AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. This year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations. While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year for those who booked early.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, VP, AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”
Travelers by mode of transportation
By car: AAA projects 39.1 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, a slight jump over last year. Driving is the most popular way to travel and makes up 87% of the share of Memorial Day travelers. This holiday weekend, drivers are paying more at the pump compared to last year when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day. Currently, pump prices are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022.
By air: AAA projects 3.66 million travelers will take domestic flights over Memorial Day weekend, a small increase over last year. Air travelers make up 8% of the share of travelers this holiday weekend.
By other modes: Travel by other modes is expected to go up by 5% with 2.2 million people traveling by bus, train or cruise over Memorial Day weekend. Alaska cruise season kicks off this time of year, and the popularity of Alaska cruises is a driving factor in this category’s growth.
Top destinations
Memorial Day weekend travelers are taking trips to theme parks and famous landmarks, boarding cruises in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and flying to Europe to visit iconic capital cities. Here are the top 10 domestic and international destinations, based on AAA booking data.
Domestic
- Orlando
- Seattle
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Miami
- San Francisco
- Anchorage
- Chicago
- Denver
- Boston
International
- Rome
- Vancouver
- Paris
- London
- Athens
- Dublin
- Barcelona
- Southampton, England
- Amsterdam
- Edinburgh
