On April 8, a total solar eclipse will block the Sun from Mexico to Canada for about 7,000 km – a cosmic spectacle that much of North America won’t see again for about 20 years. Many of them planned to watch it well prematurely.
There are also procrastinators who’ve just realized that they’re going to lose something. If that is you, you continue to have options, but not as many.
“At this point, your goal is simply to get on the path of totality and watch the eclipse for as long as possible,” said Melanie Fish, head of worldwide public relations for the company Expedia Group Brands. (*8*)
So first, get some eclipse glasses so you possibly can watch safely. Then discover a way to enter the path of totality, a belt through 13 states where the Moon will completely eclipse the Sun. You will probably be competing with individuals who have already increased demand for flights and accommodation, so be prepared to pay more.
And leave the next day too in the event you can. Otherwise, you could spend hours stuck in traffic, as many found after the 2017 eclipse.
Here are 4 strategies for a last-minute trip to the total eclipse zone.
Drive towards darkness
If you will have access to wheels and live just a few hours from the path of the total eclipse, you possibly can all the time hop in your automotive. You may even find relatively low-cost accommodation just outside the zone after which drive from there.
However, in the event you want to rent a automotive, you’ll have some problems.
Car rental company Hertz saw a 3,000 percent increase prematurely automotive rental reservations in cities along the path of the eclipse compared to the previous yr. So far, the highest demand has been in places like Dallas and Austin, Texas, in addition to Cleveland and Indianapolis.
If you would like to give it a try anyway, book your automotive as soon as possible and focus your seek for rental agencies outside of high-traffic areas reminiscent of airports, advises Isabella Sawyer, a specialist at… Hertz spokeswoman. In her opinion, the availability of places in the neighborhood could also be greater.
Whether you rent or own a vehicle, be prepared for traffic jams. “People come in at different times, but they all leave at the same time – and that’s the problem,” said Aixa Diaz, a communications specialist. AAA spokeswoman. “Let’s say about five million people watch the eclipse and everyone leaves at the same time. That’s like the equivalent of 71 sold-out football games released at the same time.
Taking an extra day off can help you avoid traffic jams. Data from the 2017 total solar eclipse, which also occurred on Monday, showed that traffic leaving destinations was about 41 percent lower on Tuesday compared to Monday, Diaz said.
Fly to the zone
You can also book a last-minute flight to a city in the path of the total eclipse, preferably one where you won’t need a car. Searches for flights along the path of the eclipse have quadrupled compared to the same period last year, said Katy Nastro, spokeswoman for the company Going.com.
“What’s unique about this event is that people don’t have to go to just one place to be able to experience the eclipse,” she said, “which means they can look at multiple cities in the path or even cities near the path,” and then, if you can find a rental car at your destination, drive onto the path.
“For example, you could fly into Toronto and stay there, then drive to the border to watch the solar eclipse from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which is just a two-and-a-half-hour drive away,” Ms. Nastro said. (As of Wednesday, automotive rentals were still available at Toronto’s primary airport, with prices starting at about $40 a day.)
Go where the hotels are
The the path of totality it cuts through not only small towns but in addition many hotel-rich urban areas stretching from Texas through the Midwest and upstate New York – places like Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester, New York, and Montreal.
However, even in cities with more rooms available, you’ll almost definitely have to pay a further fee.
“I saw a two-star apartment hotel in Nashville for $900,” Ms. Fish said of one among the finds (Nashville is just a few hours’ drive from the path of the total eclipse), “and a Super 8 in Indianapolis for $500 on the night of the eclipse. So if you book last minute to see the solar eclipse, yes, you will pay more.”
Ms Fish said putting your flight and accommodation on a travel booking app could enable you to get monetary savings and avoid headaches. But do not forget that you could need ground transportation, so search for packages that include it.
If you are going to an area with fewer hotels, consider short-term rental properties. As of March 20, Airbnb recorded a 1,000% increase a rise in searches along the path of the total eclipseAirbnb still had about 40 percent of its inventory available in the zone, according to Haven Thorn, a spokesperson.
Watch the weather and be flexible
Clouds are the enemy of the eclipse hunter. You can select a location with the highest probability of clear skies and obsessively check the forecast, but the weather is changeable. If you drive, be prepared to make a last-minute detour. And when that momentous moment approaches, pull over safely in a park or car parking zone – not on the side of the road – turn off your automotive and prepare to be blinded.
Even in the event you resolve not to exit in any respect, you would possibly find a way to crack those glasses and feel a few of the environmental changes that include it. Many major cities will still see a partial solar eclipse: 94 percent in Chicago, 90 percent in New York, 82 percent in Atlanta and 49 percent in Los Angeles.
As Mrs. Fish from Expedia said, “The party’s in the air, so all you have to do is look up.”
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