With a record number of travelers predicted to hit the road and take flight over the July Fourth holiday, a little travel-savvy and expertise while planning will go a long way.
AAA expects this holiday to be one of the busiest weeks of summer travel on record, with 72.2 million people predicted to travel at least 50 miles from home between June 28 and July 6, the travel association reported. That marks an additional 1.7 million travelers from Fourth of July last year, plus 7 million more than in 2019, per AAA.
4th of July travel likely to shatter records: What to expectFor those venturing out this Fourth of July, "Good Morning America" enlisted top travel experts to help guide your journey with tips, trending destination insights and helpful strategies to stay a step ahead and keep your sanity this summer holiday.
Rena Shah, head of Lodging and Experiences for Chase Travel, shared a few key tips for navigating the busy holiday, along with exclusive data pointing out where travelers are headed and how they’re getting there.
"There seems to be an unspoken rule around needing to book your flight before your hotel," Shah told "GMA," "but I always recommend booking your hotel first. Popular hotels usually sell out fast, whereas flights usually have a little bit more flexibility and options."
She also emphasized that finding the right hotel can "make or break" a vacation, especially for families or those needing specific accommodations like adjoining rooms or lower-floor access.
The Points Guy founder and travel expert Brian Kelly joined "GMA" Wednesday, explaining that "the beautiful thing about hotels is you can always rebook -- at a lower rate."
"Most people use Google flights, but you can also use it for hotels, and a tip I give everyone is always recheck your hotel reservations. Often you can change that for free up until a day before arrival, sometimes a week, so keep checking," he suggested.
Melanie Fish, an expert for the Vacation Rental platform Vrbo, told "GMA" that more travelers are "booking closer to their travel dates and opting for quick, two to three night escapes."
The company recently announced its new Last Minute Deals filter on the app and site that shows travelers discounted properties available to book within 30 days of check-in.
"Whether you're a procrastinator or a spontaneous traveler, Vrbo has more than 300,000 private vacation rentals offering Last Minute Deals," she said. "There’s still time to score a great place at a great price for your summer vacation."
And there are still lots of top summer destinations under the Last Minute Deals available, including: Florida’s 30A beaches along the Gulf Coast; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
"This year will be the first with Real ID, and it's likely people are traveling for the first time since this went into effect," Going travel expert Katy Nastro reminded. "So buffer in some extra time through security days on those high traffic days like the Friday, Monday, and Wednesday before the Fourth."
Clint Henderson, travel expert at The Points Guy, told "GMA" that to date, "there has been little impact from Real ID enforcement," but he suggested travelers "bring backup identification like a birth certificate and/or a social security card, and follow our advice to get to the airport a few hours ahead of time, just in case."
The TSA saw its busiest single day in the agency's history with 3.1 million travelers on June 22, and it anticipates screening 18.5 million passengers between July 1-7.
"Consider traveling on less busy days to avoid the crowds," Shah advised. "Our booking data shows the busiest travel days are traveling on June 27 and July 3, so plan your departure for earlier or later to enjoy a smoother journey and less congestion."
Henderson reminded "better safe than sorry" when it comes to how early people should plan to arrive at the airport.
"I like the airlines' recommendation that during busy periods that you are at the airport two hours ahead of time for domestic flights and three hours for international, but it really depends on how big the airport is you are leaving from," he said. "I don't think of extra time at the airport as wasted time since most large airports have so much to do now including lounges, shopping and restaurants and even yoga rooms."
Kelly also explained that "we're in this really unique spot" where passengers are up, but airfare prices are down, with fares showing a 7.3% dip in the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index.
Kayla DeLoache, an expert with travel search engine and booking platform KAYAK, told "GMA" there are still options to book an affordable getaway, with Fourth of July airfare "running about 10% cheaper than last year."
"Spots like Atlanta, Bozeman and Houston are seeing the biggest increases in searches," she said. "Tampa, Las Vegas and Atlanta top the list as the cheapest destinations for the holiday weekend."
"July 1 is when prices are cheapest to fly domestically over the holiday weekend," DeLoache added.
Similar to Kelly's suggestion on rebooking hotels, he said "it also works on rental cars."
"There's a great site called Auto Slash that automatically checks your rental car rate, especially if you have a Costco membership, up to a week before you can rebook and save hundreds and hundreds of dollars," he said.
Average daily rates are down across the board by 3% domestically and 5% internationally, DeLoache said according to KAYAK.
The cheapest pickup locations, based on the daily rate average, over July Fourth weekend include Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C.
"With the busy airports, get global entry. It's $120, but free for kids18 and under," Kelly said.
Plus, some credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum offer a statement credit to reimburse cardholders who purchase Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
"Especially with families and kids, you want to avoid lines. It's time for everyone to get Global Entry, or at least TSA PreCheck," he said.
This app could help reduce your customs wait time as TSA experiences record travelShah said savvy travelers can find creative ways to upgrade various points of the overall experience by leaning into credit card perks and partnerships, a philosophy Kelly regularly touts and built his business around as well.
"Whether it’s leveraging your credit card points to book a last-minute trip, hitting up the airport lounge before your flight, or booking through a hotel program, like The Edit by Chase Travel, to enjoy perks like complimentary breakfast or room upgrades, having the right credit card can help unlock ways to sweeten your trip," Shah said.
"Use this weekend to start thinking about where to go next, because the next big trip will be here before you know it. Whether it’s planning your fall foliage trip or booking festive-season flights, it always helps to get ahead," Shah said.
Kelly said "all the experts" love Google flights and recommended people "set alerts now" for a certain city, "and it will email you whenever prices start dropping."
"Whenever Google Flights tell you the price is low, book it, because airfare goes up much more than it goes down," he urged.
"For summer travel, there are some last minute deals," he continued, specifically with international destinations other than Europe "that go against the grain."
The Points Guy tracked flight prices from Dallas to Sydney, which Kelly said are "normally about a $2,000 flight -- you can get for under $1,000. And Cape Town as well for $1,500, which is a huge discount."
"They're in the southern hemisphere, so it's their winter, but we're talking 50s and 60s," he said. "Personally, I love to explore a destination when it's not 80, 90 [degrees Fahrenheit]."
When it comes to top trending destinations this summer, Shah pointed to the latest Chase Travel 2025 Trends report, saying, "We're seeing a little bit of everything."
"Hub destinations like New York, London, Chicago, and Las Vegas remain popular, but we're also seeing growth in destinations with an outdoor adventure element, such as Wisconsin and Michigan for their picturesque lakes and the Glacier National Park. When it comes to international travel, Lisbon remains a top growing spot," she said.
While the desire to travel remains strong across generations, what drives their travels varies.
The new trends report showed Gen X is generally interested in finding and visiting lesser-known "hidden gems," while Gen Z shows an interest in traveling for destination weddings and celebratory travel.
"Other travel styles we saw with high interest and growth included 'nighttime travel' and exploring destinations after dark, trips centered around shopping for local items, and mindful travel to unplug from technology," Shah said
