Most expected to travel by car over Christmas holiday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With Christmas Day just around the corner, families have begun traveling to visit their loved ones.

In total, AAA has predicted just shy of 110 million people to travel in 2021 between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2 -- almost 34% more than last year.

Of those traveling, AAA says 100 million Americans will hit the road, despite the high costs of gassing up.

“Gas prices are tough this year,” said Joel Redd, who’s traveling to Georgia. “We didn’t travel much last year. We stuck around the area. Didn’t see family.”

This year, Redd and many others have been vaccinated and are looking forward to family gatherings.

“It’s a different experience,” said Dinesh Mamagiri, who traveled to Florida from Minnesota.

AAA is also estimating 6.4 million will travel by plane, which will translate into a 184% increase in ticket sales.

If you are planning to hit the road, according to AAA, the worst time to hit the road is from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 23 or from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve. The best time to travel is any time on Dec. 25 — Christmas Day.