A record 2.5 million Floridians plan to hit the roads and airports over the long holiday weekend, according to AAA travel forecasts.
That's 126,500 more vacationers than last year's record. The club predicts that 2.3 million of Florida's travelers will travel more than 50 miles by car, and more than 224,000 will travel by plane.
Nationwide, AAA expects nearly 43.8 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles, making it the second-busiest Memorial Day weekend on record, just shy of the 2005 high of 44 million.
“Memorial Day will be the start of a very busy summer of travel,” Debbie Haas, AAA's vice president of travel, said in a news release. “American travel is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, making Memorial Day weekend the busiest in nearly 20 years.”
Despite gasoline prices creeping up, averaging $3.55 a gallon in Florida on May 23, up from $3.41 at the same time last year, records for road travel are set in Florida and across the nation, with approximately 38.4 million Americans expected to take to the roads, 1.5 million more than last year. Additionally, this Memorial Day weekend will be the busiest weekend for airports since 2005.
During the spring break travel rush earlier this year, Orlando International Airport saw its busiest day ever on March 16, with more than 200,000 travelers passing through TSA checkpoints.
While Floridians may be driving or flying to other parts of the state and the country, Orlando tops the list of domestic destinations for tourists this weekend, according to AAA booking data. New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Denver, Anchorage and Southern California also round out the top 10 destinations.
Average airfare and gas prices are both slightly higher in 2024 than in 2023, while hotel rates for Memorial Day weekend are 5% lower than last year. Domestic car rental rates are also about 17% lower than last year, with the average total cost being $439 (usually for a few days).
Using data from Inrix, AAA suggests that drivers departing on May 23 or 24 should hit the road early, before 11 a.m., to avoid the worst of the traffic jams. . For those returning on May 25th or May 26th, it's best to travel by 1pm. On May 27, we recommend driving after 7pm to avoid traffic jams. On any given travel day, evenings prove to be less crowded for road trippers.
This weekend, AAA will launch its “Tow to Go” program in Florida and select other states to help prevent drunk drivers from driving. From 6 p.m. on May 24 to 6 a.m. on May 28, AAA members and non-members can use a tow truck to transport the vehicle and owner to a safe location within a 10-mile radius. For a safe ride, Floridians should call 855-2-TOW-2-GO or 855-286-9246.
As travelers make plans for this summer and beyond, AAA has identified bucket list, milestone, solo travel, luxury vacations, trains, wilderness adventures and Asian travel as top trends for upcoming travel bookings.
Find him on Instagram @PConnPie or email him at pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
