With Christmas just days away, tens of thousands of festive travellers will be hitting the road, or catching flights tomorrow.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day of travel for 2019.
More than 60,000 people will be travelling locally and internationally, on about 600 flights.
Some have left on flights today, a strategic dash to avoid tomorrow’s crowds.
One person told 1 NEWS they thought leaving last week might have been a better idea to avoid the rush.
As to road traffic, the NZTA expects it to get heavy leaving Auckland from lunchtime tomorrow.
Mark Owen of NZTA, says there will be a lot more people out on the road doing longer distances.
“So we really encourage people to plan ahead allow extra time and certainly look at breaking their journey along the way, look at stopping and just making the driving experience part of the holiday experience," says Mr Owen.
It will likely be the same story along the Kapiti Coast, as it is for Auckland, which NZTA says will be congested everyday for the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, Tauranga will have its busiest days around New Year and the crowds are expected to descend on Queenstown straight after Christmas.
Air New Zealand has also something to say about the silly season, and everyone travelling during it. The airline is asking for better behaviour from its passengers.
It has noticed an increase in unruly behaviour and an overindulgence in liquour at lounges and on the plane. In the past year the airline has seen an increase of warnings for bad behaviour by 15 per cent and bans by 60 per cent. Anyone with a ban can't fly on the airline for one to five years.
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