Are high gas prices disrupting your holiday travel plans?
In the US, Memorial Day weekend is usually one of the busiest for road-trippers. Spring is springing, the weather is warming up, and for many of us, school has just let out. A great time for a drive, I'd say!
Unless gas is $3.83 a gallon, that is. In the past few days, the papers have been full of stories of would-be travelers who are stuck at home this weekend thanks to rising gas prices. The Washington Post reports that this weekend will bring the first decrease in Memorial Day travel since 9/11. The Salt Lake Tribune says that travelers will still be hitting the road, but more will be traveling less than 50 miles from home than in years past. My hometown paper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, tells the sad story of several travelers who are forgoing their annual Memorial Day fishing and camping trip because they can't afford the 2 1/2 hour drive.
How 'bout you, Gadling faithful? Are any of you cutting down on Memorial Day (or summer) travel plans because of the high cost of gas?
Filed under: Business, Transportation, Budget Travel





















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
May 22nd 2008 @ 9:00PM
Ben said...
No plans to reduce travel. I only get so many days off each year, and I'm using them to the fullest.
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May 23rd 2008 @ 9:17AM
drstrangegun said...
It shouldn't. Consider a 600 mile road trip in... let's be extreme, something that gets 20mpg. You're going to use 30 gallons of fuel for your trip.
If gas were $2 a gallon, $60. $3 a gallon, $90. $4, $120.
It's not that much of a difference; if $30 breaks you off a trip you probably shouldn't have gone anyways.
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May 23rd 2008 @ 12:10PM
Robbin said...
I usually hit the Guadelupe once a year Memorial weekend for camping and fun but not this year. I'm choosing to stay home because it is a luxury. Gas is not the only increased cost either. With the incresas in gas comes the increase in food, gear, camping, and other such costs related to taking the trip.
Many people out there may be lucky enough to make over 25k a year and / or live with their parents and not have high living costs. Many of the rest of us are single or even worse single parents who work just as hard but just don't make enough to cover the extra cost of gas.
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May 23rd 2008 @ 1:21PM
arex said...
here in California (Bay Area), we're at $4.09-4.39 nowadays. Chances are we're going to hit up a couple more local places rather than go to Yosemite or something.
A few friends of ours, though, in LA are heading up to Lake Arrowhead with a group to go camping! I suppose since camping with a group is much cheaper than driving and staying at hotels, so save where you can to balance your costs!
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May 23rd 2008 @ 5:09PM
Fredrik said...
Okey, so gas prices are high...
I live in Sweden and here we pay aprox $2,3 per Litre, don't know how much that comes out per gallon. And in this price we pay about $1,2 in tax. It's true, the tax is higher than the fuel itself.
And people here complain, don't think they don't. But everyone drives just as much now as any other year, month, day.
Btw, drstrangegun, liked your comment. If that sort of money makes a different for your trip maybe you shouldn't even afford a car!
Bye, from Sweden.
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May 23rd 2008 @ 6:18PM
JJ said...
I have to comment here! The rise in fuel does not help noones life. Whether you are single parents, kids still at home or a single one child family struggling to get by. But what makes me so upset is. The ppl who drive them big old SUV's have 4 kids and dad is the only one working because mom has chosen to stay home. Go on a huge vacation every year because god forbid their kids stay at home all summer and go swimming or go to the zoo. tour the state in which they reside. Wake up america. Unless you are a family or savers scrimpers and can live on the basics to have a good time with the family and not max out the plastic good for you but I don't want to hear how ppl are suffering because they thought they had to drive to the west coast or florida for the fun vacation.
QUIT driving. Use alternatives to get to work IF YOU CAN.. I walk to work and my boyfriend rides his motor cycle
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May 24th 2008 @ 9:19AM
Tim said...
Americans don't know how lucky they are. In Britain we're paying around $9 a gallon for petrol.
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Jun 8th 2008 @ 10:08AM
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