Memorial Day Weekend is the traditional start of the summer travel season. And this year who’s going where – and who can afford to go anywhere – is in a bit of flux.
But here’s what the experts are saying:
To get things started, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25.
Despite all that’s happening in the world (war, gas prices, viruses, you name it), this year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year.
And it sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations.
And, AAA reports, while gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year, but only for those who booked early.
Looking beyond Memorial Day, here are the summer travel trends a variety of travel groups and professional organiziations are sharing.
Expedia, Vrbo and Hotels.comamong others, says Americans aren’t traveling less this summer, but they are traveling diferently.
In its summer travel trends report, released Wednesday, Expedia declared this the “stay here summer” with 63% of U.S. travelers planning a domestic trip this season.
Travelers continue to plan trips around sports event (looking at you, FIFA), major concerts and places featured in films and TV shows.
But with America’s 250th and Route 66’s 100th anniversary taking place this summer, Expedia is also seeing many travelers choosing to “hotel hop” across the country and booking multi-hotel itineraries as they explore various cities throughout the states.
The news isn’t so rosy elsewhere.
Deloitte’s “2026 Summer Travel Survey” found that travel intent is at a six-year low amid rising pricing pressures, but that those who plan to travel say they’ll spend more.
Their survey found that while 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation, costs are keeping others home. One third of non-travelers say travel is too expensive (32%) and 35% say they can’t afford it.
Those who are traveling say they plan to take an average of 3.1 trips this summer, the same as last year, but that they will increase the budget for their longest trip to $4,049, which is 17% higher than in 2025.
Bank of America’s Summer Travel and Entertainment Outlook report says 77% of Americans plan to travel this summer, surpassing the 74% who said they had summer travel plans in 2025 and the 72% who planned to travel in summer 2024.
At the same time, 55% of Americans of all income levels say their top priority is finding a great experience while staying mindful of their budget – and that holds true across every income level.
AI is finding its way into travel planning
Bank of America’s survey found that more than half of Americans (55%) are using AI to plan their summer travels, whether it’s comparing costs (28%), discovering new destinations (26%), and/or getting general travel advice (26%).
They also say that nearly half of Americans (46%) plan to redeem financial rewards to offset vacation costs this summer.
Does any of this sound like what’s going on with your summer travel plans?
Let us know!
