AAA: Nearly 71 million people expected to travel this week

The country is in for a record-setting Fourth of July travel week.

AAA officials project nearly 71 million people across the country will travel this week for the holiday. They say this is a five percent increase from last year.

Scott Steward is a spokesperson for AAA. He said there are better times than others to travel.

“If your travels take you to Denver or Minneapolis or some other larger cities, those are definitely times we see a lot of congestion in terms of holiday travelers mixed with people getting off work, for example,” said Steward. “So we always suggest people avoid the afternoon and evening of July 3rd before the holiday. A lot of people head out of town then. And then Sunday and even Monday – we’re starting to see people headed back those days.”

Steward added that even if you’re not headed to a bigger metropolitan city, it’s “orange barrel season,” so he had tips for dealing with that.

“We always suggest that people pack their patience on their road trip,” said Steward. “Just know there’s likely to be some extra congestion on the highways. Pay special attention to those construction zones and the speed and lane reductions. Impaired driving is a big thing during this holiday. A lot of people like to get out to the lakes or parties and enjoy themselves. Definitely don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking.”

For those who are driving, average gas prices in the state have fallen nearly two cents a gallon in the last week according to GasBuddy’s latest survey. And compared to last year, they’re down about 26 cents a gallon.

Good news for air travelers, too. AAA booking data showed domestic airfare is two percent cheaper this year compared to last year. But Steward said they expect a seven percent increase in air travel this year so you’ll want to get to the airport earlier than usual for longer airport security lines.