Low fuel costs will lead to a busy Labor Day Weekend on roads, according to AAA

Low gas prices indicate that the Summer season will end with a high number of travelers heading into Labor Day Weekend, though most trips will remain relatively short, according to AAA.

“Americans see the extended Labor Day Weekend as an opportunity to say farewell to summer with one final trip,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA. “Since many kids are already back in school, regional road trips tend to be the most popular option for families. Because of that, others see this as an opportunity to travel the world, with the expectation of smaller crowds at popular sites.”

Orlando will be the second-most popular domestic destination during Labor Day Weekend travel on the domestic level, second only to Seattle. And domestic travel will be on the upswing for the end-of-Summer holiday period.

AAA officials say domestic travel across the U.S. during the Labor Day Weekend period will go up about 9% when compared to 2023, due to the lower costs of taking a trip during the holiday stretch. The cost of domestic travel is projected to decrease by about 2% through the Labor Day Weekend.

Meanwhile, international travel during the Labor Day holiday period is expected to decrease by about 4% compared to last year, as costs for traveling abroad are jumping by 11%.

Other year-to-year cost changes to consider during the Labor Day extended weekend, according to AAA, include:

— Domestic airfares are 2% cheaper this Labor Day Weekend, when compared to last year.

— International flights are 8% cheaper.

— Domestic hotels are 7% more expensive.

— International hotels are 2% more expensive.

— Domestic car rentals are 16% cheaper.

— International car rentals are 21% more expensive.

The top three international Labor Day travel destinations for Americans during the Labor Days stretch include Vancouver, Canada, at the top, followed by Rome and London.

AAA officials also advise those taking trips during the holiday period to purchase travel insurance before leaving home.