ATLANTA — As people travel to spend the holidays with family or, hip hip hooray, set forth on a Christmas vacation, many Georgians will flood the streets and skies as they travel to get to their destinations.
AAA is predicting that at least 3.6 million Georgians will hit the road and the air - hopefully no one gets left home alone - as they enjoy their holidays. It's a wonderful life during the holidays in the Peach State, which ranks second in the nation for the busiest year-end holiday travel season.
This year is also predicted to be the highest travel period for Georgia, according to the AAA report.
The travel period will begin on Dec. 23 and end on Jan. 1. More Georgians are expected to drive to their destinations than fly with only over 190,000 flights booked, the report showed.
“AAA has seen steady year-over-year growth in travel demand, culminating with what is expected to be the busiest year-end holiday travel season on record in Georgia, and the second-busiest nationwide,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group.
If you want your Christmas story to be a good one, here's what you'll want to know.
What will gas prices be in Georgia during the holidays?
The report stated that drivers should expect the year to pay close to the same or possibly less than they did for a gallon of gas this time last year.
The Georgia average on Christmas Day and New Year's Day last year was $2.70 and $2.76.
Gas prices have since risen with the ending of Georgia Gov. Kemp's gas tax suspension, but prices could cool down by the end of the month.
A report from INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, revealed the best and worst times to be on the road. The report stated that drivers should avoid peak travel times in each metro area suggesting an earlier travel time. Read the data below.
Here are the predicted best times to drive in Georgia
- Saturday, Dec 23: Before 10 a.m.
- Sunday, Dec 24: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Monday, Dec 25: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Tuesday, Dec 26, : Before noon
- Wednesday, Dec 27: Before noon
- Thursday, Dec 28: Before noon
- Friday, Dec 29: Before noon
- Saturday, Dec 30: Before noon
- Sunday, Dec 31: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Monday, Jan 01: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
Although the numbers for air travel are way lower than auto travel, the AAA report is predicting an over 6,000 increase in people who will fly this holiday season than last year.
AAA officials said that ticket prices for flights have decreased this year.
“Despite various inflationary pressures, Americans are still willing to budget for travel. With a record number of travelers, the roads, airports, and cruise lines will be more crowded than normal," said Hass. "So finalize your travel plans now, anticipate longer lines, and give yourself extra time to get to your destination."