DALLAS — Rising travel costs are prompting more Americans and Canadians to choose shorter regional trips this summer, driving strong passenger growth on several intercity bus routes across North America, according to data released by Flix North America.
The company, which operates FlixBus and Greyhound, announced its fastest-growing summer routes for 2026 based on year-over-year passenger growth. The rankings show travelers increasingly favoring affordable destinations within a few hours of home rather than longer, more expensive vacations.
The fastest-growing route this summer is between Boston and New York City, followed by New York-Philadelphia, Las Vegas-Los Angeles, Banff-Calgary, and Seattle-Vancouver. Other top-performing routes include New York-Washington; Calgary-Edmonton; Atlantic City-New York; Baltimore-New York; and London, Ontario-Toronto.
“What we’re seeing is that travelers aren’t giving up on summer travel; they’re becoming more selective about how they spend their money,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications for Flix North America. “The routes seeing the strongest growth are regional corridors where bus travel offers a compelling combination of affordability, convenience and reliability.”
The Northeast accounted for four of the top 10 fastest-growing routes, reflecting continued demand for city center-to-city center service that avoids parking fees, traffic congestion and airport costs.
Leisure destinations also performed well. Routes serving Banff, Vancouver, Las Vegas and Atlantic City posted significant growth, while travel remained strong on routes linking Seattle and Vancouver and London and Toronto.
Several destinations along the top-performing routes are expected to see increased traffic this summer because of major sporting events, festivals and celebrations tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Flix said the results align with broader travel trends. A recent Deloitte survey found vacation intent at a six-year low, while a LendingTree survey reported that 75% of Americans expect fuel and airfare prices to influence their travel plans.
The company said growing demand for affordable transportation has helped drive expansion across its network, which now serves more than 1,800 destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
