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Traveling for spring break? Which is cheaper, driving or flying?

With gas prices at an all-time high, we're looking into whether it's cheaper to drive or fly to popular warm-weather destinations.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you're still looking to get away for spring break and are wondering if it's better to drive or fly, we checked with AAA for some price comparisons of popular destinations from Buffalo.

For a round trip spring break trip from Buffalo to Myrtle Beach, airfare is $304 per person. To drive, the cost of gas would be $294 to drive there and back. 

Orlando is always one of the top warm-weather destinations from Buffalo. Round trip flights are going for $210 per person right now, as opposed to driving, which would cost you about $432 to get there and back. 

So, depending on how many people you put in the car, it's still more cost-effective to drive, even with the higher gas prices. However, if you want to fly, agents are saying to book sooner rather than later. 

"We expect a lot of people to be calling to book their airfare before prices go up any higher," AAA Travel Agent Renee Pilley told 2 On Your Side. "We've had some people who've already called to say, 'is my airfare set?' Once you've purchased your airfare, yes. Unless they put in some additional fuel surcharge or something like that, pretty much once you've got your airfare set you're locked into that price."

If you'll be driving, here are some tips to save gas on the road: 

  • Use an app, such as the AAA app, Gas Buddy, Gas Guru, or Waze to find the cheapest gas near you 
  • Travel on off-days/weeks 
  • Slow down & drive the speed limit
  • Avoid prolonged idling 
  • Don't accelerate or brake too hard 
  • Pack light. Unnecessary and bulky items take more fuel to move around. 

For more gas-saving tips, check out these ones from AAA and Gas Buddy

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