Last-Minute Strategies to See the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will blot out the sun for roughly 4,200 miles stretching from Mexico to Canada — a cosmic show that so much of North America won’t see again for about 20 years. Many made their plans to view it well in advance.

And then there are the procrastinators, who just realized they’re about to miss out. If that’s you, you’ve still got options, but not as many.

“At this point, your goal is just to get to the path of totality and see the eclipse for the longest possible time,” said Melanie Fish, the head of global public relations for Expedia Group Brands. “You’re not trying to find the best party. You’re not trying to make it into your dream vacation. You just want to get to the path of totality.”

So first, get your hands on some eclipse glasses so you can safely watch. Then find a way to get yourself into the path of totality, the strip running across 13 states where the moon will fully eclipse the sun. You’ll be competing with people who have already spiked the demand for flights and accommodations, so be ready to pay more.

And take off the next day, too, if you can. Otherwise, you may spend hours caught in traffic, as many discovered after the 2017 eclipse.

Here are four strategies for a last-minute foray into the total-eclipse zone.

Drive toward the darkness

If you have access to wheels and live within a few hours of the path of the total eclipse, you can always jump in the car. You might even find relatively inexpensive accommodations just outside the zone, and then drive in from there.

But if you’re hoping to rent a car, you might have some trouble.

The rental car company Hertz reported a 3,000 percent increase in advanced bookings for car rentals in cities along the eclipse path compared with the previous year. The highest demand so far has come in places like Dallas and Austin, Texas, as well as Cleveland and Indianapolis.

If you want to try anyway, book your car as soon as possible and focus your search for rental agencies outside of high-volume areas like airports, advised Isabella Sawyer, a Hertz spokeswoman. Neighborhood locations, she said, may have better availability.

Whether you rent or own your ride, be prepared for gridlock. “People arrive at different times, but everybody leaves at the same time — and that’s the problem,” said Aixa Diaz, an AAA spokeswoman. “Let’s say you have about five million people looking at an eclipse, and everybody leaves at the same time. That’s like the…