(Reuters) – The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is expected to see millions of Americans travel despite tight budgets, kicking off busy summer travel in the United States on a high note.
Here’s what the Memorial Day trip might look like:
ROAD ROUTES
** Cheaper gas is causing more and more Americans to consider road transport as an alternative.
** About 37.1 million Americans are expected to drive to their destinations this Memorial Day, up 6% from 2022, according to data from travel group AAA.
** Car rental prices are down 17% from Memorial Day weekend last year, according to travel booking site Hopper.
** Gas prices are 10% lower than a year ago – AAA.
FLIGHTS
** 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly next Memorial Day weekend, an 11% year-over-year increase – AAA.
**Domestic air travel fares fell this Memorial Day with prices down 26%, or nearly $100, from a year ago. -Hopper
** International travel, on the other hand, will be the most expensive in 5 years with a 50% year-on-year price increase to Europe. – Hopper
** Airline tickets to Asia are 70% more expensive compared to 2019 prices. – Hopper
** Airline seating is expected to be 17% higher than Memorial Day weekend last year. – Hopper
CRUISES, BUSES AND TRAINS
** About 1.85 million Americans are expected to take buses, trains and cruises, an increase of about 21% from last year, according to AAA data.
** Domestic cruise bookings for the upcoming weekend are up 50% from 2022 – AAA.
**Cruise cabin bookings in 2023 increased 54.25% year-over-year, according to Cruise Compete online cruise market data.
** Bus fares have also fallen, up to 37% on average compared to last year, according to travel search platform Wanderu.
** Train fares, on the other hand, have almost doubled compared to 2022 – Wanderu.
**Despite the fare increase, trains across the United States are expected to have more than 213,800 passengers over the upcoming long weekend, up 54.9% from last year, according to Amtrak, the national passenger rail company.
(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Compiled by Shivansh Tiwary; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)