Memorial Day travel up, with many travelers headed to warm weather, historic spots
May 27, 2016
More than 38 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend. It’s the second-highest Memorial Day travel volume on record and the most since 2005, according to AAA.
With the lowest gas prices in more than a decade, about 700,000 more people will travel compared to last year.
Nearly 34 million, 89 percent, of holiday travelers will drive to their Memorial Day destinations, an increase of 2.1 percent over last year. Air travel is expected to increase 1.6 percent over last year, with 2.6 million Americans flying this Memorial Day. Travel by other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses, will fall 2.3 percent, to 1.6 million travelers.
Many Memorial Day travelers will head to warm weather destinations and historic American cities to begin their summer travels. The top destinations this Memorial Day weekend, based on AAA.com and AAA travel agency sales, are:
- Orlando
- Myrtle Beach
- Washington, D.C.
- New York
- Miami
- San Francisco
- Boston
- Honolulu
- Los Angeles
- South Padre Island
AAA suggests checking the condition of your battery and tires before you set out on your Memorial Day trip. It expects to rescue more than 350,000 motorists over the holiday weekend. The primary reasons for calls will be dead batteries, lockouts, and flat tires.
To prevent locking your keys in the car, be sure to take a spare key or have one made. One problem I’ve had is putting my keys in my coat pocket, then when it warms up, leaving my coat in the car. To avoid that, always lock your car with your key fob rather than flipping the lock lever down.
Have a great Memorial Day celebration. I hope the weather is good where you live.
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