Amtrak Encourages Travelers to Book Thanksgiving Travel Early Amid Historic Demand

Advance ticket reservations secure guaranteed seats and the best fares

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Thanksgiving approaches, Amtrak is encouraging travelers to book early to secure the best fares and guaranteed seats, as tickets are selling quickly. Thanksgiving is Amtrak’s busiest travel season and one of the busiest travel periods nationwide. In 2025, Amtrak broke ridership records during the Thanksgiving holiday with more than 1.2 million customer trips—a nearly 6% increase from 2024. Amtrak predicts another year of record ridership this holiday season and recommends travelers plan their trips early.

"Amtrak is experiencing record demand, a testament to the comfortable and convenient experience of traveling by train," said Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann. "We are honored to help customers reach their holiday destinations safely and comfortably, while offering more departures, amenities and services during a time when they appreciate them most."

Train travel offers many benefits: no waiting in long airport lines, a quick and easy boarding process, no roadway traffic, and arrival downtown, where connecting travel options are abundant.

To help accommodate the expected surge of customers during Thanksgiving week, Amtrak is expanding capacity by adding cars to select Northeast Regional trains from Nov. 20-30. Two additional Northeast Regional round trips will be added with service between Washington Union Station, New York Penn Station, and cities in between on Nov. 24-25 and Nov. 28-29. With record demand, this additional capacity is expected to fill quickly.

There’s more for customers to love at Amtrak this holiday season. The company continues to introduce additional NextGen Acela trains–providing a premium experience. Fifteen NextGen Acela trains are now in service, more than ever before.

And in the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak Cascades now features Amtrak’s brand new Airo fleet on four daily trips, providing an even more comfortable, connected, and reliable travel experience. Each of these services has enhanced food and beverage offerings, comfortable seating, picturesque views, amenities, and thoughtful touches that make holiday travel by Amtrak more enjoyable.

Purchasing tickets is fast and easy on Amtrak.com, through the Amtrak mobile app, at in-station ticketing kiosks and in-person at staffed stations, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.