The ongoing US government shutdown has created one of the most disruptive travel periods in years, prompting millions of Americans to rethink how they’ll reach their Thanksgiving destinations. With thousands of flights canceled daily and long security lines stretching through major airports, many are turning to trains, buses, and even one-way car rentals as more reliable options.
According to travel search engine Wanderu, bookings for rail and bus travel are up 12 percent compared to last year, with certain routes – including New York City, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis – seeing increases as high as 30 percent. Amtrak is preparing for what it expects will be its busiest Thanksgiving season ever, reporting double-digit growth in early bookings. To accommodate this surge, the company is expanding capacity along its high-traffic Northeast Corridor routes.
Intercity bus operators such as Flix and Megabus have also seen record demand. “We anticipate more travelers may turn to ground transportation in the days ahead,” said Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America. “We’re monitoring demand closely and prepared to add capacity where needed to ensure people can keep moving.”
Meanwhile, the nation’s airlines continue to struggle under flight reductions of up to 10 percent, leaving millions stranded. As one traveler from Boston put it, “It’s probably easier to say no to Thanksgiving this year.”
Travel Industry Raises Alarm Over Shutdown’s Impact
The surge in alternative travel modes highlights how deeply the US shutdown has shaken confidence in air travel. The U.S. Travel Association has warned that the ongoing government stalemate is already inflicting billions of dollars in economic losses on the nation’s travel sector. Airlines for America reports that flight bookings have fallen sharply, while car rental companies like Hertz have seen a 20 percent spike in one-way rentals since flight cuts began.
This comes just days after nearly 500 travel organizations – including airlines, hotels, and destination associations – signed a letter urging Congress to reopen the government before Thanksgiving.
As covered in another recent report on TravelCapybara, the U.S. travel industry is calling for immediate action to prevent “economic devastation” across communities nationwide, warning that continued shutdown-related disruptions could derail the busiest travel week of the year.
Ground transportation prices, meanwhile, are climbing. Bus fares have risen 11 percent and train tickets 10 percent compared to two weeks ago, according to Wanderu. Travelers who booked early in October avoided a 16 percent increase that continues to grow as the holiday approaches.
While the shift from skies to rails might seem temporary, it underscores a larger truth about how fragile the U.S. travel infrastructure can be when politics intervene. For now, with planes grounded and terminals packed, Thanksgiving 2025 is shaping up to be the year Americans rediscovered the rails – and the highways – as their best route home.
