Memorial Day weekend travel on rise in Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla. More Floridians than ever will hit the road this holiday weekend, according to AAA.

Nearly 2 million Floridians will travel at least 50 miles, an increase of 3.3 percent over last year, AAA said. Nearly 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more, up by one million from last year.

Travel expenses are spiking as well.

“We are going to see more than 5 percent higher gas prices, nearly 7 percent for car rental, airfare is up 9 percent and some of the major hotel chains are charging 18 percent more this Memorial Day than last year,” Voyage Report spokesperson Mark Albert said.

Road trips continue to reign supreme for the holiday weekend, but more Americans will travel by plane, train and bus than they did last year, AAA said.

“Demand is going to be the highest it’s been in a dozen years which means more people want to travel,” Albert said. “They know the economy is improving so they have more disposable income, so supply and demand.”

Albert suggested the following tips:

• Visit a U.S. national park. Admission is free for fourth-graders, and an annual pass is $10 for senior citizens.
• Don’t buy airline tickets in a group if you are buying a last-minute flight for the family. Buy them separately or in groups of two, and link the itineraries.
• Check your tires to make sure they are properly inflated before taking a road trip. That will help you get better gas mileage.

The Memorial Day holiday travel period runs May 25 to May 29.