NASHVILLE, Tenn. — AAA said they estimate around 2.6 million Tennesseans will travel at least 50 miles away from home between December 23 and January 2 this year — an increase of around 107,000 people compared to last year.
They also said this year is expected to have the third-highest number of travelers on record, but still below 2019 levels.
The grand majority of travelers are expected to journey by car, around 2.4 million people. Only around 69,400 people are expected to travel by air over the holidays in Tennessee.
Across the U.S. around 112.7 million people are expected to travel during the holidays, an increase of around 3.6 million compared to last year.
According to the release, people are also expected to spend more on travel this year than compared to the last two years. AAA also said that the cost of a holiday road trip is also expected to be less than anticipated since gas prices are falling in Tennessee.
They said the state average price per gallon of pas has fallen by around 46 cents since Nov. 11. On Sunday, they said the average price of gasoline was around $2.86 per gallon — around 17 cents less than a year ago.
However, they said airfares are expected to cost around 6% more this year at $163 per ticket, and hotels are expected to cost around 5% more this year at around $167 per night.
However, they said car rentals are expected to cost around 19% less this year, at around $105 for a daily rate.
A minimal amount of traffic is expected on Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. After the holidays, the best time to travel will be between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. between Dec. 27 and Dec. 30, according to the AAA.