldn’t be much traffic on Thursday. For those heading back after Christmas, AAA recommends leaving before 11am, with the busy times being between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.