Memorial Day weekend travel: The busiest days to fly and drive

(NEW YORK) — Despite high prices for gas and airfare, a record-breaking 45 million Americans are expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.

Whether you are hitting the road or taking to the skies, here’s what you need to know:

By plane

About 3.66 million people are expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.

The top U.S. destinations are Orlando, Florida; Seattle; New York City; Las Vegas; Miami; and San Francisco, according to AAA. The top international cities are Rome; Vancouver, Canada; Paris and London.

American Airlines said its busiest travel day of the holiday weekend is expected to be Friday, May 22. American also said it’s predicting its busiest summer ever, with Friday, July 17, set to be the airline’s most popular day to fly.

By car

The majority of people are expected to drive to their Memorial Day destination, with AAA predicting 39.1 million will travel by car.

If you are heading out the door on Friday, May 22, the best time to be on the road is before 11 a.m., because traffic will be heaviest from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to analytics company INRIX.

When you are ready to hit the road to go home on Monday, May 25, INRIX recommends leaving before 10 a.m., with the worst traffic forecast from noon to 5 p.m.

Although millions are driving to their Memorial Day vacation, filling up the tank will be costly as the war in Iran sends gas prices surging. As of May 10, the national average for gas was above $4.50 per gallon, according to data from AAA and Gas Buddy. Last year on Memorial Day, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.17, according to AAA. This year marks the highest gas prices since the summer of 2022, AAA said.

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