By Shawn Gallagher
Amtrak is a popular method of travel, especially along the Northeast Corridor. However, one difficulty passengers face when booking Amtrak is the price. You can regularly see expensive tickets, sometimes more than other modes of transportation. But why is this the case?
Why Is Amtrak Expensive?
Amtrak fares are just like airlines where prices fluctuate based on demand. This means that you’ll see expensive prices if you want to book close to departure day.
This can be difficult for last minute travelers and those with schedules that aren’t so flexible. I am a last minute traveler myself, and I frequently travel between New York City and Boston. I try to book Amtrak whenever possible, but it can be difficult at times. I’ve discussed this on X several times:
In this post, I was looking to travel from Boston to New York on the day of. As you can see, the prices didn’t justify taking Amtrak. I remember using my American Airlines frequent flyer miles instead.
But don’t worry, there are ways to get around this. I can still manage to take Amtrak most of the time having experienced booking and riding the train along the Northeast Corridor many times.
Here are 3 of my tips on how to get cheaper fares on Amtrak.
1. Book In Advance
This might be a boring answer, but it’s also the biggest factor when booking Amtrak. Book in advance. Not only you can avoid the high prices, you can also find prices that are cheaper than intercity buses.
Just this morning as I’m writing this, I booked a $25 Northeast Regional ticket from New York to Boston, 3 weeks in advance. This was an absolute steal of a deal.
I do recommend aiming to book at least a month in advance to get the best deals, and even further out if you’re looking to book during peak travel seasons. I lucked out with this deal that was 3 weeks from departure day.
Related: Best Way From New York To Boston; Train, Bus, Or Plane?
2. Book Early/Late Trains
Booking early and late hour trains gives you a better chance of grabbing cheaper fares. Let’s take a look at this particular day for trains from New York to Boston. The departure day is 10 days from the day I was searching.
These trains leave in the afternoon or early evening. As you can see, they aren’t the cheapest fares out there. Let’s compare this to trains in the morning.
This is where you can find fares below $100. If you book over a month in advance, you may see morning and night tickets go for as low as $25.
When I look at these odd hour train times, it may mean adjusting my schedule to accommodate the early/late travel time. This might mean hopping on Amtrak in the evening hours after work, or waking up early for a morning train and then going back to sleep onboard.
3. Student And Senior Discounts
If you’re a student between the ages of 17 and 24, you’ll be able to receive up to a 15% discount on all Amtrak fares when available. You have to book at least 1 day in advance. A valid student ID is required.
Seniors over the age of 65 also receive a 10% discount. Valid proof of age (e.g. driver’s license) is required when boarding the train.
For student discounts, insert the code “V814” in the promo code box when booking. Discounts will be reflected once they’re added to the cart. For senior discounts, just simply toggle the senior slot in the age section.
This is great for students on a budget, as it acts as a competitive option to intercity coach buses. It’s also great for seniors who can enjoy a comfortable train ride and save 10%.
4. Flash Sales
Amtrak will occasionally put out flash sales. For example, they recently did a fall flash sale for fares from mid August to the end of October. Jumping on these sales will help you find cheap fares, whether you book in advance or not.
Signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards and receiving promo emails, or following them on social media will help you find these promos more easily.
Bottom Line
Amtrak is a great way to travel, but fluctuating fares can make it difficult for passengers to make the price make sense. Booking in advance, riding morning and night trains, taking advantage of discounts, and jumping on flash sales are all ways that can help you save during your next Amtrak trip.