Millions of Americans began hitting the roads, skies, and train tracks today in what was predicted to be the largest Thanksgiving pilgrimage ever — despite rising gas prices and fears of air delays.

A record 38.7 million American residents were expected to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. Some were hoping to beat the evening rush on what is often called the busiest travel day of the year.

At Pennsylvania Station, there was a growing knot of people with heavy suitcases in the Amtrak waiting area.

Ryan Bevilacqua and Jeremy Lyon, 23-year-old childhood buddies headed back home to Harrisburg, Pa., passed the time by talking about — of all things — train derailments.

But all joking about disasters aside, they said, riding the rails was guaranteed to be better than driving.

“The drive from here to Harrisburg? It’s awful,” Mr. Bevilacqua said. Traffic. Tolls. Road construction. No thanks.

“The trains here are really nice,” Mr. Lyon said. “The seats are comfortable. You can plug in your laptop. You can move around. It’s great.”

Getting aboard may be the greatest challenge. At Penn Station, Amtrak doesn’t announce what gate passengers will use to board a train until the last minute. Then, things can get bumpy.

A woman grabbed two young boys by the hand and gave them a quick primer.

“They’re going to announce the track. Then everyone is going to run so they can be first in line. Be ready,” she said.

“Track 11 east,” a voice announced.

“Go! Go!” the woman urged.

At LaGuardia Airport, Sally and Neil MacDonald, of Sandy Hook, Conn., were heading to Arkansas for a big family reunion.

“This gives us more time to enjoy family instead of having our three little kids in the car for 22 hours,” Sally MacDonald said.

She was carrying pumpkin cheesecake in a covered plastic pie plate. “If they don’t allow it, I guess the airport security will be enjoying my pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.”

Liana Merdinger, 10, from Long Beach, and her mother, Joan, were going to Orlando, Fla.

Travel hassles don’t phase Liana: “I am 10 years old and I’ve been on 12 cruises.”

They arrived at LaGuardia three hours early. At 6 a.m., the lines were still short — and they had lots of time to kill. “I’m going to go sleep!” Liana said.

What’s the most important thing about the holiday? “I think it’s spending time with family,” the fifth grader said.

At the Port Authority Bus Terminal, lines were still short this morning at the gates for Greyhound, Trailways, and Peter Pan.

A college student from the Bronx, Sonja Cavanzo, 23, was laden with four bags as she waited to buy her ticket to Columbus, Ohio. She’s spending Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s family, and was bringing “a teddy bear for his mother, and a Christmas ornament and little Christmas tree for him.”

What she likes best about Thanksgiving is “everyone getting together.”

“The food is good too,” she said laughing, adding that she’d be helping her boyfriend’s mother with the cooking.

Jason Butler, 37, made a last minute decision to visit his girlfriend in Paul Smiths, N.Y., north of Lake Placid.

Mr. Butler, who works in sales, chose the bus because “it would have cost me double to drive,” and planes and trains were sold out.

Thanksgiving for him means “just being with someone I love.”