July 4th Holiday travel

LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - AAA expects over 42 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more, this July 4th holiday, through July 8th. Of that total, about 35.5 million people will travel by car, and over 3 million will travel by air.

Experts say that the reason travel will be up this year compared to last, is due to a more stable economy, and also the fact that the holiday is on a Wednesday this year.

However, AAA says the tourism industry isn't seeing the normal July 4th spike in reservations. Many people told 22News it's because they have to work.

But if you do plan on traveling this week, 22News is working for you with some holiday travel tips from the Massachusetts State Police:

*Make sure to allow yourself some extra time to get to where you're going.

*If you're traveling a long distance, try and get plenty of rest and take a couple breaks along the way.

*If you're traveling by car, it's always a good idea to fill your gas tank up, and check your fluids.

*Also, if you plan on drinking make sure to have a designated driver!

22News will continue to track holiday travel conditions here in Western Massachusetts. You can also check-out the Massachusetts' Department of Transportation traffic cameras here , which are setup throughout the state.