SALISBURY, MD - Many Delmarva residents are gearing up to hit the roads or take to the skies for the holiday season. AAA predicts a 2% increase in holiday travel compared to last year, with around 2.3 million Marylanders expected to travel.
Although this year’s numbers don’t break any records, they mark a noticeable uptick from 2022, according to AAA. To avoid crowds, many travelers are departing earlier than usual.
At Salisbury Regional Airport, several travelers were spotted with presents in hand, opting to leave town ahead of the weekend rush.
“We just looked at the flight prices, and honestly, it was a little better deal. We flew in from Toronto,” said Lynaya Morris.
However, Morris noted that traveling earlier didn’t necessarily mean avoiding the chaos.
“When we were in the customs line, it took us over an hour just to get through to get to our flights, and there were some people that were also flying to the States that were nervous about missing their flight because it took so long to get through,” she said.
AAA anticipates that Sunday will be the busiest travel day, while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are expected to see lighter traffic.
For some, traffic is less of a concern than the dangers posed by distracted drivers.
“Watch the other people, you know. Believe me, because they are not watching you. I mean, they are just so sidetracked with everything. I see people drift into the other lane,” said Sam Jones.
Others, like Jonathan Harp, are planning to travel on Christmas Day to avoid the congestion.
“Yeah, all the bumper-to-bumper mess,” Harp said.
Meanwhile, some travelers, like Shenia Davis, decided to leave on Friday to get ahead of the holiday rush.
“On a Friday, yes, we were concerned, so we left early because we know people are getting off work. This is the last-minute shopping weekend, Christmas weekend, so we wanted to get ahead of the traffic,” Davis said.
Looking ahead to New Year’s, AAA suggests traveling on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day for the smoothest journey.