More Road Trips Expected this Labor Day Weekend

Southern California residents planning trips this Labor Day weekend might be more likely to travel by car than any other method of transportation, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The number of residents expected to drive to their destinations will increase slightly to 1.89 million compared to the 1.88 million who traveled by car last year.

Labor Day travel is expected to dip from last year, with more than 2.32 million Southern Californians expected to take a vacation this year, which is a 2.6 percent decrease from last year’s 2.38 million travelers, according to the Automobile Club.

Trips by plane are expected to decline by 1.6 percent to 282,000. Travelers by bus, train, motor home and cruise ship are expected to decline to 144,000 from 216,000 last year.

“We are seeing some travelers choosing to take a shorter vacation or opting to drive,” said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services.

More than 31.5 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles away from home during the holiday period between Thursday and Monday, which is a 2.4 percent decrease from last year’s 32.3 million travelers, according to the Auto Club.

According to the Auto Club, the top destinations for local Labor Day travelers are:

1. San Diego
2. Las Vegas
3. Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey)
4. San Francisco
5. Grand Canyon