Don’t wait until the last minute to buy that bus, train or plane ticket to get home for Thanksgiving break or it could get very expensive, travel companies said.

‘ ‘ ‘ Amtrak, a train company used by some Boston University students, said in a statement that tickets on major travel days can be pricier than normal.

‘The reason that the fares increase over the holidays is that there are so many discount seats sold that the tickets keep moving up to the next price level as tickets sell out,’ the statement said. ‘Some of the busiest days for Amtrak are the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday and Sunday afterwards.’

‘ ‘ ‘ BoltBus and Megabus are two popular bus companies that service locations in the Northeast and Canada. Both offer generally lower fares than the nationwide Greyhound bus line.

College of Arts and Sciences freshman Dan Candea said he prefers to take BoltBus, and purchased his ticket to New York over a month ago because they sell out quickly.

‘They have WiFi and they have outlets so that your laptop won’t die,’ he said.

College of General Studies freshman Myra Alonso, who is taking Greyhound home to New York, said it was the only ticket available.’

‘I was looking into BoltBus and Megabus, but BoltBus was completely booked and Greyhound was a bit cheaper,’ she said.

Alonso said that she purchased her ticket only a week ago, when ‘a lot of companies were already booked.’

‘ ‘ ‘ A statement from BoltBus confirmed the spike in the number of people traveling before and after the holiday.

‘Most of the seats have already been booked for Thanksgiving week,’ BoltBus said in the statement.

‘ ‘ ‘ Ticket prices tend to increase as Thanksgiving approaches and more people travel, Megabus said in a statement.

‘Usually the closer to the date you try to book a seat, the more expensive it gets,’ the statement said.

‘ ‘ ‘ According to their websites, the main difference between Megabus and BoltBus, whose prices are similar at around $20 or less round-trip, is the number of carry-on items allowed.

While both allow one suitcase, which is stored under the bus, BoltBus allows two carry-on items and Megabus only permits one. Like Megabus, Greyhound only allows one carry-on item but tends to be a more expensive trip, according to Greyhound’s site.

‘ ‘ ‘ For those choosing to fly, the main way to ensure a cheaper flight is to book far in advance, students said.’

CGS sophomore Justin Katz said he planned his trip home far in advance.

‘I booked the flight four or five months ago so it wasn’t that expensive,’ Katz said.’

CAS junior Mallory Sampson said purchasing her flight home to Arizona was difficult because there were fewer flights to choose from Priceline.com.

‘Priceline changes prices a lot,’ Sampson said. ‘So then when you go on again, it says the ticket isn’t available.’

One alternative to traveling home for in-state students is using the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail.’

CAS freshman Sylvia Odiana said she lives close enough to BU that she can take the commuter rail home.’

Odiana said she chose to take the commuter rail because it is more convenient than driving, and ‘you don’t have to deal with the traffic.’