According to the annual AAA Memorial Day Travel Forecast, nearly 43 million Americans will start their summers with a Memorial Day weekend getaway.

This long holiday weekend, marking the unofficial start of summer travel season, will see the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel volumes dating back to 2000. Overall, an additional 1.5 million more people will take to the nation’s roads, rails and runways compared with last year, a 3.6% increase nationwide.

Although the national average price for gasoline is inching closer to the $3 per gallon mark, the vast majority of holiday travelers report that they will drive to their destinations. For these motorists, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects travel delays on major roads could be more than three times longer than normal during evening commutes.

Worst times

For the 37.6 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion in the late afternoon today as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip, while New Yorkers and Washington, D.C., could see three times the delay.

Higher gas prices

Gas prices have increased by more than 30 cents in the last two months with the national average approaching $3 per gallon ($2.86 today) which is relatively on par with prices this time last year ($2.89). However, 88% of travelers will choose to drive to their Memorial Day destinations this year, the most on record. AAA has found that when gas prices are higher, travelers may shorten the distance of a road trip, eat out less or look for free activities. Overall, prices are very similar to this time last year and, like then, travelers aren’t letting that deter them from taking summer road trips.

Lower hotel costs

While road trippers are paying more to fill up their vehicles at the gas pump, some of that additional expense can be made up with lower prices on car rentals and hotels this Memorial Day. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, car rental prices have declined 7% nationally compared with last year, with an average daily rate of $55. Midrange hotels are between 2% and 3% cheaper this year, with an average nightly rate of $146 and $183, respectively, for AAA Two and Three Diamond Rated properties.