AAA, PennDOT share tips for record-setting holiday travel season
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — AAA is estimating 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles for the upcoming holidays. They expect it to be another record-setting year as people continue to travel with the pandemic over.
Just in Pennsylvania alone, about 3.3 million people will pack up the front wheel drive sleigh and hit the roads. The worst day to be heading for some homemade pumpkin pie will be Sunday, but if that is what your schedule allows, be patient.
"Get on the road as early as possible. Try to get to your destination by 11 a.m.," AAA East Central spokesperson Tiffany Stanley said.
Since the pandemic, it's continued to be record-setting crowds every holiday season. AAA attributes that to people making sure the holidays are filled with those they want to deck the halls with.
"People are prioritizing family. After the pandemic, we saw every single year, travel for the holiday season has ticked up and up and up. And, you know, this is no different," Stanley said.
If you are taking other forms of transit like bus, train, or a cruise, expect those to be busy as well. AAA said that is expected to be up by more than 12% this year. Don't wait until the last minute to get bus tickets either. You should already have your ticket for any travel departure, and your trip back should be booked soon.
"Try to book right now. Don't wait until the last minute to go ahead and book your ticket in regards to bussing," Stanley said.
While you are on the roads, make sure you are watching out for people on the naughty list: aggressive driving, distracted driving and drunk driving. Depending on how far away you are going, watch the weather.
"Because we're not quite sure what weather we are going to have the next couple weeks, especially if you are traveling somewhere outside the Pittsburgh region, make sure you're paying attention to that forecast," PennDOT District 11 safety press officer Yasmeen Manyisha said.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the airports too. Remember to be there two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. You don't want to be left behind like Kevin McCallister.
