TEXAS — Summer travel is back in full swing, and Independence Day is no exception. AAA Texas predicts about 3.5 million Texans will be traveling more than 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend. Travel in 2022 will be within a percentage point of 2019 totals and is a 3% increase over 2021.

Despite rising gas prices, the number of people traveling by car is predicted to hit 3.1 million.

“Summer travel is in high gear with more Texans than ever expected to travel by car this Independence Day,” said Kent Livesay, vice president and general manager of AAA Texas. “Travel demand has been on the rise since the beginning of this year and is not letting up. Texans are ready for a break and despite things costing more, they are still ready to take that much needed vacation.”

According to AAA, travel via car will hit an all-time high across the state and the nation over the July 4 weekend. Nearly 48 million are predicted to travel, with 88% of them doing so by car. This will be a new record of nearly 42 million people driving to their destination amid recent issues with air travel, including cancelations and delays. This will be the lowest amount of people flying over the holiday weekend since 2011.

Since this will be the second busiest Independence Day weekend since 2000, according to AAA, here are some tips to travel with less stress amid this busy season.

Always have a plan B, C, and D- tours, accommodations, car rentals and other activities will be in high demand. Finding last-minute deals may prove to be difficult.

Beat the rush- travel during off-peak times or pick hidden gems closer to home. According to AAA data, July 1 is going to be the busiest travel date this year with July 4 being the lightest.

Get a full vehicle inspection before you hit the road- AAA expects to respond to over 21,000 roadside assistance calls over the weekend.