AAA Expects Busy Travel Period For Thanksgiving

The auto club AAA is expecting the busiest Thanksgiving travel period since 2005.

Nearly 2.9 million Floridians are planning to travel more than 50 miles during the period from Friday through Dec. 1, up about 4 percent from last year. 

Among the travelers, 90 percent will be going by car, with the busiest day on Florida roads expected to be Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Drivers will see gas prices down an average of 10 cents per gallon from the same time last year.

“The roadways are going to be crowded. The airports are going to be crowded,” AAA spokesman W.D. Williams said. “Give yourself a lot more time than you normally would to get to your destination. You may even want to plan an alternate route on the roadway, in case your normal route is congested.”

Air travel will also be up more than 4 percent from 2018, and four of the top 10 national destinations during the holiday season are in the Sunshine State, including top-ranked Orlando, along with Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Miami.

“We have a continued strong economy. Unemployment is low. Consumer confidence is high,” Williams said. “So, people feel comfortable spending money to travel this year.”

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