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vacation watch

Forecast: Crowdy

A strong summer travel forecast means travelers will have to plan ahead to avoid lines and jams.

AAA and the Travel Industry Association of America predict a 3.2 percent increase in summer leisure travel compared with 2003, including a record 36.9 million Americans expected to take a trip more than 50 miles from home over Memorial Day weekend.

Road trips will account for 86 percent of all domestic travel this summer. Still, air travel is expected to increase more than 5 percent. A few tips:

• Fliers should either allow extra time or avoid flying at an airport's busiest times. The busiest times at BWI are Mondays, 6 to 8 a.m., and Thursdays and Fridays, 4 to 7 p.m. Reagan National and Dulles are most crowded weekdays from 6 to 8 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays are the worst of the worst during those times.

• National has been running out of parking spaces, but you can call ahead to check availability: 703-417-PARK.

• Avoid toll booth lines by ordering an E-ZPass for travel north, west and east of D.C. (www.ezpass.com). For travel through Virginia, you'll need a Smart Tag (www.smart-tag.com).

• Find out about road construction, detours and other traffic problems at www.highwayconditions.com and at various E-ZPass sites (find links at www.paturnpike.com/ezpass). AAA members can get trip routing with construction info at www.aaa.com; click on TripTik.

• Grab a good airfare the minute you see it. Those waiting for last-minute deals may get shut out.

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