ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is a top destination for travel this Thanksgiving, according to AAA. But not everyone’s trip ends in Central Florida. On Monday, others hit the road and passed through the area.

What You Need To Know

Over 4 million people will hit Florida roads this week

Some said they purposefuly planned their trip to leave on Monday and return Friday to avoid traffic on both sides of the Thanksgiving holiday

The best time to leave is Tuesday morning before noon and before 11 a.m. on Wednesday

Gas prices jumped up 20 cents last week, to an average of $3.10 cents a gallon across Florida

Spectrum News spoke with people that started their Thanksgiving travels early. Many of them said they typically leave on Monday and return on Friday to avoid peak travel days as over 4 million people will be on Florida’s roads this week.

That included the Berdi family, that stopped in Orlando after beginning their journey from Miami.

“We are going camping, so (we are) on our way to O’Leno State Park which we do every year for Thanksgiving,” said Nicole Berdi.

The Berdi’s and others are also seeing a bit of a jump in gas prices this week, as they rose 20 cents per gallon last week right before the holiday, to an average of $3.10 cents a gallon across Florida.

But gas prices aren’t a problem for Gina Barnhart. She is in town after traveling from Chicago.

“I am just looking forward to the sun, the food, family,” Barnhart said. “The traffic wasn’t too bad but I think also it is Monday.”

Leave early, plan ahead and be patient, is the advice from law enforcement.

“We just want to make sure you leave with enough time so you are not feeling rushed, because once you start feeling rushed, you might start tailgating, you might start speeding to get to your destination faster and that is when crashes can happen,” said Lt. Tara Crescenzi from the Florida Highway Patrol.

If you see someone driving recklessly, you can call *FHP (*347) to have a trooper sent that way. Nearly half of deadly crashes last year on Florida’s roads were caused by distracted driving. 

“One of the best things is to set your phone to do not disturb so that you are really are focused on driving the entire time you are behind the wheel,” said Cindi Lane, the Florida Department of Transportation Public Information Officer.

Traffic will pick up by Tuesday and Wednesday. The best time to leave is Tuesday morning before noon and before 11 a.m. on Wednesday.