HARTFORD--Make sure to leave some extra time if you plan to travel for Memorial Day Weekend.
AAA expects that 37.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this weekend, a 4.7 percent increase from 2014. Of those traveling, 88 percent will travel by car, which would represent an increase of 5.3 percent over 2014, and the largest growth in five years.
From New England, 1.6 million people are expected to head on vacation, up 5.1 percent from last year; nearly all New Englanders will travel by car.
Top five destinations for those traveling from the Hartford area include:
- Atlantic City
- Myrtle Beach
- Cape May, New Jersey
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Cape Cod
“AAA is encouraging drivers to be prepared for heavy traffic and to plan accordingly” said AAA regional travel manager Suzanne Aresco. “The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 21 to Monday, May 25. To lessen the chance for possible delays, motorists should avoid the busiest times of travel such as early morning on May 21 and mid-afternoon on May 26."
One reason car travel is expected to be so popular is that gas is expected to be at its lowest price in at least five years; the national average on Tuesday was $2.70. The average price for regular in Connecticut was $2.85 per gallon according to AAA.
