by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:01 PM ET, Thu December 14, 2017
A new survey from AAA forecasts 107.3 million Americans will travel during the year-end holiday period from December 23 through January 1.
The estimated 107.3 million travelers will be the highest year-end travel volume on record and a 3.1 percent increase compared with last year.
The estimated total marks the ninth consecutive year of rising year-end holiday travel, growing by 21.6 million since 2005.
97.4 million are expected to hit the road in an automobile, 6.4 million will fly to their destinations and another 3.6 million will utilize trains, buses and cruise ships.
The study also found that drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion before the holiday week on December 20 and 21.
Filling up the tank of your vehicle won't be easy either, as the average gas price is $2.47 per gallon, an increase of 28 cents over last December.
"More expensive gas prices are not swaying holiday revelers to stay home," AAA senior vice president Bill Sutherland said in a statement.
"In fact, across the board this year, travel has increased year-over-year for every major holiday weekend - Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving - and we project the same for the year-end holiday period. We've seen the strong economy and growing consumer confidence fuel holiday travel all year long."
On the other hand, average holiday airfares are nearly 20 percent cheaper than last year, according to AAA's Leisure Travel Index. Hotels are also cheaper in 2017, with Three Diamond nightly rates dropping two percent and Two Diamond nightly average rates decreasing by five percent.
Unlike average airfare and hotel rates, car rental prices have increased by 11 percent over last year. The higher average car rental cost sets new five-year record high rate for year-end holiday travel.
As for where everyone is going, the top holiday travel destinations include Orlando, Anaheim, Cancun, Honolulu, Hawaii, Punta Cana, Miami, and New York, to name a few.
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