These are the worst days to fly out of Sacramento for holidays — and the best times to drive

Inflation isn’t deterring Californians from traveling this holiday season.

Nearly 15 million residents, according to a December statement from the American Automobile Association, will pack their bags between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2 for a winter holiday getaway — a nearly 4% rise from last year. Overall, this year is expected to be the busiest for travelers since 2019.

Nearly 113 million people across the U.S. will travel by car, plane or another mode of transportation like a train. That’s a 3.3% rise from last year, but a 5.5% decrease from 2019.

Here’s what you need to know if you plan to fly out of Sacramento International Airport or hit the road for the holidays.

Busiest days to travel from Sacramento International Airport

Sacramento International Airport’s business travel days for the winter holidays, said airport spokesman Scott Johnston in an email to The Bee, will be Dec. 22 to Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 to Dec. 27.

Security lines will be busy during the holidays, so Sacramento International Airport recommends getting to the airport at least two and half hours before a domestic flight and three and half hours if you’re flying internationally.

Parking at Sacramento International Airport

Don’t drive to Sacramento International Airport if you can avoid it because lots fill up and close, leaving people in a “parking crunch” before their flight.

Instead, call a ride share service like Uber or Lyft, take a taxi or public transit to the airport, Johnston told The Bee. Sacramento Regional District has an express service from downtown Sacramento to the airport and YoloBus also has routes to get you to your flight.

If you have to park at the airport, choose between five different lots — broken down by proximity to terminals, price and duration of stay.

“If you are choosing to park at SMF,” Johnston said, “please allow enough time to park in one of the lots and then have time to catch a shuttle to the terminals.”

Ride share services, depending on your trip, can sometimes outweigh the cost of parking: so double check those surge prices.

Sacramento International Airport holiday travel tips

Here are a couple of more tips, provided by Johnston, to successfully travel out of Sacramento International Airport during the holidays:

• Be patient - Transportation Security Administration staff shortages coupled with the anticipation of a lot of travelers will mean long lines.
• Self-Check-in - Avoid crowds and use check-in kiosks scattered throughout the terminal instead of near airline desks.
• Consider Transportation Security Administration pre-check - Get through Transportation Security Administration in up to five minutes with TSA pre-check.

More people will drive this winter holiday

Most people are expected to drive, according to AAA, which has been the trend for the last several years.

With 14% more people expected to drive than last year, motorists across the U.S. should prepare for up to 25% longer travel times.

If you are one of the more than 101 million people across the U.S. who plan to drive, be sure to hit the road during off peak hours, which are before 2 p.m. or after 8 p.m. Traffic traditionally becomes its heaviest on the Friday before Christmas (Dec. 23) and Dec. 27 and Dec. 28.

Another tip: Don’t be one of the 900,000 travelers in the U.S. that will call AAA for road-side assistance and get your car inspected before you hit the road.

This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 11:56 AM.