Planes, Trains & Automobiles Streaming: How To Watch The Steve Martin Comedy

Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains & Automobiles
(Image credit: Paramount)

We have a wide variety of films that are appropriate for watching around Halloween and some might say that are almost too many Christmas movies to choose from, but you never hear much about any films related to the major holiday in between: Thanksgiving. However, if there is one flick that best deserves to be included in your family’s annual traditions this November, it has to be Planes, Trains & Automobiles from 1987.

From writer and director John Hughes, the hilarious classic stars Steve Martin as Chicago advertising executive Neal Page, who has no choice but to share his journey home from New York for a Thanksgiving feast with his family with a boisterous, talkative shower curtain ring salesman named Del Griffith, played by the late, great John Candy. There is no better time to revisit the brilliant lunacy of this road movie than the fourth Thursday of November, but for those who do not own the film on DVD or Blu-ray already, where is Planes, Trains & Automobiles streaming right now? That is where we come in.

Steve Martin in Planes, Trains & Automobiles

(Image credit: Paramount)

Where is Planes, Trains & Automobiles Available Streaming?

Luckily, there are a number of ways that you and your family (except for the little ones, maybe) can enjoy the R-rated Planes, Trains & Automobiles online after finishing your Thanksgiving Day meal. If you're a subscriber of the Live TV service, FuboTV, you may already have access to the comedy streaming through the service. 

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is also available streaming on AMC+, which you can subscribe to through Amazon Prime. In fact, Amazon is offering Prime subscribers a Black Friday deal right now to add extra streaming channels such as AMC+ for just $0.99 per month for two months. Now sounds like the perfect time to take advantage of that, if not just to experience Steve Martin and John Candy’s bizarre travel antics.

Stream Planes, Trains and Automobiles through AMC+ on Amazon Prime Video.
Rent/Buy Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Amazon.

John Candy in Planes, Trains & Automobiles

(Image credit: Paramount)

Is Planes, Trains & Automobiles On Netflix?

Just about anything and everything has been on Netflix at some time or another. Unfortunately, the streaming giant does not carry Planes, Trains and Automobiles at the moment. 

However, Netflix does have some funny road movies starring mismatched pairings, such as Tommy Boy and Midnight Run (one of the best ‘80s movies), and even a few titles that are genuinely described as Thanksgiving movies, like the animated Free Birds and Friendsgiving. They may not be quite what you were looking for, but a decent set of alternatives nonetheless, I might say.

Stream Tommy Boy on Netflix.
Stream Midnight Run on Netflix.
Stream Free Birds on Netflix.
Stream Friendsgiving on Netflix.

Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains & Automobiles

(Image credit: Paramount)

If You're A Fan Of Planes, Trains & Automobiles…

If you're a fan Planes, Trains & Automobiles, we have some articles that may interest you. 

For instance, you can ready about the Planes, Trains & Automobiles scene that makes Steve Martin cry, a fascinating (but probably unlikely) fan theory suggesting John Candy’s character and his Home Alone role are - not only the same person - but the Devil incarnate, and check out any updates to the announced remake starring Will Smith and Kevin Hart. According to Hart’s words to the Philadelphia Inquirer in November 2021, he and Will Smith have talked about it and they're still trying to figure out what makes sense for it. So we'll have to wait and see what happens with that. 

Of course, I think most would agree that you cannot beat the classics and Planes, Trains & Automobiles most definitely fits under the category. Enjoy it with the whole family this year… just be sure to cover the smaller one’s ears during Steve Martin’s iconic, expletive-filled tirade.

Jason Wiese
Content Writer

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

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