CALIFORNIA — Labor Day road trippers in California will pay about the same as they did last year for gas, according to the latest averages from the AAA Travel group. Labor Day is on Monday, Sept. 4, this year.

Labor Day is considered summer’s last hurrah, and AAA booking data suggests interest in travel is strong, with domestic travel bookings up 4 percent and international bookings up 44 percent.

But as with other holiday weekends, most of the travel will take place on the road. Summer gas prices spiked in July because of tight supply and the high cost of oil, but have moderated some in August, a trend AAA expects to continue through Labor Day, barring a major storm in the Gulf.

On average, a gallon of regular gas was priced at $5.26 in the Golden State on Tuesday, compared to $5.32 a year ago. The price is 10 cents higher than it was at this time last week, according to the AAA’s gas price tracker.

Most travelers will leave on Thursday or Friday before Labor Day to take advantage of the long holiday weekend, Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a news release.

To avoid heavy traffic, travel early in the morning or in the evening, Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst with INRIX, said in a news release. AAA and INRIX work together on the travel group’s holiday travel projections.

Generally, the heaviest traffic will be on Thursday, Aug. 31, between mid-afternoon and early evening. Road trippers may also see more traffic from late morning into the night on Friday, Sept. 1.

Road trippers in the Los Angeles area should try to avoid northbound Interstate 5 during the peak congestion time of 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Travel times increase by about 88 percent during those hours.

Around San Diego, southbound Interstate 15 should be busiest Monday around 4:45 p.m., with travel times about 29 percent higher. In the Bay Area, southbound drivers could have some headaches between San Francisco and Monterey around 4 p.m. Sunday, when travel times could increase by 68 percent.

In general, these are the best times to drive:

• Wednesday, Aug. 30: before 7 a.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 31: before 7 a.m.
• Friday, Sept. 1: before 11 a.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 2: after 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 3: minimal traffic disruptions expected

Avoid driving during these times if possible:

• Wednesday, Aug. 30: between noon and 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 31: between noon and 8 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 1: between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 2: between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Monday, Sept. 4: between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays,” Pishue said.

AAA said an analysis of past motorist assist calls suggests more than 300,000 will have problems such as flat tires, dead batteries and lockouts.

If you are stranded, pull as far onto the shoulder as safely possible, turn on your hazard lights and call for roadside assistance. If you can make it to the next service exit or natural stopping point, that’s preferable.

To avoid breakdowns, have your vehicle thoroughly inspected before leaving. And take along an extra set of keys, AAA advised.

“Labor Day weekend will be a big sendoff to what has been an extremely busy summer travel season,”

Debbie Haas, AAA’s vice president for travel, said Labor Day weekend will be “a big sendoff to what has been an extremely busy summer travel season.”

The top domestic destinations for Labor Day are Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York and Las Vegas, according to AAA travel data. Seattle tourism in particular has seen a boost amid the strong demand for Alaska cruises.

Cruise bookings overall are up 19 percent compared to 2022.

According to AAA, the top five destinations for SoCal residents are Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, the Grand Canyon and Mexico.

Florida destinations have long been popular because of the abundance of beaches and theme parks, but cruise ports in central Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Miami also increase demand, AAA said.

Top international destinations for Labor Day are Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin and Paris.