Memorial Day 2018 Travel Forecast
AAA says to stay home. They didn’t. Neither are the 42 million people hitting the road this holiday weekend
If you love sitting in standstill traffic on the highway, waiting in extra-long lines at airport security and deal with whatever delays go with bus, cruise and train travel, then you’ll be excited for this year’s Memorial Day Weekend travel forecast.
According to AAA, 41.5 million people will be traveling this holiday weekend. The unofficial start to summer (the official start is June 21, by the way) will see a 5 percent increase in travelers from 2017.
The largest contingent of travelers will be going via cars, 36.6 million to be exact; a 4.7 percent increase from last year.
The odds of someone getting kicked off of an airplane this weekend are higher than ever! For the fifth consecutive year, air travel is on the rise with one million air travelers jostling for position at the baggage claim.
Another 1.8 million people will be making their way to beaches and beyond (which we guess would make that the ocean, right?) by trains, buses and cruise ships.
The busiest days to get out of Dodge are Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25. Folks leaving from New York City and Washington, DC will see the biggest delays — 2.7 and 2.3 times higher than normal — but honestly, who’ll actually notice.
If you’re driving, prepare to pay more to fill up your tank. Gas prices are up this year to $2.72 a gallon, the highest since 2014.
If you’re wondering where everyone is going this Memorial Day Weekend, the top three most popular domestic destinations are Orlando, Florida; Seattle, Washington and Honolulu, Hawaii. While Rome, Dublin and London are the top three international destinations.
Happy holiday and safe travels!
