While the high price of gasoline may have people grumbling and complaining at the pumps, it doesn't appear that it will hamper summer vacation plans.

"The travel numbers have not gone down as a result of the gas prices," said Bevi Powell, director of communications for AAA East Central in Pittsburgh. In fact, she said, indications from AAA and other agency surveys are that travel is expected to be up slightly this summer despite gas prices.

Some surveys about gas prices have shown that people say they may cut back on purchases and spending in order to make up for the increased cost of gas in their budgets, but they don't plan to cancel their vacation.

"When it comes to the 'me' time, people take it. They earned it. They want it and they do it," said Tracy DeSocio, manager of Liberty Travel in Upper St. Clair.

The most popular destinations for road trips from Pittsburgh this year are the Outer Banks, N.C.; Ocean City, Md.; Niagara Falls; and Williamsburg, Va., Mrs. Powell said. Those destinations are the ones with the most frequent requests for maps and directions.

And although AAA, which handles the travel arrangements for most of the road trips taken from the area, has been getting more inquiries this year about flights to beaches, driving still appears to be the mode of transportation travelers are choosing, said Andrea Wagner, a travel agent with the local AAA.

Ms. Wagner said she suspects travelers may be checking to see if there is much of a difference in price between flying and driving since gas prices are up and because a new low-cost airline to Myrtle Beach has recently started to serve Pittsburgh.

A press release from Travel Industry Association indicated that leisure travelers are planning 1.8 percent more trips this summer than last year and that travelers said gas prices would have to hit $3.50 a gallon before they considered changing travel plans.

A national survey done by AAA just before Memorial Day, indicated that travel in general and travel by car was up slightly even though gas prices were 14 cents per gallon higher this year than at the same time last year.

"All in all, travel increased even though gas prices were very high," Mrs. Powell said.

The survey showed that 38.3 million people had plans to travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend -- an increase of 1.7 percent -- and that 32.1 million planned to go by car, an increase of 1.8 percent.

The high for gas prices locally for the year so far was around $3.07 a gallon, Mrs. Powell said. This week, prices are dropping below $3 a gallon.

Travel agents in the South suburbs said they are seeing no decline in travel this year. Most handle only trips for travelers who plan to fly, but slight increases in airfares have not stopped people from planning vacations.

Europe is a popular destination this summer, the agents said, as is the Caribbean.

Dick Ponzi, owner of Ponzi International Travel in Mt. Lebanon, said vacationers who travel to Europe will pay $5 a gallon for gas while there.

"When they come back they'll think paying $3 a gallon is a bargain," Mr. Ponzi said.

Mr. Ponzi said he hasn't heard of anyone who is canceling domestic vacations or considering flying rather than driving to the beach this year.

"People are driving to North Carolina and South Carolina. I haven't heard one person say they wouldn't drive because of the price of gas, which surprises me," Mr. Ponzi said.

Likewise, Ms. DeSocio said she hasn't heard of anyone forgoing vacation plans because of gas prices.

She drove to Myrtle Beach last week and said she paid about $100 more for gas, but not enough for her to consider canceling the trip.

She figures other people must share that sentiment because the beach was as crowded as ever.

"We waited in line everywhere, for every restaurant, ice cream parlor and every candy store we went into," she said.