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Kev’s Trip Planning: September 2019

by Kev
written by Kev

September 2019 Trip

Soon I will be back on the rails for my first train trip in months. I have been taking some train trips, but they were to Milwaukee or Chicago. If you have been following me on the socials, you can probably guess my destination. Yup, I am going back to Nebraska.

Why Nebraska, again?

My sister et al. moved to Nebraska a few months ago, and I have to admit, I like the area more than I anticipated. They are coming back to Wisconsin for a visit, and I am helping to drive back. But that is not without chilling out there for a while. If you follow on Instagram, you probably know I am going to the zoo again, and if Little Mack want, we can ride on the carousel again; maybe this time we will ride the tiger if she is brave enough, If she isn’t ready we can ride on the bench, and that is cool.

Little Mack and Abby

My two nieces, Abby the Newfie and Little Mack aka Mackenzie)

Why I can’t wait

I am looking forward to this trip for a few reasons. The first reason is, I haven’t made a solo trip in a while, and I miss that.  The past few journeys to my sister’s included transporting one or both of my parents. Don’t get me wrong; I love helping family and my folks, but I miss solo trips. The second reason is, I am not driving out there, and I can enjoy the journey. Well, I am driving back with my sister and family (Abby too), but I still a long-awaited solo train trip out there.

Taking the train is a nice change to driving. The drive is not bad, although the stretch of Illinois seems to take forever. Very few waysides and many of the gas stations are not that close to the road.

The best part about the drive out to Nembraks is the Iowa section of I-80 for it has many convent waysides and several easy on and off places to fill up with gas and a snack.

The Hiawatha arriving in Sturtevant, WI

The Hiawatha arriving in Sturtevant, WI

Getting to Nebraska

Because driving was not practical for this trip, I needed to find a way to get out there. I looked at both air and land choices. I chose rail, as I hinted to before. Cost, comfort, and convenience lead me to Amtrak, plus it is one of my favorite way to travel.

Amtrak cost and breakdown

Here are my trip breakdowns

The Hiawatha: getting to Chicago

This Hiawatha transports me to get to Chicago, and from there, I transfer to my next train. My other options are two Metra trains, either Fox Lake, IL or Antioch, IL. I didn’t want to leave my car at a station because I am not taking the train back. I did look at riding the train to Milwaukee and then a bus down, I have done that before. The best part of that is the ability to stop at Stone Creek for coffee before leaving, but either the times didn’t work out, or there weren’t any cost savings.

The Mighty Hiawatha takes me from Sturtevant (WI) Depo to Chicago Union Station, from there the California Zephyr will whisk me off to Omaha, NE.

CUS Enterance

Outside entrance to Chicago Union Station’s Great Hall

Layover at Chicago Union Station

Often when I take trips like this, I use the Metropolitian Lounge of off the Great Hall, but this time I will not have access to that room. The lounge is for sleeper car and business class passengers, or those who are Amtrak  Guest Rewards Select Plus members. Sadly I do not qualify for any of those.

The layover comes at an excellent time for lunch and maybe a brew, I could save time and do both at the same place. I am excited new food places are coming to Union Station, but I’ll have to wait for another trip to go to those since they are not open yet.

California Zephyr take me away

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Califonia Zephyr because it was the first long-distance train I ever made.

The Zephyr will take me 500 miles from Chicago to Omaha. With the train leaving at 2:00 pm I will get a chance to see most of the scenery as we roll through.

As a coach-class passenger, I have access to the Sightseer Lounge Car, and my food options include the dining car and the cafe car. If you have not been on a Superliner train before, the Sightseer Loung is the upper level of the cafe car and has large windows on the sides and also window that curve in the ceiling. This windowed car is a great place to get out your seat and see the country go by, and maybe enjoy a treat from the lower level cafe.

Milwaukee Intermodal Station

Milwaukee Intermodal Station

My other non-road trip choices?

By air or sea

Traveling by water was not a choice for this trip, and that is okay.

