Despite lower trip costs, AAA is predicting that Labor Day weekend travel will be flat this year compared with last year.
The travel firm estimates that 34.6 million Americans will venture 50 miles or more from home this weekend, about the same number that traveled last Labor Day.
“Many schools have moved their start of the school year to before Labor Day,” said Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado’s director of travel services. “This has prevented many families from taking extended Labor Day trips and has slowed the yearly increase in Labor Day travel.”
Motorists can expect lower gasoline and rental-car costs this year. Colorado gasoline prices are down 14 cents a gallon from 2006, while average prices nationally have fallen by 8 cents.
Average car-rental rates in Denver are $54 a day, down from last year’s $58.
Hotel prices are up nationally and in Denver. Airfares are virtually identical to last year, AAA said.
Travel bookings through AAA Colorado show that the top five trip destinations in Colorado are Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Gunnison and Vail.
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached at 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
Labor Day travel costs
Down: Gas and car rental
The average price of self-service regular gasoline in Colorado is $2.85 per gallon, down 14 cents from last year. The national average is $2.76, down 8 cents from last year.
Car-rental rates in Denver are down an average of 7 percent from $58 last year to $54 this year. Nationally, rates are down 3 percent.
Up: Hotel rates
Hotel rates nationally are up 3 percent compared with last year for moderately priced hotels. In Denver, the average rates for AAA’s Three Diamond-rated hotels are up 14 percent, from $102 to $116 per night.
The same: Airfares
Airfares are nearly identical to Labor Day 2006.
Source: AAA Colorado
