HOUSTON – Have plans to travel during Memorial Day weekend? You and millions of other Texans are planning the same.
According to AAA Texas, a record 3.7 million Texans will travel over the Memorial Day holiday period between Thursday, May 22, and Monday, May 26, which is a 3% increase from 2024 and the third straight year of record-breaking travel for this holiday locally.
As for the rest of America? AAA projects 45.1 million Americans will travel for the holiday weekend, which is a 3.1% increase from 2024 and a new national record for this holiday period, beating the previous record of 44 million set in 2005.
“Texans continue to prioritize travel with family and friends after the pandemic,” said Galen Grillo, AAA Texas vice president and general manager. “This year, consumers will get some price relief at the gas pump, car rental counter, and when flying internationally, but they will spend more on domestic flights, hotels, cruises, and tours compared to 2024.”
Travel costs
According to AAA Travel booking data, travelers are also spending:
8% less on car rentals
2% more on domestic airfare
4% less on international airfare
2% more on domestic cruises
3% less on international cruises
8% more on domestic hotels
18% more on international hotels
11% more on domestic tours
4% more on international tours
The best/worst times to drive
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects the afternoons and evenings of Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, to be the busiest times to travel.
In Texas, the busiest stretch of freeway is expected to be I-45 South from Houston to Galveston on the afternoon of Sunday, May 25, when the travel time will increase by 78% over the normal commute time to 92 minutes. INRIX projections indicate the best times to travel by car are on Thursday before noon, Friday before 11 a.m., Saturday before noon, Sunday before 1 p.m., and Monday before 2 p.m.
Top destinations this Memorial Day weekend
AAA booking data for the Memorial Day weekend shows that nationally, the top five destinations are Orlando, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, and Miami.
Internationally, the top destinations for U.S. travelers are Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London, and Athens.
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