LOUISVILLE, Ky. — AAA experts are predicting this holiday travel season will be close to pre-pandemic numbers with more than 54 million people expected to travel this weekend, roughly 48 million of them by car.
Here in Louisville, holiday travel is expected to last about 10 days with Wednesday being the busiest.
"The roadways will be congested, the airports will be congested, and we want everyone to bring a lot of patience and a lot of kindness," Lynda Lambert, with AAA's East Central division, said.
Lambert said the absolute worst times to travel by car on Wednesday will be between noon and 8 p.m.
"Get out early or hang out and leave later," she said adding that the same will apply for Sunday as well. "You just don't want to be on the road when everyone else is because it will be crowded."
And if you're worried about gas prices, this week is the first time since labor day that prices are slightly down.
The national average is down a penny, currently at $3.40, and here in Kentucky, we're down three cents per gallon over the last week.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced that he would release the emergency oil reserves to help lower gas prices.
And if you're flying this holiday season, expect to give yourself more time to travel as well.
Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport said they are expecting over 100,000 passengers this season.
They advised to pack properly, wear your mask, and arrive two hours before your flight--making sure to give yourself enough time to park and go through security.
GABRIELLE HARMON
Contact reporter Gabrielle Harmon at gharmon@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@_GabbyHarmonTV) and Facebook.
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