Community Corner

Labor Day: Best Times To Travel

More than 460,000 people from the Philadelphia area are expected to travel over the holiday weekend.

With more than 34.1 million Americans expected to travel for the holiday, including 460,000 from the Philadelphia area, knowing when to leave can make a big difference.

The largest share of travelers expect to head out on Friday, according to AAA, which found 46 percent expect to travel then.

In terms of coming home, AAA found that 43 percent of travelers plan to return on Monday. If you want to avoid the return home traffic, Sunday might be your best bet, because the study also found that 85 percent of travelers expect to return home on Monday or later.

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If you’re planning to rent a car this Labor Day weekend, expect to pay more. Car rental rates average $51, which is 32 percent more the $39 average in 2012, according to AAA.

The top five activities for Labor Day travelers are

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  • Dining Out: 69%
  • Shopping: 54%
  • Visit the beach/waterfront: 53%
  • Touring/Sightseeing: 53%
  • Visit friends/relatives: 46%

“The 2013 summer travel season is on track to finish stronger than it started,” said Jenny M. Robinson, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a press release. “This is great news for the economy and the travel industry.”


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