Plane, train, and automobile travel up for 2012 holiday season

(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – Whether it's by plane, train, or automobile, the holiday season is one of the busiest times for travel. Approximately 45 percent of travelers are planning to visit family and friends or just get away for the December holidays, which is up three percent from the 2011 holiday season.

TripAdvisor conducted the survey and found that of those taking trips, 63 percent will be traveling for Christmas, 31 percent will be on the go for New Year's, and four percent will be traveling for Hanukkah.

Driving is the primary mode of transportation with 48 percent; however, air travel is not far behind at 46 percent.

Sixty-two percent of air travelers acknowledged the sky-high fares, and as a result, 51 percent booked their flight early, 29 percent chose to drive instead of fly, and five percent are still waiting for prices to come down.

Where are the majority of the travelers going?

According to the survey, the top U.S. cities travelers will visit during the December holidays are New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Cox Media Group