The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is a time when many people across New Jersey are preparing to hit the roads to kickstart the unofficial start to summer.

AAA predicts that this Memorial Day weekend in New Jersey will be the third busiest travel time since 2000. AAA says more than one million New Jersey residents will travel over the holiday weekend.

State police say they will have additional patrols for DWI enforcement.

In total, 37.1 million people across the U.S. are planning to drive to their destinations -- many with the beach at the top of their minds.

"It's no surprise that our routes to the Shore are going to be extremely busy, add to that, the fact Taylor Swift is going to be in East Rutherford this weekend," says AAA spokesperson Tracy Noble. "It's going to be a nightmare on our roadways."

Experts say the best time to travel on Friday by car is in the morning or by evening after 6 p.m. They say the lightest traffic days will be Saturday and Sunday - as most people will already be at their destinations. The worst time to travel back home will be between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

As for air travel, officials say nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly to their destinations — an increase of 11% over last year. Air travel over the holiday weekend is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels.