As New Englanders prepare for one last summer getaway, timing will be everything as AAA is predicting a busy Labor Day weekend on the roads with congestion expected across major routes in the region.
Boston ranks among the leading domestic destinations for Labor Day travelers this year, along with Seattle, Orlando, and New York, according to AAA’s new travel trends report.
The transportation analytics firm INRIX warns that traffic will be heaviest during afternoon and early evening hours throughout the holiday weekend, according to AAA.
In New England, the worst congestion is expected Monday afternoon, especially for travelers between Boston and New Hampshire via Interstate 93 around 12:15 p.m., when travel times could more than double, according to AAA.
The best times to anthem the road this weekend are generally in the morning. AAA recommends drivers heading out on Thursday should travel before 1 p.m., Friday drivers should be on the road before noon, and those traveling Saturday will want to be on the road between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Drivers on Sunday will anthem the worst traffic between noon and 5 p.m., and Monday’s traffic is expected to peak between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to AAA.
The report also noted that hotel rates are down 11 percent, and car rentals are 3 percent cheaper compared to last year, possibly leading more families to opt for road trips over flights. But airline prices have also come down, with domestic roundtrip flights down 6 percent compared to last year, according to AAA.
Summer gas prices have also stayed low this year, with summer averages matching those of 2021, according to AAA. Gas prices should stay below where they were last year, when the national average rate for a gallon of gas was $3.33 on Labor Day, according to the report.
Those who plan to rent a car should expect long lines on Friday, which AAA predicts will be the busiest day for rental pickups nationwide.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.
About the Author