Flying is possible, but not practical. Many of the “affordable” flights cost three times that of Amtrak and took longer.

Bus

Most of the bus options I looked at were out of Chicago, although there are a few out of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee option didn’t work in my schedule get ule.

Outside of the cost of taking a bus from Chicago, there is the cost of getting to Chicago. If I take Metra to Chicago, that adds $9.50 and $22- $25 (with a discount) for Amtrak. The Metra line and Amtrak both take me to Union Station, and the bus stations or loading areas are not far from there.

Megabus

Watching traffic while taking Megabus to Chicago

Megabus

Megabus runs a daily bus to Omaha operated under Windstar Bus Company. The bus leaves a few blocks south of Chicago Union Station. The “bus station” if I remember right, is a sign on a poll (I took Megabus from Milwaukee to Chicago once). If I were to book early, it would be $39.99 to $49.99  plus the cost of going to Chicago. Don’t forget with Megabus there is a $2.50 service fee for every transaction.

Greyhound

Me on a bus

Taking the bus on a trip

Greyhound gives some flexibility for travel. I have the option of taking Amtrak up to Milwaukee Intermodal Station from Sturtevant and then leave from there and take buses for the rest of the trip.

The other option is to take a train to Chicago and go from there.

The Greyhound stations or pick up spots (that I know of ) in Chicago:

When I was shopping for deals, I found that something unusual. If I booked a trip from the central bus station in Chicago to Omaha, it was around $116. By starting my bus journey at the 95th and Dan Ryan stop, it was $62. Okay, let me break this down by, taking L ride (a $2.50 added cost), and adding a bus from the 95th and Dan Ryan stop to the central bus station, I can save almost half on tickets. I am not for sure why, but I am cheap enough that I would do that.

Burlington Trailways runs the bus from Chicago to Omaha for Greyhound. I could book the trip through Burlington Trailways, but with the 95th stop “discount” I probably would book through Greyhound.

Wrap up

This year has not been a significant travel year for me, at least not for train travel. Looking back, so far, I have traveled more than I thought.

Introspective part

A year ago, I was in Charleston, S.C., and Brunswick, GA, with my family. I took my dad out to visit my mom because she was out by my sister, helping her after the birth of Mackenzie. On that trip, we had to evacuate to GA due to a Hurricane Flow.

A year later, I discovered that being an uncle is not just a title that a sibling gives you when birth a kid, but it is truly a gift and a bond. Being an uncle is like traveling, there is no one right way to be an uncle or how to go, but there are a few wrong ways. Plus the memories from traveling and those of being an uncle are cherished forever.

Safe Travels!

Kev

If you are interested in following along with my journeys, check out how you can find me here! If you are interested in how you can travel with Amtrak as well, get started on that path here.

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Train TravelTravelTravel Hints and Tips

Top 21 Questions About Rooms On Amtrak Trains

by Kev
written by Kev

Top 21 Questions About Rooms On Amtrak Trains

Thinking of booking rooms or accommodations for an Amtrak Adventure but not for sure if they are right for you? I hope this article will help you out. This article covers the top question I get asked about rooms on Amtrak.

After traveling around the United States via Amtrak and I found a room on the train is my happy place. I enjoy the privacy, being able to sleep horizontally, and showering in the morning.

Viewliner

Amtrak Viewliner Sleeper Care on the Silver Meteor

Terms you should know

  • Accommodation: For this article, accommodations are any room in a sleeper car
  • Assessable Room: This room is for those with limited mobility and a helper
  • Bedroom: A bigger room with a sofa, chair, sink, and bathroom/shower combo
  • Car Attendant: Amtrak employee whose job is to assist you while you travel in a sleeper car. Car Attendant replaces the term porter.
  • Family Room: These rooms, only on Superliner Trains, are designed for two adults and two small humans.
  • Roomette: A small room that is comfortable for one and cozy for two. These rooms have two chairs that fold into a bed and an upper pulldown bed
  • Sleeper Car: A car containing roomettes, bedroom,  accessible and family room
  • Superliner: Two-level trains that are on all long-distance routes that do not go to New York Penn Station.
  • Viewliner:  Single-level long-distance trains set, only found on east coast routs.
Amtrak Superliner Train

Amtrak Superliner Train

1) What’re the advantages of booking accommodations on Amtrak?

