Planning for holiday travel in and out of the Ozarks

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Friday kicked off the start of a big travel weekend across the United States.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol told OzarksFirst the increase shouldn't be too impactful but is encouraging safe driving. 

Whether you're planning to travel by land or by air, over the next few days, officials say to plan ahead to make sure you get to your holiday destination safely 

“Even in the busyness of the holiday season, definitely give yourself some extra time to get where you're going. That way you can take your time and enjoy the trip on your way there,” Springfield Police Department's Cris Swaters said. 

According to AAA, over 2.3 million Missourians plan on traveling over the holiday period, with 90% of that travel being on the road.    

“Any time you have holiday travel, sometimes you can expect more people on the roads coming to and from Springfield,” Swaters said. 

Since Christmas falls on a Wednesday, Swaters says drivers in Springfield should be cautious throughout the week. 

“Make sure you're putting down those distractions. Leave the phone down. The text message can wait until you get where you're going,” Swaters said. “Pay attention to the road and just be respectful of yourself and other drivers.” 

Airports across the United States are also expecting an increase in travelers in the next week.  

Springfield-Branson National Airport spokesperson Kent Boyd says Christmas at SGF doesn't usually get hectic but can get clogged up with inexperienced fliers. 

“The issue you run into is that these folks don't know the drill,” Boyd said. “They hit the airport, they don't know where the ticket counters are. They don't know what they're supposed to do. They hit the checkpoint. They don't know what they're supposed to do.” 

Boyd also offered some tips to make sure you can avoid any holiday hiccups  

"Get to the airport early. We recommend 2 hours. And that's really the standard across the country,” Boyd said. “That can seem like a lot of time in an airport like Springfield, but if something goes wrong, it may not be enough time.” 

For drivers, AAA recommends leaving for your destination in the early morning hours or waiting until after the evening traffic slows down.