Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of the summer travel season. Who’s going where this year — and who has the ability to go anywhere — is in constant flux.
But here’s what the experts say:
To get things started, AAA level project Between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25, 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day.
Despite everything going on in the world (wars, gas prices, viruses, you name it), domestic travel forecasts for this year are still slightly higher than last year.
Setting a new Memorial Day weekend record, 39.1 million people drove and 3.66 million people were expected to fly to their destinations.
And, while gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, flight averages are lower than last year, but only for those who book in advance, AAA reports.
Looking beyond Memorial Day, here are summer travel trends shared by various travel groups and professional organizations.
Expedia.comCompanies like , Vrbo and Hotels.com say Americans are not traveling less this summer, but they are doing it differently.
This is the “summer to stay here,” with 63 percent of U.S. travelers planning a domestic trip this season, Expedia declared in its summer travel trends report released Wednesday.
Travelers continue to plan trips centered around sporting events (looking at you, FIFA), major concerts, and locations featured in movies and TV shows.
But with the United States marking its 250th anniversary this summer and the 100th anniversary of Route 66, Expedia is also seeing many travelers choosing to “hotel-hop” across the country and book multi-hotel itineraries as they explore cities in every state.
The news elsewhere was less positive.
Deloitte “2026 Summer Travel Survey” fWillingness to travel fell to a six-year low amid rising price pressures, but people planning trips said they would spend more, the survey showed.
Their survey found that while 45% of Americans plan to go on summer vacation, the cost is keeping others at home. One-third of non-travelers say traveling 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 they will increase their budget for their longest trip to $4,049, a 17% increase from 2025.
Bank of America's Summer Travel and Entertainment Outlook report shows that 77% of Americans plan to travel this summer, surpassing the 74% who said they have travel plans for summer 2025 and the 72% who plan to travel for summer 2024.
Meanwhile, 55% of Americans of all income levels say their top priority is finding great experiences while keeping an eye on their budget, and this holds true for people at every income level.
Artificial intelligence is finding its way into travel planning
The Bank of America survey found that more than half of Americans (55%) are using AI to plan their summer travel, whether to compare costs (28%), discover new destinations (26%) and/or get general travel advice (26%).
They also say nearly half of Americans (46%) plan to redeem financial rewards to offset vacation costs this summer.
Does any of this sound like your summer travel plans?
Let us know!
