2022 Memorial Day weekend travel: Plan ahead - when to travel and how much it will cost

Expect your holiday to be packed and high-priced.

With fewer pandemic-related restrictions, we can brace ourselves for the onslaught of revenge traveling. There will be a surge of people itching to finally go on a trip during Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA, there will be almost 40 million people who will travel 50 or more miles during the holiday, up 8.3% from last year. Nearly 35 million of them will be going by car. Traveling by plane has increased dramatically, rising 25% from last year.

This means that those who want to go places this weekend should be prepared for both massive crowds of people, as well as steeper costs.

High gas prices

The start of summer comes at a time when gas prices are at historic highs, so expect a bigger dent on your budget.

The price of domestic flights has gone up 46% from 2019. Even the average cheapest fare is 6% higher than last year at $184 a ticket, Saturday being the most expensive day for flights, and Monday the cheapest. A lot of tickets, however, have already been sold out. It’s best to fly mid-week and early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

For those traveling by car, be ready for high costs at the pump, as gas prices are expected to cost around $4.65 at this time. This is more than 50% higher than last year.

A pretty penny for accommodations

Hotels are another big expense, with the mid-priced ones ranging from $199 to $257 per night. This is an increase of approximately 42% from last year.

It may be hard to avoid higher prices, but there may still be ways to steer clear of traffic jams. If you are going by car, try not to drive on Thursday and Friday between 1-8 p.m. You are likely to encounter lighter traffic early in the day before 7 a.m. or past 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

When it’s time to drive home on Monday, it’s best to do so after 11 a.m., as traffic is likely to be horrendous in the afternoon.