PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Millions of people will be traveling this weekend for Memorial Day and many of them will be visiting South Florida, prompting AAA to remind Floridians and travelers to be prepared for more traffic and crowds.
People from all over the country will be enjoying the Memorial Day weekend in South Florida.
"We're gonna hit the beach," David Fisher, visiting South Florida from New York, told WPTV at Palm Beach.
"Just kind of walking around exploring. Seeing different things and staying at the beach all day," Phoebe Chess, visiting South Florida from Virginia, said.
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AAA estimates 39.2 million Americans will be traveling for the holiday weekend, which is three million more than last year.
"It's gonna be busy on the roads. It's going to be busy at the airports. People are eager to travel again," Mark Jenkins, a AAA spokesman, said.
With Palm Beach County being a vacation hot spot, Jenkins said both travelers from out of town and Floridians should be ready for crowds and traffic.
"Friday afternoon, early evening hours, and then throughout the weekend, traffic is going to ebb and flow," Jenkins said. "I think that our biggest tip is for you to leave early. Allow yourself extra time to get to your destination so you're not in a rush."
With gas prices still soaring and airfare up 33% from last year, Carl Gould — a business analyst and president of the business management firm 7 Stage Advisors — said travelers need to be prepared to spend some money, but there are some simple ways to be frugal.
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"When you travel, on your way to your hotel, stop at a supermarket, pick up some essentials, snacks, frozen meals," Gould said.
Also, he suggests thinking of ways you can get around without your car.
"You’re going on vacation. You don't want to be cooped up in your car, so bring your bike, so once you get there you can get around," Gould said.
AAA wants to remind travelers and Floridians about their program to help keep impaired drivers off the road by calling (855)-2-TOW-2-GO for a free, safe ride.
