More than 72 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Independence Day holiday period, according to a new AAA analysis.
AAA predicts 61.4 million people will travel by car, 5.85 million will fly and 4.93 million will travel by bus, train or cruise. The number of travelers using those “other” modes are up 5.3% from last year.
Stacey Barber, AAA’s vice president for travel, said in a statement that holiday travel demand appears to be leveling off, even as overall volume remains high.
“The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year,” Barber said.
Travel experts advise leaving as early as possible and returning as late as possible to avoid the worst congestion at airports and on the roads.
WTOP traffic reporter Dave Dildine said holiday getaways do not look the way they used to, with evolving work schedules and other factors changing when and how people travel.
“Getaways are not what they used to be,” Dildine said. “The demand is more spread out, and the term ‘getaway’ conjures a phenomenon that morphed decades ago. No longer does everyone hit the road all at once. Work is more flexible. Rerouting is automatic, and the demand isn’t as concentrated as it used to be temporally or spatially.”
AAA said the top five domestic destinations are Seattle; Orlando, Florida; Anchorage, Alaska; Miami; and New York City. The top five international destinations are Vancouver, Canada; Rome, Italy; Dublin, Ireland; Paris, France; and London, England.
AAA advised that, between June 27 and July 5, the best time to travel by car is generally before 10 a.m.
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