If you’ll be headed out next week for the holidays you need to brace yourself for some headaches because you definitely won't be the only one. According to the AAA, over 107 million folks will be traveling for the year-end holidays (December 23rd to January 1st ), which is a new record, and about 3.1 million more people than last year. It is also the ninth year in a row that those numbers have risen.
The worst headache for travelers will likely be on the roads, with 97.4 million people expected to drive to their holiday destination, up 3% from last year. Not that the airports won’t be bad as well. An estimated 6.4 million Americans are expected to take to the sky, which is a 4.1% increase from 2016. Other modes of travel, including cruises, trains and buses, will see a 2.2% increase, with 3.6 million travelers expected.
- As for where most people are going, it seems warm destinations are calling people, and would anybody really blame folks for trying to escape the cold. This year’s top holiday destination is Orlando, Florida followed by Anaheim, California.
Top Ten Holiday Destinations
- Orlando, FL
- Anaheim, CA
- Cancun, Mexico
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Kahului (Maui), Hawaii
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Miami, FL
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- New York, NY
Source: AAA