Summer is almost over, and thousands of travelers are expected to hit the road to take advantage of the long weekend. If you’re planning to join the throngs of road trippers, AAA has some advice to help you avoid getting stuck in vibe-killing traffic.
AAA booking data shows that Labor Day travel is up from last year—a 4% increase in domestic bookings and a whopping 44% increase in international bookings. While more people are heading abroad for the holiday, the domestic road trip numbers are expected to be high.
Using data from INRIX, a global provider of transportation data and insights, AAA expects the busiest times on the road—in other words, the worst times to travel—to be Thursday afternoon between 2 pm and 6 pm and Friday between 11am and 9pm.
“Most travelers will leave on Thursday or Friday before Labor Day to take advantage of the long holiday weekend,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, in a statement.
Regarding the best times to travel for Labor Day weekend, leaving early is key: AAA recommends leaving before 7am on Wednesday or Thursday, and returning after 7pm on Monday. Sunday will be the least busy day, if you’re just thinking about a day trip.
Some routes will be busier than others. Data shows that Seattle to Bellingham via I-5 N on Thursday afternoon will be 71% busier than usual, Tampa to Orlando via I-4 E will be 36% busier than usual on Thursday morning, Los Angeles to Bakersfield via I-5 N will be 88% busier on Wednesday afternoon, and Jersey Shore to New York via Garden St Pkwy N will be 64% busier on Monday late morning.
Whenever you plan to leave, be sure to pack some snacks and some good tunes (or calming meditations, perhaps?) to keep yourself occupied in case you get stuck in traffic.