Millions of Americans will be traveling during what AAA is calling the busiest holiday travel season in years. The association predicts 2.6 million New Jersey residents to get out of town this year, up 2.7% from 2022.
“We are actually seeing travel up across all modes of transportation for the year-end holidays” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Automobile travel is up 2.1%. Air travel is up 5.1%, and other modes of transportation are up 16.3%. There is a huge jump in those traveling by train, bus or cruising.”
Noble attributes the increase in travel to a slight drop in consumer prices. “We’ve seen air prices come down a little bit compared to where they were last year,” said Noble. “So, people took advantage of those cheaper prices and we’ve also seen, seen some relief at the gas pump. Prices are trending much lower than they were a year ago. There are still plenty of stations across New Jersey that are selling gas at below $3 a gallon.”
And the automobile remains by far the most popular mode of travel.
This year, “2.4 million New Jerseyans that are going to be driving to their holiday destination,” added Noble. “That’s almost 90% of those that are traveling, and it still remains the easiest way to move a family.”
Whether by planes, trains or automobiles, Noble says it’s always best to practice a little extra patience to make sure everyone makes it safely to and from their destinations.
