by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:01 AM ET, Thu June 21, 2018
A new AAA study revealed a record-breaking 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home this Independence Day holiday.
The nearly 50 million people predicted to travel for the Fourth of July are an increase of more than five percent compared with last year and the highest number since AAA started tracking 18 years ago.
Of the 46.9 million American travelers, 39.7 million are hitting the road and should expect longer travel times due to an increase in traffic. The holiday falling on a Wednesday helps spread the festivities to the weekend before and after, creating more flexibility to schedule a trip.
As for other means of transportation, 3.8 million passengers are expected to travel via plane (a 7.9 percent increase) and another 3.5 million people will see the world via trains, buses and cruise ships (a 5.8 percent increase).
"This Independence Day will be one for the record books, as more Americans take to the nation's roads, skies, rails and waterways than ever before," AAA senior vice president Bill Sutherland said in a statement. "Confident consumers with additional disposable income will look to spend on travel this holiday, building on an already busy summer travel season."
The worst day for driving during the holiday period will be Tuesday, July 3 in the late afternoon, when people are leaving work early to hit the road for vacation. Drivers in Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C. will experience the worst delays.
While the average price of gas ($2.92 per gallon), rental cars ($66 per day) and hotel rooms ($147 per night) have all gone up since last year, the cost of purchasing a seat on a flight has gone down nine percent to an average of $171.
Theme parks remain a top Independence Day destination, with Orlando and Anaheim ranking first and second, respectively. Europe is also a major draw for the holiday, with Rome, London and Dublin rounding out the top three destinations.
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