This Memorial Day weekend saw a surge in road trips, with more travelers hitting the highways than ever before. According to AAA, a whopping 87 percent of domestic holiday travel was by car, totaling an estimated 39 million people nationwide—about 1 million more than last year.
AAA pointed out that driving was likely the more budget-friendly choice this year, thanks in part to stable gas prices that avoided the usual seasonal spikes. On the other hand, those flying faced significantly higher airfare, with round-trip domestic flights averaging $850.
Jason Latham and his family were among the many road travelers, taking their first-ever RV trip from Michigan to Maine and back—a journey of nearly 17 hours each way. Despite a crash delaying them early on, Latham said their return trip would be much quicker, thanks to sticking mainly to interstates.
“It’s a family vacation. My daughter just graduated from college. My son graduated a couple of years ago, and we said, ‘Let’s all get into an RV and go to Maine,’” Latham shared.
While road travel dominated this holiday weekend, some still prefer flying as the safest option, despite higher costs.
