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Demand for summer travel is high for 2023. What travelers need to know.
Book a trip soon? Here’s everything you need to know about traveling this summer.
Only the frequently asked questions, USA TODAY
Planning to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend? You won’t be alone.
According to the AAA’s 2023 Memorial Day Travel Forecast, nearly 2.4 million Floridians will travel at least 50 miles or more from home this weekend, and 2.1 million of them will share the highway with you. That is 137,000 drivers more than last year. If you decide to fly, you’ll be one of 208,000 other Floridians at the airports, according to AAA, which is 25,000 more than in 2022. Expect busy roads and overcrowded airports.
The pandemic hasn’t delayed our travel plans for long.
This is expected to be the third-busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA began tracking vacation travel, AAA Travel senior vice president Paula Twidale said in a statement.press release. More and more Americans plan trips and book them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.
AAA’s forecast defines the Memorial Day travel window as May 25-29.
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Will many people travel for Memorial Day in 2023?
Looks like we’re definitely going to set a record in Florida. The forecast is that there are 172,000 more travelers in Florida than last year, and 96,000 more than in 2019, before the pandemic put us all on lockdown.
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How does traveling to Florida compare to the rest of the US?
AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, which is 2.7 million more than last year but 500,000 fewer travelers than reported in 2019 and well below the 44 million in 2005 .
However, air traffic is booming, with nearly 3.4 million travelers expected to take to the skies, 33,700 more than last year and 170,000 more than in 2019.
This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005, AAA said in the release.
A predicted total of 1.85 million travelers will take other forms of transportation such as trains and buses, an increase of nearly 21% from last year.
Meanwhile, international travel is up a whopping 250% this weekend compared to 2022, with European cities such as Rome, Paris, Dublin, London, Barcelona and Athens being the most popular, in case you were looking for ideas.
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Are airline tickets going up?
Oh yeah. AAA booking data shows a 40% increase in airfares to top destinations such as Orlando, New York City and Las Vegas over last year.
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Will gas prices in Florida rise over Memorial Day weekend?
Gas prices have fallen here this past week, with the average price dropping 7 cents to $3.41, and possibly even more as we get closer to the weekend.
“It looks like drivers in Florida will spend a dollar a gallon less on gas than last Memorial Day weekend,” said AAA Auto Club spokesman Mark Jenkins.
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What are the best times to drive for Memorial Day weekend?
INRIX, a transportation data company that partners with AAA for vacation travel projections, predicts roads will be busiest on Friday, May 26.
According to INRIX, the best times to travel by car are Thursday, May 25 and Friday before 1pm and 12am, while the worst times are between 3pm and 6pm. Traffic is likely to be calmest on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, with minimal impact.
The best time to travel by car on Monday, May 29 is before 10am, while the worst time is between noon and 3pm
Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said drivers can expect significant delays, especially in and around major metropolitan areas, as travelers and commuters intermingle.
Knowing when and where congestion will arise can help drivers avoid the stress of being stuck in traffic, he said in the release. Our advice is not to drive during rush hour or to use alternative routes.
Contributor: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
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