  • Privacy: Rooms have a sliding door with a window, but if you want to block out the world, close the drapes.
  • Sleep Horizontally: At night, the lower seat becomes a bed, and a pull-down upper bunk is available if there are two in your party.
  • Shower: There is a shower for everyone to use, but bedrooms have a one in the room.
  • Use of lounges: with a sleeper ticket, you can use these spaces if the station you are leaving from has one.

2) How do you book a room on Amtrak?

  • Over the phone by calling Amtrak 1-800-USA- Rail
    • Agents can help modify existing trips
    • Answer questions and can also work to find rooms together
  • Staffed station
    • Station attendants can also work to find accommodations together
    • If you are new to train travel, a trip to the station is an excellent opportunity to get to know the station, parking, and what is around before your first trip
  • Amtrak App or Website
    • An easy way to book your adventure anywhere and at any time.

After booking your trip, Amtrak emails your tickets, that can be scanned from your phone or printed at some stations or from home.

3) Are the displayed room prices per person or for the pair (if booking for two)?

The price you see on the screen is the total price. Ticket prices include your rail fare (what you pay to ride the train) and fee to reserve the room. If two people are on your ticket, both pay rail fairs, but there is only one room fee.

4) How do discounts work when booking on Amtrak?

If one or both people qualify for a discount, it only applies to the rail fare and not off the room price.

For example:

Let’s say rooms are $200 and rail fare is $100:

A single person would be $300, and two people are $400. If a solo traveler qualified for an Amtrak discount, the price is now $290, because the reductions come off the rail fare and not off of the room price.

For information on saving money on Amtrak check out this page.

5) When do I know what room I have?

As soon as your payment is processed, Amtrak emails you a ticket like below, but if you buy them at a station, it will look different but have the same information. The information includes your sleeper car number, accommodation number, and equipment type.

Most trains have more than one sleeper, so each sleeper has a four-digit number. The first two digits represent the route number, and the second two are the consist or location number.

For example, sleeper 3000 is on the eastbound Capitol Limited bound for Washington, D.C. The car number you need should be close to where you enter your sleeper.

Here is an example from one of my last trips to Charleston, S.C. (part of the ticket I redated for my privacy)

Amtrak TIcket

This ticket shows what type of equipment I will be on, the car number and my room number.

6) What comes with your Amtrak room?

  • Meals (But for the Palmetto and Silver Star Routes)
  • Coffee service
    • Coffee and juice in the morning
  • Shower
  • Turndown service
  • A place to hang-up clothing (either a small closet or wall hook)
  • Comfortable chairs with a fold-out table, some rooms have a sofa
  • Large windows to watch the country go by
  • Use of lounge cars and dining car or sleeper-lounge
    • Sleeper lounges are only on eastern trains
  • Lighting options such as night light and reading lamps on the wall
  • An outlet

7) Would I share a room with strangers?

No, you share a room with the person who’s on your ticket.

8) How big are accommodations on the train?

The rooms are small and cozy, like a camper.

A roomette around 3’6″ by 6′ 6″ (the Viewliner roomette is a little bigger). I am around 6’2″ 190 pounds and fit comfortably in the room. Bedrooms are around 6’6″ by 7’6,” but part of that space is taken up by the bath and shower room.

Superliner Bed

Superliner Bed made up for the night.

9) Beds: Are they comfortable, and how are they made?

For me the beds comfortable, but your mileage can vary,

Train have bunk beds, the lower bed is a mattress on lays top of flattened seats, and the upper bunk pulls down. If two people are sharing a room, someone will need to climb to the top bed. Roomettes have steps to get up there, while bedrooms have ladders.

