The holiday season is here, which for some people may involve traveling. While holiday travel can be stressful at times, being prepared and knowing some information and tips ahead of time can make the trip much smoother.

The Santa Barbara Airport is expecting a busy week for Thanksgiving travel, and while the airport does not have expected passenger count numbers, airport spokesperson Angi Daus said it “expects a very busy holiday season that will be similar to more than last year.”

Daus said that means more than 2,000 passengers in the terminal each day in the several days leading up to and after each holiday.

The airport posted some Thanksgiving travel tips earlier in the week, with the main message for travelers being to “arrive early and be prepared.”

The Santa Barbara Airport suggests that passengers arrive two hours early, especially during peak travel times — early morning hours, Thursday through Sunday, and holidays. 

The airport has three parking lots for those traveling, but there is often limited parking available in the Short or Long Term Parking Lots during peak travel days, so the Economy Parking Lot located at 140 Frederick Lopez Road, which has a shuttle service, is the suggested lot for airport parking.

The airport reminded those picking up friends or family that they cannot park at the curb for any duration of time or leave their vehicle unattended. Instead, two nearby cell phone lots are available for those waiting for passengers.

Information and updates on flight status can be found by checking with the airline directly.

For those driving, Caltrans District 5 public information officer Jim Shivers said the roads in the area look to be in good shape overall.

“The recent rain did not impact the state highways in our area,” Shivers said. “Our maintenance teams remain available 24/7 in the event of an emergency; otherwise, we have no scheduled lane closures or construction work for the entire Thanksgiving weekend.”

The Caltrans real-time information page has more information on any current road closures, traffic and other road conditions.

The northbound Gaviota rest area along Highway 101 was originally set to reopen Tuesday afternoon, but “unforeseen mechanical issues in the water supply outside of Caltrans control” required the rest area to close again the same day. Both the northbound and southbound rest areas in Gaviota remain closed at this time.

Shivers also urged travelers to allow extra time for their trips and to abide by the Move Over Law, which requires drivers to move over a lane or — if unable to safely move over — slow down when they see amber flashing lights on Caltrans vehicles, law enforcement and emergency vehicles, and tow trucks.

Other public transit options include the Santa Barbara Airbus, which provides round-trip shuttle services to the Los Angeles International Airport, and Amtrak.

The Santa Barbara Airbus has 16 scheduled service shuttles to and from LAX, with stations in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria and Camarillo.

Santa Barbara Airbus passengers are required to check in 15 minutes before departure, and with Highway 10 being closed, the Santa Barbara Airbus website recommended that passengers allow extra time for travel to LAX.

“As we come to busy holiday travel time, please factor in that the roads will be impacted,” the Santa Barbara Airbus website said.

It should also be noted that Santa Barbara Airbus is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and bus service will not be available those days.