A record 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel for July 4. CBS News’ Peter Greenberg advises booking early, exploring state parks and targeting affordable college towns.

Many people in the United States are planning to hit the road or take to the skies during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, which is only two weeks away.

AAA predicts a record number of travelers — about 72.2 million — will venture at least 50 miles from home during the upcoming holiday travel period, which ranges from June 28 until July 7. That domestic travel forecast is 1.7 million more people than last year and 7 million more travelers than 2019.

But most of those folks, about 61.6 million people, will be using their cars to travel domestically during the holiday period.

“That’s a lot of people out on the road,” CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg said. “One of the reasons for that is that gas prices haven’t really spiked and it’s relatively affordable.”

But there’s another side to that reason.

“On the other hand, domestic airfares have skyrocketed as more and more Americans are not planning to go overseas for the summer for all sorts of reasons: From trade and tariff wars to immigration worries — you name it,” Greenberg added.

Greenberg said if you’re still planning to travel within the contiguous United States, booking airfare sooner rather than later is best because the “law of supply and demand kicks in and airfares have been rising rapidly for the last 3 to 4 weeks, an average of about 4% every two days. So, the longer you procrastinate to make that July 4 reservation, the more expensive it’s going to be.”

Greenberg noted those higher prices also apply hotel bookings.

Where the deals are

If you’re looking for a deal within the mainland U.S., Greenberg said to check out specific types of towns — especially ones that have regular, predictable population decreases.

“Take a look around where college campuses are in major states, whether it’s Wisconsin, Minneapolis, in the Midwest, even Iowa, and you’re going to find a lot of availability in beautiful locations because students are not populating those campuses. You’ll find hotel availability, attractions that are available and you’re not going to have to stand in line — that’s where you’re going to see some of the discounts,” he said.

National park alternatives:

Greenberg said there are alternatives to wildly popular national parks that regularly see lots of visitors in the summertime. He recommends considering state parks that are nearby.

“Believe it or not, if you take a look at all the national parks in the U.S., there are state parks within 10 to 15 miles of them that are often a better experience,” Greenberg said, noting they’ll be less crowded and less expensive.

“There’s a state park literally within 10 miles of Yosemite that, to me, is just as beautiful and … that’s the one I always pick,” he added. “But remember, there are also national parks that are part of a national seashore.”

Greenberg said Acadia National Park in Maine is on the popular list, “but at this time of the year, may not be totally overcrowded.” He described it as “always, always great.”

Europe’s “golden month:”

Greenberg said the best time to avoid overcrowding at locations such as Paris “or anywhere in Europe, it’s the magic month of September and you cannot go wrong. It’s anywhere in France, Spain, Italy, the entire Mediterranean, that’s the magic month.”

Dealing dollars:

For those considering international travel, Greenberg also said one way to find a good deal outside the U.S., is to “look where the U.S. dollar is still strong against those local currencies. Turkey, South Africa, Argentina — three great choices for summer travel where the dollar actually has meaning and power.”

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