10) Is it hard to sleep on the train?

I tend to sleep well on the train, but sometimes I need a little help, such as melatonin or sleep aid. The motion of the train relaxing me as I sleep, but sometimes I wake up if the train stops because I miss the movement.

I wish Amtrak had bigger pillows because I am a side sleeper. To help with this problem, I pack a blowup pillow plus a small blanket in case I get chilled at night.

Superliner door

The door between Superliner Sleepers

11) How do I get around the train once aboard?

Trains are linear, meaning to go from one section to another your journey includes walking through other cars.  On some trains, it can be a hike from the sleeper to the dining car.

To go between cars, push either the upper or lower (foot) buttons to open the door to a small vestibule. The doors will slide open for you and close behind you.

If you are on a Superliner, the upper level contains the walkways to go to the next car. On Viewliners the vestibule allows you to go between cars or get off the train as instructed by Amtrak employees.

Texas Eagle

My Sleeping car on the Texas Eagle. We are out enjoying a fresh air break.

12) Can I hop on and off of the train during my trip?

There are select stops where you can get off and get fresh air. Most stops are quick for boarding and un-boarding. If the train arrives early, Amtrak often allows passengers to stretch. Smoke stops are usually crew changes and refueling stops.

If you do get off the train, don’t wander too far from it.  When it is time for the train to leave, the conductors alert the crew and passengers. The engineer blows the horn (two quick toots), and it’s time to board. If you do not make it on the train, the train WILL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!

13) What are my food options on the train?

Trains traveling west of the Mississippi the choice are the Dining Car (the meals come with your sleeper car ticket), the cafe car, and whatever you bring aboard. For the other trains, you get a pre-packaged meal in the sleeper lounge, plus the cafe car as well.

Amtrak California Zephyr

A view of Amtrak’s California Zephyr from my roomette

14) Can I have a drink on the train?

You sure can, I often do! If you are on an eastern long-distance train, Amtrak gives you your first one free (staring October 1st, 2019)!

Amtrak sells drinks in the cafe and dining cars, or you can bring your own. IF YOU BRING YOUR OWN, YOU CAN ONLY CONSUME IT IN YOUR ROOM. If you get out of hand, the next stop is your stop even if it is not your destination, and could include local and federal fines.

15) How many bathrooms are in a sleeper car?

All bedrooms have a private restroom.

Superliner trains have one restroom up stares for and two to three more on the lower level.

Viewliners do not have public restrooms in the cars, but every accommodation has a toilet. The toilet in the roomettes is in the room. If two people are in the roomette, one will have to leave while the other “goes.”

16) Are there showers for sleeper passengers?

Amtrak Shower

A Viewliner Shower for sleeper car passengers

Yes, there are showers in Amtrak Sleeper! It’s fun taking a shower at 79 mph. Bedrooms have a small room that houses the toilet and shower area. Roomettes and other accommodations share one shower room that includes a dressing area.

17) What does Amtrak provide for showers?

Amtrak provides washcloths, towels, and soap for your shower, but not shampoo.

A soap like Dr. Brohhners works well for travelers, for it works well to clean you and your clothing.

18) Can I smoke on the train and or transport marijuana (if it is legal for a state you are traveling through)?

All Amtrak trains are non-smoking, including e-cigarets and vapes. If caught smoking on the train, the next stop will be your stop (even if it is not your destination) and include will have federal fines.

There are “smoke breaks,” but they are not guaranteed. If you are a smoker, it would be wise to find something to curb your habit.

As of now, you cannot transport marijuana on Amtrak trains even if it legal in the state you come or going to visit.

19) Can my pet travel with me?

No, Amtrak does not allow pets on trains that travel longer than seven hours. Click here for Amtrak’s policy on service animals. IF YOU HAVE A WORK ANIMAL, CHECK THE POLICY BEFORE BOOKING YOUR TRIP.

