Memorial Day Weekend 2023: Your guide to travel around Pa., N.J., Del.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- This Memorial Day weekend is expected to be the busiest in years. Travel experts say lifted COVID-19 restrictions means more people are moving around the area or even leaving the country.
Whether you're driving to your weekend destination or getting on a flight, travel experts are advising you to plan ahead and allow yourself extra time.
Here's what you need to know.
Experts say this is busiest Memorial Day since 2000
AAA is predicting that this Memorial Day will be the fourth-busiest since it started tracking the holiday 23 years ago. There will be more drivers and more people flying, particularly on international flights.
AAA is attributing the increase to a drop in COVID restrictions.
A half million people from Philadelphia are expected to travel 50 miles or more. That's just under pre-pandemic levels.
The usual rush before the holidays seems to have started earlier in the week.
"It is easier now to travel internationally, especially, now that those restrictions have been lifted. So we've seen international travel bookings soar, in light of those restrictions going away," said AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell.
The busiest travel times are Friday afternoon for drivers and evening and Monday afternoon for flying. AAA says the bestime to travel is Friday after 7 p.m. or early Saturday morning.
If you're going to the airport, you may want to give yourself some extra time.
Philadelphia International Airport doubles parking spaces
Philadelphia International Airport has reopened a closed portion of its economy parking lot, which effectively doubles the number of parking spaces.
Part of the lot closed in 2020 when travel declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The flat rate for parking in the lot is $15 per day.
Memorial Day forecast: what's the weather looking like for the Philadelphia area?
All eyes this week have been on the forecast for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend, and that will remain the case for the next couple of days. And here's the main takeaway: we're expecting mostly nice weather, but tracking the potential for showers Sunday and Monday. We'll keep you updated as that forecast comes more into focus.
Here are more details from CBS News Philadelphia meteorologist Grant Gilmore.
A low pressure system will develop along the Carolina coast over the next couple of days and begin to track north toward the weekend. In the meantime, a Canadian high pressure system will move into the northeast which will give the region great weather for Thursday and Friday.
The latest trends in the models continue to hold the high pressure system overhead into Saturday, providing mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, with high temperatures in the mid-upper 70s inland and middle 60s down the shore.
There remains some uncertainty in just how far north this area of low pressure will track along the coast through the holiday weekend, but the trend has been for the system to remain far enough south, so only a few extra clouds would move in for most of our area on Sunday. That said, any further movement to the north could bring a few showers to South Jersey, some of the southern beaches and into Delaware.
The exact location of that low pressure system will also dictate what is in store for Memorial Day itself as well. The way things look right now, however, is for partly cloudy to partly sunny conditions through the holiday weekend with only a small chance for a few showers in areas south on Sunday and Monday. Right now temperatures will generally be in the mid-upper 70s inland with mid-upper 60s for highs down the shower. If the system manages to stay farther south temperatures could end up being three to five degrees warmer. We will continue to monitor the forecast and pass along more details as they come into view.
How people will travel for Memorial Day Weekend
"Nearly half a million Philadelphia area residents will travel 50 miles or more for the upcoming memorial day holiday weekend," said AAA's Tidwell. "That is an increase of 6% over last year. Of that number, about 90% will go by car. So, 440,000 Philadelphia area residents, that's also up 6% over last year."
Filling the tank will be cheaper compared to this time last year. New numbers from AAA show the average price for a gallon of regular in Southeast Pennsylvania costs about $3.64 a gallon. South Jersey drivers are paying an average of $3.38 a gallon. And drivers in Northern Delaware are paying about $3.46 a gallon.
Air travel is up this year, and nearly 42,000 Philadelphia travelers are expected to fly this weekend.
Peak travel time for fliers is Monday afternoon. AAA says if you travel during those times, to pack your patience along for the trip.
Amtrak
At 30th Street Station, Amtrak estimates it will see just shy of 22,000 passengers come through for the holiday weekend. That's around 6,000 more than last year. But riders we talked with say it's a good way to beat the traffic.
"I think it made it easier that we're taking the train and not driving. I think that's a lot easier, less traffic obviously," Lily Beck, who is traveling to Washington, D.C., said.
Wait, free Crabfries?!?!
Chickie's and Pete's is offering free Crabfries and free tolls eastbound on the Atlantic City Expressway on May 26.
N.J. beaches on Memorial Day Weekend: What you need to know
The Wildwood Boardwalk has reopened after it underwent repairs in the offseason.
In North Wildwood, crews have been working at a quick pace to replenish beaches enough so that they're usable for Memorial Day Weekend.
The work is taking place to repair the public access points between 13th and 15th Avenues.
"This is a critical public safety issue, and we're going to address it, and it will be fixed by Memorial Day Weekend," Mayor Patrick Rosenello told CBS News Philadelphia. The city expects 100,000 people this weekend
If you're visiting a Jersey beach for the first time, check the town's website to see if you need a beach tag.
Some towns do not require beach tags to enjoy the beach, and tag policies may not be in effect until later in the summer season.
Important to note: Wildwood has banned alcohol on its beach and boardwalk.
I'm going to the beach for Memorial Day Weekend. Do I need to worry about sharks?
You may have seen headlines about a shark bite off the Jersey Shore, but experts say shark attacks are extremely rare - you are 200 times more likely to drown in the ocean than be bitten by a shark.
Bees and cows kill more people a year than sharks.
Beach rentals
While you're almost out of time before the long weekend starts, realtors told us Avalon, Stone Harbor and Brigantine had some places available as of last week.
Not heading to the shore? Here's something else to do
For those not heading to the beach, there are multiple events happening in the Philadelphia area, and some are free too! Check out our list of happenings here.
