An estimated 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.
Some 39.1 million people will travel by car and another 3.66 million will fly to their holiday destination.
While gas prices are higher than a year ago, the average ticket price for flights is lower for those who booked early, AAA said.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”
The average gas price in the U.S. was $4.56 on Thursday, a four-year high, AAA said. That compares to an average of $3.18 a gallon a year ago.
Vacationland staycations
Bucking the national travel frenzy, two-thirds of Mainebiz readers who responded to our latest weekly poll said they plan to stay put this weekend.
A quarter of Mainebiz poll respondents said they’d travel by car, while 8.33% said they planned to travel by plane.
Yet the majority of respondents — 66.7% — said they planned to stay close to home.
Tips for local drivers
More than one million vehicles are expected to travel the Maine Turnpike from today through Memorial Day itself, the Maine Turnpike Authority said this week.
For southern Maine commuters, the authority advised sticking to the Maine Turnpike rather than obeying GPS “shortcut” routes.
“When traffic is heavy, the No. 1 rule for daily commuters is simple: stay on the Turnpike,’ the agency said. “Diverting to other roads to head north/south beyond Portland almost never saves time. In the Portland area, those GPS ‘shortcut’ routes are usually more congested, more unpredictable and more prone to sudden backups than the Turnpike itself. Even if your GPS app claims going through downtown Portland is a few minutes faster, don’t be fooled — one small slowdown can flip that estimate in minutes and leave you boxed in with no easy way back.”
Drivers can stay up to date on traffic and construction backups by using apps like New England 511 and the MTA Weekly construction advisories available at maineturnpike.com.
Fireworks at the ballpark
If you’re not traveling, the Portland Sea Dogs will continue their home stand against the Reading (Pa.) Fighting Phils this weekend, with games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday night features fireworks after the game, which starts at 6 p.m.
