OZAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. — Millions of Wisconsinites are hitting the road and taking to the skies in the final days before Christmas, with record-breaking travel numbers expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels.
Watch: Wisconsin travelers pack airports and highways as Christmas approaches
Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport is expecting 250,000 travelers — both arrivals and departures — from last weekend through New Year’s Day. The busy travel period comes as AAA forecasts record levels of holiday travel, including a 2% bump in road travelers, with more than 100 million Americans traveling in total.
“We came back for an early family Christmas,” said Erika Botzum, who was traveling to Baltimore with her family. “It’s been a tradition for 25 years; we’ve been going to my brother’s house in La Crosse.”
The Botzum family arrived at Milwaukee’s airport early enough to avoid the rush, a strategy travel experts recommend for holiday travelers.
“It’s Christmas. How could you not be excited for Christmas?” said Grant Botzum.
With Christmas falling in the middle of the week, travel is being spread out across a longer period that started last weekend.
On Interstate 43, one of the area's biggest and busiest highways, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says more than 50,000 cars pass through on a normal day — with plenty expected this week.
Matt Smith and his family are among those preparing to drive north to visit family in Door County.
"Hop in the car and go!" Smith said. "I'm glad that we're staying situated in our home and our car. Feels like a lot less can go wrong that way."
Weather conditions are expected to remain favorable for travel.
“The only time we ever were delayed was because of fog in the Baltimore area, not because of any weather here in Milwaukee,” Erika Botzum said.
Travel experts recommend arriving at the airport about two hours early, especially for families with children. They also suggest leaving gifts unwrapped in case security needs to inspect them.
For road travelers, AAA recommends thoroughly checking vehicles before long journeys, including gas, brakes and fluids such as windshield washer fluid.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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