As flight cancellations rise, people are turning to trains, car rentals and creative solutions to get to their destinations

Flight delays and cancellations are shown on a flight schedule in Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday. Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA/AP

Xavier Vega and his partner, Soluna Vega, cheered in relief as the “Welcome to Connecticut” sign came into view. It marked the end of an unplanned 17-hour highway odyssey home after their flight became one of more than 1,000 cancellations tied to the ongoing government shutdown .

The couple, who had to take a train, bus and a rental car on Saturday to drive over 1,100 miles from Florida, are among thousands of travelers whose plans have been derailed by the widespread cancellations – and are searching for other ways to get where they’re going.

An end to the travel woes could be in sight. On Sunday in a procedural vote, Se