SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As the holiday weekend draws closer, travelers should prepare for the holiday rush. Sacramento International Airport is expecting Friday to be their busiest day of the travel period.
"The mornings are going to be the busiest throughout the morning. You'll se a lot of traffic," said Scott Johnston, the spokesperson for SMF.
While it was smooth sailing for travelers at SMF Wednesday afternoon, it's expected to get much busier in the coming days.
"Friday is actually projected to be our busiest day, and we're also projecting to see a lot of traffic on Christmas Day, which is Monday," Johnston said.
He adds that travelers should plan ahead.
"Number one thing is going to be parking. We do anticipate the lots to fill up pretty quickly during this time, and so we ask people, give yourself plenty of time," Johnston said.
You can find out which lots have spaces available through the parking map on the airport's website.
To alleviate some parking issues, SMF said they are working on new lots, including an economy lot that will likely open next summer and plans for a parking garage to be added by 2025.
Johnston also recommends coming to the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to make sure you don't miss your flight.
Also, make sure you only bring items that are TSA approved. Staffmembers are asking travelers not to wrap presents going through security. If you do bring presents, be sure to have them in a box that opens easily.
On the roads, AAA is expecting record travel in Northern California.
15.4 million Californians are expected to hit the roadways, which is the largest they've seen since 2019 and second largest since 2000.
AAA Northern California spokesperson John Treanor said Dec. 23 and 28 are the two busiest travel days on the roads.
"If you want to beat the traffic, get out before lunch time or drive after 7 p.m. because the hours between noon and 7 p.m. will be very busy," he said.
AAA also recommends getting your car checked out before you go.
"Take it into a service provider, have them check the battery, have them check the tire and check your fluids. If you do those things, you can avoid breakdowns on the way," Treanor said.
If you're traveling around California, there's some good news for gas prices. They are down about 40 cents from last month with the current average around $4.60 per gallon for regular.
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