2 Million Marylanders Expected To Travel For The Holidays
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—It's Christmas Eve and more Marylanders this year are scrambling to get out of town.
Christie Ileto explains how travel by car, plane and train are all up this year.
It's the 11th hour and millions of Marylanders are shuffling to get out of town at BWI Marshall Airport.
"Charlotte, NC," said Chrissy Bennett.
Many travelers focused on making their flights, but Kendal Moseley is focused on a care-free ride.
"I like to watch movies, eat snacks and go to sleep," she said.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says it's the highest travel volume forecasted for the holiday in over a decade, with travel by plane, train and car all up.
"Here in Maryland, more than 1.9 million Marylanders will be traveling," said Ragina Averella, AAA Mid-Atlantic.
But the number one way to get out of town is by car. AAA says 90 percent of Maryland travelers will hit the road and drive further this year, with the average round trip being just over 765 miles, compared to 747 last year.
With more people driving, AAA says gas prices in Maryland are higher than they've ever been heading into the Christmas holiday.
"The holiday is the holiday. We go whether the gas is $4 a gallon or $3 a gallon," said Kelly Storm.
The average in Maryland is $3.31 a gallon.
"The reality is, it's Christmas," said Averella. "Despite what gas prices are doing, we see that for Christmas and Thanksgiving, people want to be with their loved ones and they do whatever they can to make that happen."
A travel trend experts say they're seeing a lot of this year.
One way to put a damper on your holiday travel is to be unprepared. Experts say check your flight status to make sure there's no delay or cancellation. If you're leaving by car, make sure your vehicle is in full working order so you don't get stranded.
AAA says the official travel period of the holiday season started over the weekend and runs through the New Year.
