‘Tis the season for taking planes, trains, and automobiles.
A record number of people are expected to travel this holiday season, according to travel experts at AAA. More than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, which would narrowly break the previous record set in 2019, according to the association’s year-end holiday travel forecast.
“Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday this year, which puts both the weekend before and after the holiday in play for travelers,” AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop said in a statement. “We continue to see demand for travel soar at this time of year as Americans visit family and friends and take in new destinations.”
From a local perspective, AAA forecasts that 2.3 million people from Massachusetts will travel at least 50 miles, with more than 1.9 million driving, approximately 249,000 flying, and about 71,000 taking other modes of transportation.
Nationally, AAA expects air travel to set a new record with 7.85 million passengers this holiday season, surpassing last year’s record of 7.5 million. One downside for plane passengers: flights are 4 percent more expensive this holiday season compared to last year, with the average domestic ticket costing $830, and international flights are 13 percent more expensive, averaging $1,630 a ticket, according to AAA booking data.
AAA said 4.47 million people will take buses, trains, and cruises this holiday season.
“That number is the highest it’s been in 20 years,” AAA said.
But driving will easily be the preferred mode of transportation, according to AAA.
Close to 90 percent of holiday travelers will be driving, with 107 million people expected to hit the road. That number is 2.5 million higher than last year, but short of 2019’s record of 108 million, according to AAA’s forecast.
In the Boston area, the worst time (and route) to travel will be driving from Boston to Hyannis on Route 3 on Friday, Dec. 20, at 3:45 p.m., according to INRIX, a company that specializes in analyzing traffic data for AAA.
One bright note from the forecast: gas prices are lower than last year, when the national average was around $3.12 in the last two weeks of 2023. As of Dec. 18, the average price for regular gas in Massachusetts was $3.02, and the national average was $3.03.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.
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