Travelers can expect heavy traffic this holiday weekend: AAA

With Christmas right around the corner, travelers can expect to see heavy traffic on the roads and in the air.

AUSTIN, Texas - Christmas is right around the corner, and Santa is not the only one checking to make sure his travel plans are on time.

AAA says this weekend will be the busiest time of the year for many travelers as they make it to their holiday destination.

"Nine million Texans are expected to travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1 for the year-end holidays. That’s a two percent increase over last year, it’s the largest number post-pandemic for year-end travel," said AAA spokesperson Daniel Armbruster

Austin airport expecting busy holiday travel

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is issuing a travel advisory ahead of a big holiday travel week. Nearly 25,000 passengers are expected at the airport Monday morning alone.

Whether you're traveling by car, air, or train, it's going to be busy.

AAA is predicting there will be 8 million travelers who will be traveling by car, 400,000 by air and 200,000 by other means.

Some travelers who spoke with FOX 7 Austin say they would rather leave Austin earlier than fight the crowd on Dec. 23.

"We decided to travel to beat the rush and to just have some time to visit with everybody," said traveler Debbie Santineau. "I have seven siblings, and we're all getting together for the first time for a long time, so we're very excited."

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For some families, leaving days before Christmas relieves some holiday stress.

"This is our holiday tradition," said traveler Jamie Taylor. "We leave a little bit before the craziness goes somewhere international. So, it's kind of just our family tradition. My husband handles all the flight information, so I just make sure the kids are packed."

Jimmy Reyes opted out to travel on an Amtrak train this holiday season after seeing how busy it was at the airport. Reyes says he prefers to take the train because it's more accommodating and you can travel comfortably.

Driving home for Christmas may be more expensive for some. Prices at the pump have gone up by 12 cents in the Austin area.