NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — People are already hitting the roads as we head into the holiday weekend, and AAA expects Labor Day travel to climb 9% higher than last year. This is happening right as the cost to travel within the country went down by about 2%.

To anyone who may be driving to their weekend destination, the travel expert WAVY 10 spoke with recommends avoiding the roads from 3-7 p.m. on Friday. This is in reverse for drivers heading back at the end of the weekend — avoid mornings on Sunday and Monday.

But if you are just driving to the airport, the advice is simple. Get there early.

“Get there in plenty of time to get through the line, to check your bag, to get through your TSA line,” said Holly Dalby with AAA Tidewater. “You don’t want to be rushing and risk missing that flight.”

Our news team went to Norfolk International on Friday morning in what seemed to be the sweet spot. Plenty of passengers were checking in early, but the place was not as slammed as some travelers were expecting.

“The airport traffic today is smooth, really nice, it wasn’t congested,” Malcom Moore said. “I looked at the TSA (line), I got the pre-check, but even with regular, everything is running smoothly.”

Data from AAA shows Alaska cruises are popular around Labor Day, even selling out for this weekend. This is bringing many passengers to Seattle and Alaska for those cruises. Orlando, Washington D.C., New York and Las Vegas are also proving to be hit destinations for holiday travel.

Lower gas prices are a big factor driving vacationers away from home. Throughout Hampton Roads, we are seeing prices close to $3 per gallon. Some gas stations are even showing prices in the $2 range.

For a full list of gas prices in the area, click here.