(Reuters) – The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is expected to see millions of Americans travel despite tight budgets, kicking off the busy summer travel in the U.S on a high note.
Here’s how the Memorial Day travel might look like:
ROADTRIPS
** Cheaper gas is pushing more Americans to consider road travel as an alternative.
** About 37.1 million Americans are expected to drive down to their destinations this Memorial Day, a 6% increase compared to 2022, according to data from travel group AAA.
** Car rental prices are down 17% compared to Memorial Day Weekend last year, travel booking website Hopper says.
** Gas prices are 10% lower from a year ago – AAA.
FLIGHTS
** 3.4 million travelers are expected to take a flight for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, an 11% increase year-over-year – AAA.
** Fares for domestic air travel have fallen this Memorial Day with prices down 26%, or nearly $100, compared to last year. -Hopper
** International travel, on the other hand, will be the most expensive in 5 years with a 50% increase in prices year-over-year to Europe. – Hopper
** Airfare to Asia is 70% more expensive when compared to 2019 prices. – Hopper
** Seats at airlines are set to be 17% higher than Memorial Day weekend last year. – Hopper
CRUISES, BUSES & TRAINS
** About 1.85 million Americans are expected to take buses, trains and cruises, an increase of about 21% compared to last year, data from AAA showed.
** Domestic cruise bookings for the upcoming weekend are up 50% compared to 2022 – AAA.
** 2023 cruise cabins bookings are up 54.25% year-over-year, according to data from online cruise marketplace Cruise Compete.
** Bus fares too have fallen, down as much as 37% on average versus last year, according to travel search platform Wanderu.
** Train fares, on the other hand, have nearly doubled in comparison to 2022 – Wanderu.
** Despite increased fares, trains across the U.S. are expected to have over 213,800 riders during the upcoming long weekend, which is a 54.9% from last year, according to Amtrak, the national passenger railroad company.
(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Compiled by Shivansh Tiwary; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
