CLEVELAND — With many schools currently on spring break, it means many Ohioans are swapping backpacks for luggage and taking to the skies.

But before travelers can escape to their final destinations, they first have to escape the busy Ohio airports.

What You Need To Know

  • AAA said spring break travel has surged to pre-pandemic levels

  • The travel company said 158 million Americans are planning to fly during the spring break season

  • Many on-site airport parking garages, including ones at Cleveland Hopkins, are currently full 

AAA said spring break travel has surged to pre-pandemic levels, with 158 million Americans planning to fly. That’s an average of more than 2.5 million people a day during the spring break season.

And along with packed airports, you’ll also find packed airport parking lots.

As of Tuesday morning, each of the five on-site parking lots at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport were all full.

“Most of the lots are almost always full when you try to come in,” said Don Anderson, who traveled to Atlanta recently with his family.

Anderson said they opted to park off site this trip. Eeven though the lot is farther from the terminal and requires a shuttle, for Anderson it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

“On-site [parking] is brutal. You never know what you’re going to get,” Anderson told Spectrum News.

Parking on site at Cleveland Hopkins is also especially tricky right now because of ongoing work at the Smart Parking Garage, which won’t be complete for several more months. That leaves around 2,000 parking spaces out of the mix, in the meantime.

Cleveland Hopkins is urging travelers to use alternative transportation, such as rideshare or public transit, until the work is complete.