With a busy travel season ahead, drivers will be paying over $1.25 a gallon more over 2020’s holiday travel season

AAA expects nearly 110 million people to hit the roads, sky or rails for year-end holidays. That is a dramatic bounce-back over 2020 with nearly 28 million more people traveling this year.  The numbers will bring this year’s total to 92% of 2019 levels.

Those who will be driving will see a dramatic increase over gas prices of a year ago.

AAA says the average cost per gallon in Westchester County is $3.71. In Rockland County, it is $3.67 which is about 15 cents more than the statewide average. "There is still tremendous pent-up demand for people to travel despite the surge of the omicron variant of COVID. The widespread use of vaccines has increased the confidence of travelers, but they still must be cautious as they set out for the busiest travel period of the year,” says AAA Northeast’s Robert Sinclair.

Sinclair says if you want to avoid the crowds, the busiest travel days  will be between next Thursday, December 23 and January 2 which is a Sunday.

Like millions of Americans, Middletown's Melvin Ocasio will be hitting the roads this holiday season to head to Maryland to see family. "I'm going to be driving, about four hours each way, so it's going to be an all-day thing on Sunday," says Ocasio.

So where can you find some good deal on gas? Here are some of the lowest prices according to Gas Buddy: