ST. LOUIS — The roads and skies were alive with the hustle and bustle of holiday travelers making their way to destinations for Christmas
Experts have noted that it is the busiest holiday travel season in years, as families and friends reunite for festive celebrations.
At St. Louis Lambert International Airport, long TSA lines are hard to avoid, but travelers were not short of the holiday spirit.
Sherri Hoyt, eagerly waiting in line, shared her joy, "Our older son and daughter-in-law just moved to New York in September. So, they invited us out, and we're thrilled. Then we're all flying back home Christmas Eve together to celebrate with Christmas here."
Thousands of people are bustling through airport terminals, racing against time to reach their Christmas destinations.
Another family expressed their excitement, "It's kind of nice to go back to traveling again and get our whole family together because we all just got out of college, so it's kind of nice to just bring everyone together."
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) projects that more than 115,000 travelers will fly between its two terminals at Lambert International this week alone.
According to AAA, out of the 115 million travelers expected to hit the roads and skies between Saturday and New Year's, a staggering 90 percent of them will be traveling by car.
Many drivers and their families stopped at the Wally's in Fenton on their way to their destinations.
Brenton James and her crew, traveling from Indianapolis, shared their strategy for a smooth road trip with the whole family, including their furry friend, "It takes us seven hours unless we stop with our kids, which takes a little bit longer, so we decided to get up at 5 o'clock this morning so we could get some naps in the car, and everyone wouldn't be so cranky."
Troy O'Neill and his daughters were on the road from Arkansas to Ohio, making an early start to their day at 5 a.m. "Sometimes I'll do an overnighter just to avoid it. Most of them truckers are sleeping in the evening, so you get a free ride," O'Neill shared, highlighting the strategic planning that goes into making the road trip as smooth as possible.
Whether it's hitting the skies or hitting the road, these families are grateful for the opportunity to embark on the journey again.
O'Neill expressed his joy, "This is the first time in four years that we'll be back, so that's good."
Best times to travel by car:
Drivers with flexibility in their travel plans should hit the road on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's to avoid the worst traffic.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, early birds who leave before 10 a.m. will get the worm (hit less traffic).
The days between Christmas and New Year's (Tuesday, Dec. 26; Wednesday, Dec. 27; Thursday, Dec. 28; Friday; Dec. 29; and Saturday, Dec. 30) will be the most hectic on the roads.
Drivers can anticipate the worst traffic before Christmas on Dec. 23 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
After Christmas, on Wednesday, Dec. 27, the roads are forecasted to be packed between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Dec. 28 and 29, according to INRIX.
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