Best times to hit the road on Memorial Day travel weekend - Newsday
The Memorial Day weekend is still two weeks off, but AAA is already warning of roads and airports packed with holiday travelers.
AAA said it expects more than 45 million Americans to be traveling domestically for the holiday weekend, which it defines as Thursday, May 22, through Monday, May 26. Those travelers will travel at least 50 miles from home, AAA said in a statement Monday.
This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year, and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record, AAA said.
"Despite concerns over rising prices, many Americans are planning to take advantage of the holiday, even if the trips are closer to home," AAA Northeast spokesman Robert Sinclair said in a statement.
AAA said road trips will be the hottest ticket on the travel market, with 39.4 million — or, 87% of all Memorial Day weekend travelers in America — opting to go someplace by motor vehicle, 1 million more than did so in 2024. That boom, AAA said, is in part due to cheaper gas prices.
AAA said the average pump price in the New York City-metro area is down 68 cents a gallon from the same time last year.
Domestic air travel is expected to account for about 3.61 million travelers during the holiday weekend, an increase of more than a half-million travelers compared to last year, despite booking data from the AAA showing ticket prices have increased at least 2%.
An additional 2.08 million are expected to travel by train, bus or cruise ship — an 8.5% increase over last year's numbers, AAA said.
Top Memorial Day weekend destinations include Orlando, Florida; Seattle; Las Vegas; Miami; San Francisco; Chicago; Denver; Boston; Anchorage, Alaska , and for those coming from out of state — New York City.
International hot-spot destinations are Rome, Paris, London, Athens, Dublin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Vancouver, British Columbia, Southampton, England and Edinburgh, Scotland, AAA said.
The worst time to travel by car will be between 1-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 12-8 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2-6 p.m. on Saturday May 24, 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 25 and 4-7 p.m. on Monday, May 26, AAA.
The best times to drive those days? It’s all prediction, but AAA said before noon most of those holiday weekend days will be the best time to drive — though on May 23 it recommends driving before 11 a.m., and before 1 p.m. on May 25 and before 2 p.m. on May 26.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
