Here's what to expect before hitting the road or flying out for Labor Day weekend

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- Millions are expected to hit the road for the holiday weekend.

According to AAA, domestic travel over Labor Day weekend is up 9% compared to last year overall, while domestic airlines are 2% cheaper.

In North Carolina, gas prices are expected to be lower this year, averaging $3.15, compared to $3.53 last year.

Best times to hit the road

• On Friday, it's before noon and after 7 p.m. The worst time is between 2 to 6 p.m.
• On Saturday, it's any time after noon. The worst time is between 8 to 11 a.m.
• On Sunday, it's before noon. The worst time is between 2 to 8 p.m.
• On Monday, it's any time before 10 a.m. The worst time is 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Nationwide, AAA expects to rescue over 300,000 stranded motorists during the holiday weekend. The three most common reasons are flat tires, dead batteries and lockouts.

However, the most popular way people are traveling is by airplane.

Travel by Plane

Raleigh-Durham International Airport expects almost 200,000 travelers to pass through the airport from Friday to Monday. According to TSA projections, this is a 13.5% increase in passenger traffic compared to last year's record for the Labor Day weekend.

During peak hours, RDU officials said they're working with TSA to increase staffing.

This also means picking someone up from the airport will be clustered.

Here are some tips:

• The cell phone lot is just minutes from the terminals and a convenient place to wait for arriving guests.
• Give your party 30 minutes from the time they land to pick up their luggage and get to the curb.
• At RDU, you can use both levels to pick up people.

Check RDU flight status for delays and cancellations

Travel by bus or train

ABC11 stopped by Union Station Friday morning before 10 a.m. Several people chose this mode of transportation, not just for this weekend but for the whole summer.

Back on Memorial Day, AAA said 1.9 million people used public transportation, like trains. This is a 5.6% increase compared to last year.

In July, North Carolina saw record train ridership.

NC Weather

Labor Day weekend kicked off with severe weather.

The Friday storms brought heavy rain, lots of lightning and strong wind gusts across central North Carolina.

Saturday looks partly sunny, but the unsettled pattern will persist on Sunday and Labor Day.