INDIANA – Travelers, prepare yourselves for an incredibly busy Memorial Day weekend.
This year, the peak travel weekend is going to be a hectic one, according to travel app Hopper’s latest report.
AAA also said it will be the “third busiest Memorial Day weekend” in over two decades.
Most people will travel by plane. U.S. airports are expected to be packed between Thursday and Monday. This year’s Memorial Day weekend is seeing a 17% increase in seat capacity from last year’s.
Many travelers will hit the roads. About 37.1 million U.S. travelers are going on a road trip for Memorial Day weekend, about 6% more than last year. Drivers should prepare for rush hour traffic-induced delays, especially around major metropolitan areas.
“Gas prices are lower this holiday compared to last year when the national average was more than $4 a gallon,” AAA said. “Despite the lower prices at the pump, car travel this holiday will be shy of pre-pandemic numbers by about 500,000 travelers.”
Motorists can expect more motorists on the roadways Friday afternoon as people set off for their destination.
Transportation analytics firm INRIX said the best time to travel by car is on Thursday and Friday before 1 p.m. and noon, respectively. If you can, consider even traveling on Saturday or Sunday for the lightest traffic.
When heading home, aim for Monday morning before 10 a.m. Once it hits noon and 3 p.m., traffic will pick up.
