Traveling for Memorial Day weekend? Get ready for one of Wisconsin's busiest ever, AAA says.

David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·6 min read

It’s poised to be one of the busiest Memorial Day travel periods in Wisconsin since the turn of the millennium this year.

This year’s holiday season is expected to be the busiest since 2019, which was a record at the time, and since the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the travel industry, according to an analysis by AAA. The forecast goes back to 2000 and found the main driver of this year’s boost is high consumer interest, the company said in a news release.

“Memorial Day will be the start to a very busy summer of travel,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA, in a press release announcing the forecast. “American travelers are forecast to surpass pre-pandemic levels, making this the busiest Memorial Day holiday weekend in nearly two decades.”

AAA’s analysis shows that 816,913 Wisconsin travelers are expected to travel this year’s Memorial Day weekend, up 4% from 786,232 last year. The majority of that is driving travel, with 734,106 expected to travel by car, with 42,617 and 40,190 by other means like buses, cruises or trains.

Wisconsin’s high interest also mirrors the company’s national forecast. The travel company forecasts that 43.8 million people nationally will travel that weekend, up 5% from 2023, when 42 million traveled.

Here’s what to know about what to expect for traveling — from travel time to costs — on Memorial Day weekend:

Holiday travel expectations at Milwaukee’s airport

While this year’s Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to be a strong travel period, it should be less hectic than the last big travel period of spring break at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

At that time, the local airport saw its parking lot reach capacity and officials urged travelers to plan for it.

Harold Mester, the airport's director of public affairs and marketing, said he expected travel to be up somewhere between 5% to 10% for those traveling out of the city during Memorial Day weekend. He said that was likely to occur due to new flights being offered at the airport compared to last year.

He pointed to airlines like Southwest, which added a nonstop route to Kansas City, and American Airlines, which added routes to Washington D.C., as examples.

“It will be busy for sure. It’s not going to be busy to the level of spring-break busy. It will be busy with people flying out on Thursday or Friday before,” he said. “Those are predictions anyway. I think our numbers will exceed what (AAA) has.”

Mester also said the airport expects a bump in arrivals, as some travelers fly into Milwaukee for outdoor-centric travel in Wisconsin to camp, fish or hike.

He encouraged those traveling during this period to arrive two hours early, especially if they plan to bring a checked bag, and make a parking reservation in advance.

What are gas prices in Wisconsin?

AAA broke down the cost of various travel categories, from gas to airfare, in its forecast. It showed that prices should be comparable to last year’s holiday weekend across many categories. For those traveling locally or regionally, gas prices should be a boon.

That’s because Wisconsin gas prices are tracking lower than last year, AAA’s data showed. However, prices outside the Midwest are higher than that, so don’t expect to see local prices elsewhere.

As of today, the average gas price per gallon in Wisconsin was at $3.30, considerably cheaper than the national average of $3.61.

How much is airfare for the Memorial Day weekend nationally?

AAA said in its news release that airplane ticket prices are comparable to last year, up only 2%, at an average of $778 for a round-trip domestic flight.

In Milwaukee, the average fare was actually cheaper than AAA's data, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation data. The average fare was down 7%, or at $383.65.

What to expect when booking a hotel on Memorial Day weekend?

Hotel bookings are cheaper this year, down 5% from last year, based on AAA booking data.

AAA forecasted the cost per stay at domestic hotels at $500 for “multiple nights” and said travelers should expect to pay $660 for international hotels.

What are car rental prices, demand for Memorial Day weekend?

AAA analyzed data on car rentals, finding that they're considerably cheaper this year, down 17% from last year.

It said the average cost of a car rental “for a few days” is $439.

AAA said cities with the highest car rental demand were Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston and Las Vegas. The busiest rental pickup dates are Thursday, May 23, and Friday, May 24, with the average reservation for five days.

Alternative travel methods make a rebound

During the COVID-19 pandemic, other travel methods, like buses, cruises and trains, cratered. This year is poised to return to 2019 levels, AAA said.

It projects that 1.9 million people will travel by these methods, up 5.6% from last year. The highest bump came in ocean and river cruises, the company said.

Best and worst times to drive on Memorial Day weekend

AAA pulled data from INRIX, a transportation data and sights company, to show how travelers should plan for driving by each day of the weekend.

  • Thursday, May 23: Leave before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. for the best travel times, with the worst travel between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

  • Friday, May 24: Leave before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m. for the best travel times, with the worst travel between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.

  • Saturday, May 25: Leave before 1 p.m. and after 6 p.m. for the best travel times, with the worst travel between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

  • Sunday, May 26: Leave before 1 p.m. for the best travel time, with the worst travel between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

  • Monday, May 27: Leave after 7 p.m. for the best travel time, with the worst travel between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Top travel destinations in the United States

AAA compiled its booking data to show the top 10 domestic travel destinations for Memorial Day weekend:

  • Orlando

  • Seattle

  • New York

  • Las Vegas

  • Los Angeles/Anaheim

  • Denver

  • Anchorage, Alaska

  • Fort Lauderdale

  • Miami

  • Boston

Top travel destinations internationally

The travel company did the same to show popular international destinations:

  • Rome

  • Vancouver, British Columbia

  • London

  • Paris

  • Dublin

  • Amsterdam

  • Athens, Greece

  • Barcelona, Spain

  • St. George, Bermuda

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Memorial Day weekend travel in Wisconsin will be busiest since 2019