ORLANDO, Fla., May 16, 2014 -- AAA Travel projects 36.1 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 1.5 percent increase from the 35.5 million people who traveled last year.  Kicking off the summer driving season, more than eight in ten travelers will be driving to their destinations.  The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26.

Highlights from 2014 Memorial Day Travel Forecast include:

• Memorial Day holiday travel volume is expected to reach a new post-recession high with 36.1  million Americans taking a trip
• The 2014 forecast is 2.6 percent higher than the ten-year historical average and the second highest travel volume since 2000
• Eighty-eight percent of travelers (31.8 million) to travel by automobile, an increase from 31.4 million last year
• Holiday air travel expected to increase from 2.4 percent to 2.6 million leisure travelers 
• Travel by other modes of transportation including cruise, trains and buses will see the largest increase, up 6.5 percent (total 1.7 million travelers)
• Travelers will encounter slightly higher prices with airfares six percent higher, mid-range hotels up two percent and car rentals costing one percent more