Mass. — Christmas is just two weeks away and if you are planning on traveling for the holidays, you better prepare for some company.
On Monday morning AAA came out with its annual travel predictions for the end-of-the-year holidays.
115 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home, this is up 2.2% from last year and the second-highest year-end travel forecast since 2000.
2019 remains the busiest Christmas and New Year’s travel period on record with 119 million travelers.
“This year-end holiday forecast, with an additional 2.5 million travelers compared to last year, mirrors what AAA Travel has been observing throughout 2023,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. “More Americans are investing in travel, despite the cost, to make memories with loved ones and experience new places.”
This year 103.6 million people are expected to drive to their destination, an increase of 1.8% compared to 2022. More than 7.5 million are expected to fly surpassing 2019′s record of 7.3 million passengers, AAA says this is due to slightly lower than-average flight costs.
A little more than 4 million will take a bus, train, or boat.
AAA says the worst time to drive will be on Saturday, December 23 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
INRIX also says Saturday, December 30 will see an increase in traffic compared to a normal Saturday. The best times to hit the road are before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.
In Boston, the most congested area will be from Boston to Portsmouth, NH on I-95.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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