More Pittsburghers Are Traveling Outside The County: Where They Are Going And Travel Tips

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A lot of Americans are thinking about international travel.

One out of four Americans say they plan to travel outside the country over the next 18 months, a study by AAA shows.

So, what are the favorite hotspots?

"The popular destinations for international travel for Pittsburgh folks is basically going to Ireland," said Tracy Edwards from AAA East Central. "In addition to Ireland, they go to Paris, France, London, England."

"The big popular destination all the time — for many, many years — has been Italy. Those have been the key areas where our Pittsburgh folks travel," added Edwards.

He said this region's top locations mirror the national findings.

The top travel location nationally is Rome, followed by Cancun, London, Dublin, Paris, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, Vancouver, Munich, and Barcelona.

One of Pittsburghers' favorite way to travel is cruises, which have seen a spike because of those European river cruises.

"That is a booming business," said Edwards. "It's been growing year after year, and our cruise business has been higher this year, basically because of the river cruising."

Many travelers like to travel independently on their own, but security issues have spurred interest in group tours.

"They feel safer when they travel internationally in groups," Edwards said.

WATCH: KDKA's Jon Delano gives travel tips.

Whether you travel on your own or in a group — or to a resort or on a cruise — there are several tips to make international travel better, said Edwards.

First, book your international travel well in advance.

"The sooner the better, so you can get the availability, get the accommodations you're looking for," Edwards said.

Second, check out good deals online or through a travel agent.

Third, booking airfares can be a bit of a crapshoot.

"It's like the stock market," Edwards said. "We've had people call in ... and ask us to check on a price, and you can check on that price and we say, 'Book it now because that's the only way we can guarantee that price.'"

"They can call back in 15 minutes and the price has changed, and usually it goes up," Edwards added.

And to avoid long lines at U.S. airport security, sign up for TSA Pre. And to avoid the U.S. Customs line returning home, get Global Entry.

Finally, Edwards said, don't forget travel insurance — not just for flights, lost luggage, cancellations, and the like — but also for medical coverage.

"If there's one take away from anything we've talked about today is I recommend everyone to get the travel insurance when you're traveling internationally," Edwards said.