Perhaps students should get an early start on bag-packing and homeward travels, because this Thanksgiving is going to be a doozy.

According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Thanksgiving week in the past has won the award for busiest travel period on America's "First Superhighway." With about 2 million cars and trucks traveling the 521-mile road, there are sure to be heavy delays and stressed-out college students awaiting turkey dinner.

Luckily, there is hope for those students who do not have the desire to sit in a car for a few hours anticipating their scholastic escape -- buses and planes.

Kim Cendan (sophomore-journalism) said she was a bus passenger for Thanksgiving last year and would have beeen taking the bus again, but luckily, she found a ride ahead of time.

Still, Cendan said taking the bus is a good option for those who do not own cars and do not want to deal with finding a ride.

Many students say buses during holiday travel resemble the frenzied atmosphere of Penn State football games -- a too-close-for-comfort experience.

Cendan said her last unavoidably awkward bus ride brought about a memory she would never forget.

"I took my seat on the bus, and a big lady who smelled really bad sat next to me," she said. "So I threw myself against the window to get away from her and was squished in the corner the whole ride. As this was happening, I had to go the bathroom but couldn't move. I was trying so hard to think of anything else other than the smelly woman and having to go to the bathroom."

Greyhound Lines Supervisor and State College resident Adam Bak said bus travel usually fluctuates during the year, but the hectic holiday schedule is inevitable.

"In a typical day, there are about seven departures," he said. "But the Tuesday before the holiday, there will be about 24 departures, if not more ... so we try to tell people to buy their tickets in advance; get that head start."

Student travel is almost a necessity since most on-campus dorms are closing for the week, Jen Crawford, president of the East Halls Residence Association, said.

"As far as I know, most of the dorms are closing around noon on the 24th," Crawford (junior-biology) said. "But for those students who need to stay, they always keep open some supplemental housing for a cost."

Flying, yet another alternative to avoid added travel hours, may provide a time-saving option for some, said Charles Welch, director of the Centre County Airport Authority.

Welch said that although this time of year sees the most people traveling, extra flights were not added to the schedule.

"We will be very, very busy, but they do not add flights. They don't have airplanes to do that, but all of the seats will be sold out," Welch said.

On a typical but busy weekend, about 70 percent of the seats will be sold, he said. But during the week of Thanksgiving, Welch expects the planes to be 100 percent full.

All flights leaving the University Park Airport head to Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, he said. Even with these flying options, passengers may not receive the most bang for their buck in all cases.

Jessie Lough (junior-journalism) is flying home to Texas for her Thanksgiving break and said she is leaving Monday.

"I'm flying because I have to travel far, so I like to make my break as long as possible," Lough said.

Lough, who will only return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks because of the travel expense, added that since her recent move to Texas from Pennsylvania, it is necessary for her to fly home to see her relatives.

"But I do have to travel from State College to Cincinnati to Houston to McAllen, Texas. And that's not fun," she said.