With so many families on the roads this week we decided to provide some road trip advice for the holidays. The good news is travel volume is expected to remain high during the holidays even as many families are on tighter travel budgets this year. AAA reported that the biggest increase for traveling is in the automobile category.

Road Trip Advice for the Holidays

Expected travel volume will be second highest in past ten years, representing nearly 30 percent of U.S. population AAA forecasts 91.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the 2011-12 Year-End holiday travel season, a 1.4 percent increase over the 90.7 million people who traveled one year ago.

This year’s expected Year-End holiday travel volume is the second highest in the past decade and represents 30 percent of the total U.S. population. The 11-day Year-End holiday period is the longest holiday travel season of the year, affording many more Americans time to visit family or take vacations. AAA defines the Year-End holiday travel season as Friday, December 23, 2011 to Monday, January 2, 2012.

Automobile is top transportation choice, increases 2.1 percent Approximately 83.6 million people (91 percent of holiday travelers) plan to take to the nation’s roadways this Year-End holiday travel season, a 2.1 percent increase compared to 2010-11 when the number of auto travelers totaled 81.9 million…

Train, bus, other modes of travel increases 4.2 percent Other modes of travel (bus, trains, watercraft, multi-modal travel) will make up the remaining three percent of the total person-trips, with 2.9 million people expected to travel by these modes, 4.2 percent higher than 2010-11. Economic conditions are dictating that some Americans that otherwise might travel by air or automobile are traveling by these alternative modes of transportation.

Hotel rates increase; car rental rates decrease According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond or mid-range lodgings are expected to increase a modest one percent from last year with travelers spending an average of $126 per night compared to $125 one year ago. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay four percent more at an average cost of $92 per night, up from $88 last year.

Daily car rental rates are $40 on average, a 21 percent decrease from one year ago and the lowest seen in the past five years. As the demand for used cars fluctuates or car manufacturers offer fewer opportunities for buying back fleets it can become harder for car rental companies to shrink their fleet to meet demand. With a larger pool of cars in the market, car rental companies must lower pricing to match supply and demand.

Year-End Holiday Travel Tips

More Americans travel during the Year-End holiday season than during any other holiday period throughout the year. Our nation’s roadways and airports will be busier than normal, so holiday travelers should be sure to pack more patience. AAA offers these important travel tips that can help everyone have an enjoyable and safe Year-End holiday season.

Plan ahead. Use a travel planning tool like AAA’s TripTik Travel Planner available at AAA.com to help identify the best driving routes, rest stops, and shop the latest gas prices. Our nation’s highways will be crowded with both holiday travelers and day-trippers. Continuously monitor weather conditions along your route and be prepared with contingency plans. Doing your homework could save valuable time, fuel costs, and improve travel safety.

Avoid the 3 Deadly D’s of Driving: Drunk or Drugged Driving. Remember that impairment begins with the first sip of alcohol. A designated driver should be alcohol-free, not merely the person in your party who has consumed the least amount of alcohol. Many medications have side effects that cause impairment, so read medication labels thoroughly.

Drowsy Driving. Get seven to nine hours of sleep before driving. Take a break every 100 miles or two hours. Do not drive during hours when you routinely sleep. If you feel tired while driving, pull over to a safe location and take a 20-to 30-minute nap.

Distracted Driving. It is the driver’s responsibility to keep eyes, mind and body fully focused on the task of driving. Assign a passenger to be the designated texter, talker, and navigator. If traveling alone, pull over to a safe location to use your cell phone or adjust your navigation device, then proceed on your trip distraction free. Child and pet passengers can be distractions to drivers, so allow another adult passenger to interact with these family members.

Before you head off down the road make sure you’ve utilized technology to it’s fullest for planning and getting bargains. You may decide to get your information on the road but keep in mind, internet connections can be weak in certain areas and during bad weather. You may have no trouble but you should do as much research ahead of time as you can. That is my road trip advice for the holidays.

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Travel news travels fast for the new Travel Intel Newsletter for travel agents. When they keep up with the latest information by reading the new travel industry newsletter Travel Intel. Market Watch for the Wall Street Journal published this review. For travel agents, anything that boosts their bottom line and makes things more interesting is a very good thing. So good luck to the new Travel-Intel newsletter and all their fans.

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The Travel-Intel newsletter seems to be filling a niche when it comes to passing along vital information for travel agents and for travelers. I am looking forward to more issues on hot topics and travel locations. Travel news travels fast for new Travel-Intel Newsletter for travel agents.

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Taking a vacation is something several families can’t wait to do every year. Then there are others who wish they could just afford to go on vacation or have the time to take one. Well, the Resorts 360 Vacation Club has been providing a way for people to stay in great places at low costs for a long time.

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