NYC Memorial Day Weekend getaway is busiest travel day in years

NEW YORK - The Memorial Day weekend getaway is on! AAA forecasts that 39.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more between Thursday and Monday. That would be an 8.3% increase over last year.

Most of those travelers will drive and, in doing so, face record gas prices. But that doesn’t seem to be keeping people home.

For those hitting the roads, there are ways to conserve gas and keep more money in your pocket.

Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app!  |  Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters

"Use a better oil — in fact, make it synthetic, that second number should be a 40 or higher," AAA Northeast spokesman Robert Sinclair said. "That oil is thinner, and it will have less friction in the engine. You want to accelerate gently. You want to break gently. The type of footwear you wear will make a big difference. If you park in a hot spot, you get in your vehicle, your vehicle is hot, you're going to run the air conditioning, using air conditioning reduces fuel economy. Get those shades people put in their windows if you can't park in a shady spot.

Some other tips to save at the pump include buying gas when it is cooler like in the morning, avoiding gas stations on or near highways, checking tire pressure, performing regular oil changes, and removing any junk in your trunk.

But gas isn’t the only thing that’s more expensive this Memorial Day. Airfare and hotels are more expensive, AAA says. Car rentals, though, are cheaper.

Experts say to avoid traffic, leave early or late.