AAA Michigan: 1.3 Million Residents to Travel During Thanksgiving Holiday

An estimated 1.3 million Michigan residents will travel 50 miles or more from home during the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday period, on par with last year, says AAA Michigan. Nationally 43.4 million are expected to travel, a dip of almost two percent from a year ago. The holiday period is defined as Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1.

AAA says vehicle travel remains the most popular form of Thanksgiving transportation. Ninety percent of Michigan travelers will go by vehicle, up one percent from a year ago. Michigan travelers can expect to pay $3.23 per gallon for gas, which is 23 cents less than last year and the cheapest gas price for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2010.

Other numbers from AAA Michigan:

• Seven percent of Michigan residents will travel by air. The remaining three percent will go by train or bus.
• The majority of travelers surveyed plan to leave on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving continuing to make it the busiest travel day of the year.
• Hotel rates expected to average $142 per night, a slight drop from last year.
• The average lowest round-trip rate for airfare is $187 for the top 40 U.S. air routes, down slightly from last year.