Image courtesy of AAA.com

The coming holiday weekend is set to see the highest volume of travelers in a dozen years.

AAA projects 2.4 million New Englanders will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 5% percent increase over last year.

Drivers in New England are forecasted to exceed the national average and see an increase of 5 percent from 1.99 million to 2.09 million

Experts believe the 2018 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving traveler volume since 2005, with 115,000 more people taking to roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year.

Motorists can expect to pay the highest Thanksgiving gas prices in four years, with a national average of $2.65 as of November 15, 9 -cents more than a year ago. New Hampshire’s average price is $2.66 per gallon, 14 cents higher than one year ago. In Maine the average price is $2.63 per gallon, 6 cents higher than one year ago.

Pat Moody, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England said “Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth. This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.”