Amtrak Travel

something i would like to do train east to west of America.Thank you
 
Yes, I have. I have ridden the Saluki, Illini, and the City of New Orleans from Chicago Union Station to Effingham, IL, which amounts to a nearly 4-hr trip. I did it last September, and will do it again in less than 3 weeks.
 
Did you try using the 15% discount? And it's advisable to get it at least 2 months ahead of schedule, as it'll be cheaper. If it's a lot closer to your trip, then yes, it would be expensive.
 
Yes, they give me 15% discounts towards my fare. Only if I'm planning a long distance train, then I'd have to buy in advance to get the best fare.

markengland29 said:
Did you try using the 15% discount? And it's advisable to get it at least 2 months ahead of schedule, as it'll be cheaper. If it's a lot closer to your trip, then yes, it would be expensive.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, you would. On the line I ride, the cheapest tickets usually go for between $37-$44, but if it's closer to the day of the trip, it'll skyrocket to $70+, and around this time, I'm usually paying about $51 for a pair of tickets, but since I had an e-voucher due to having to change the ticket and train times, I paid less than half of that-- I paid $23.45 this year, and the ticket's original price was about what I expected-- $48.45, but I used a $25 e-voucher, and ended up paying that amount above. I'd never paid below $30 before, and it was a first.
 
The fare depends on the distance and what trains you going to be on. Amtrak's commuter train is cheaper than using the long distance trains for example:

From where I am to an hour away on a Corridor train (commuter) it costs about $15 or $30 round trip. If I were to take California Zephyr train which is a long haul from Bay Area to Chicago, goes up to $26 or $41 for flexible price. The Coast Starlight train (LA to Seattle) is the same price as Zephyr.

If I'm going on long distance, it is usually cheaper to take trains than driving. Sleeper train costs more but worth it to be comfortable, privacy and the meals are complimentary with the fare (included). They have steaks, chicken even salmons depending on the route.

markengland29 said:
Yeah, you would. On the line I ride, the cheapest tickets usually go for between $37-$44, but if it's closer to the day of the trip, it'll skyrocket to $70+, and around this time, I'm usually paying about $51 for a pair of tickets, but since I had an e-voucher due to having to change the ticket and train times, I paid less than half of that-- I paid $23.45 this year, and the ticket's original price was about what I expected-- $48.45, but I used a $25 e-voucher, and ended up paying that amount above. I'd never paid below $30 before, and it was a first.
Click to expand...
 
On the Illini and Saluki, the tickets can cost anywhere between $37 to $50, and that DOES depend on how many seats are still open at that moment, and if there are enough seats, I'll be paying a low price, but if the seats are filling up quickly, then I'll likely be paying $50+ for one seat. As for a combination of the City of New Orleans and the Illini, now those tickets don't come cheap-- the City of New Orleans costs at least $45, even in advance, and the Illini costs about $25, so that's $70 right there, because the City of New Orleans is a Superliner train, and costs more. It just depends on when you're able to get them.
 
Back
Top