Best, worst times to travel Memorial Day weekend

What do you think of when you imagine the perfect road trip?

Freedom to relax and be on your own schedule? Flexibility to stop and see what you want when you want? Spending less than flying somewhere so you have money left to explore when you arrive at your destination?

Those all sound perfect, right? In reality a road trip can be STRESSFUL!

One of the worst issues with a road trip are the hours you may spend stuck in traffic, watching your vacation time slowly tick away.

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This year there’s something you may be able to do to help save those precious minutes and hours.

AAA predicts nearly 40 million people plan to travel this Memorial Day weekend. That’s 4.6% more than in 2021. The majority plan to do so by car.

The association just released the best and worst times to travel if you hope to avoid begin stuck in traffic with thousands of other drivers this holiday weekend.

AAA said the longest delays are expected on May 26 and May 27 as people leave home to begin their road trips.

The absolute worst times you can travel by car are Thursday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Those times are followed by Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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You’ll also likely hit delays when everyone begins to return home.

Those times are predicted to be Sunday and Monday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day, according to AAA.

If you want to try to avoid traffic, your best bet is to leave before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on Thursday or Friday. Driving before 10 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday are also options.

If you’re planning a day trip on Memorial Day, plan on arriving at your destination before 11 a.m.

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By claiming your baggage (this time the stress that can come with a road trip) and making small adjustments to your plans, you’ll be more relaxed to enjoy your road trip as well as more time to enjoy your destination when you arrive!