Christmas travel rush underway at Philadelphia International Airport and 30th Street Station

If you’re traveling for the holidays this week, just remember you’re not alone.

Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and Philadelphia International Airport were both busy with people looking to get home to their families Sunday evening.

“It’s busy and cold here on the East Coast, but we are trying to stay warm,” Avin Ramratnam said.

“It takes about three and a half hours sometimes to get back home. Traveling by train via Amtrak is so quick, easy,” Courtney Thomas said.

But for Ramratnam it was far from easy. Their trip was delayed for hours after downed overhead wires forced Amtrak to suspend service temporarily between New York and Philadelphia Sunday morning.

“We were supposed to be probably home around now,” Kiran Ramratnam said.

The station will remain busy for the next few days, but travelers headed to see friends and family said braving the crowds is well worth the effort.

“I’m actually travelling because I’m going to be leaving out of JFK to see my sister who lives in Spain. I’m traveling through. I’m really excited to see her,” Thomas said. 

Philadelphia International Airport is going to get even busier in the days leading up to Christmas. A PHL spokesperson says staff is expecting around 300,000 to come through the airport over the next few days. 

“It was very busy,” said Richard Walczak.

Walczak flew all the way from Portland, Oregon, to visit his friends.

They’ll be spending Christmas together for the first time.

“Incredibly excited to see them. I haven’t seen them in like five years. Very excited,” Walczak said.

“This is the first time we’ve ever done this. We are going to be doing the cookie baking. The present wrapping. The movie watching. All of it,” Walczak’s friend Bonnie Brunner said.

And there’s no better Christmas gift than spending time with the ones you love.