View from an Amtrak Viewliner roomette

View from an Amtrak Viewliner roomette

20) Do I tip the car attendant?

Tipping is not necessary but a great way to reward excellent service. I have tipped great car attendants and do not tip for unsatisfactory service. The average tip is around $10 per day, but if that is not possible, a heartfelt thank-you works well whatever you can afford.

21) Can I contact Amtrak for compliment or complaint?

Constructive criticism is helpful, and praise of an employee is even better. To contact Amtrak for these with these comments, click here.

Kev’s top tips

Getting ready for the night:

Once your room is made up for the night, there is not much room left. What you can do is either get dressed before your room is made up for the night or as your attendant is getting set up for the night you can use a bathroom or shower room to change,

What else you need to know:

At fresh air stops, take advantage of them, take a step of the train, get a breath of fresh air, stretch, for it breaks up the trip.

Do not plan on WI-fi, and even your cell phone will not have service from time to time.

Train manners

Viewliner Hallway

Looking down the hallway of a Viewliner Sleeper car.

Be respectful of others. Talking to fellow passengers is a fun way to meet new train buddy, but not everyone wants to hear your conversation, keep your voice down.

When going walking to other parts of the train, remember there are other riders. If the lounge car is busy, it’s kind of rude to claim a whole table to yourself. With that said, if you are a night owl, and there is no one around feels free to take up the entire area.

Walkways are tight quarters, and you may get bumped into, or have to let others pass by so you can get through. It is a great time to practice your manners and say hi to your fellow riders.

Gear to improve your stray in an Amtrak Accommodation

From my experience, these are the essentials I pack when I have a sleeper.

  • Tablet (iPad mini for me),
    • Subscription apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime will allow you to download select shows that you can watch without wi-fi
  • Smartphone (I use an iPhone X)
    • Map apps are cool for seeing where you are at
    • Great for listing to music and podcast
  • Other Electronic accessories
    • Headphones
      • Bluetooth or corded, make sure they are comfortable
    • Extension cord
      • One with a few outlets works best depending on your needs because there is often just one outlet in the room.
    • A backup battery
      • Just in case. I have used one to charge my phone overnight because it was easier.
    • Chargers and cords
      • Don’t pack that spare cord that mostly works either, one that always works
  • Comfort items
    • Snacks are a good idea
    • Amtrak’s Comfort Kit, available in some stations and cafe car
      • The kit comes in a bag and contains: a small blanket, eye mask, neck pillow, and earplugs
      • You could always make your own
    • Blow-up pillow
    • A water bottle
    • Wet wipes
      • They work to keep you fresh and cleaning up around you
    • Sleep aids
    • Pain relief and a small first aid kit (not train-related, we are all getting older, and we need these things)
    • Shampoo or a multi-use soap like Dr. B’s
    • PJ’s or something to sleep in (just in case)
If I missed something, let me know in the comments below or message me.

Safe Travels!

Travesl with Kev

Kev is enjoying a beverage in a Superliner Roomette

Kev

If you enjoy this article, join the mailing list,  so you know when new ones are published. That link also lets you know how to get ahold of me.

For more information about taking your own Amtrak adventure, check out this page to get started!

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Budget TravelTrain TravelTravel Hints and Tips

How To Save Money On Amtrak Tickets

by Kev
written by Kev

How To Save Money On Amtrak Tickets

Updated August 30, 2019

Looking to save money on an Amtrak trip, this article is for you. If you have traveled on Amtrak before you may know a few of these, but there could be a few discounts you don’t know about, or if I missed one, let me know.

Like any other forms of travel, flexibility, and early booking often the way to get good deals. But there could be ways to save even if time is not on your side.

Sign Up For Amtrak Emails To Save Money, And Keep Updated

Amtrak's Capital Limited

Amtrak’s Capitol Limited stopped in Cumberland, Maryland

Stay up to date on the latest Amtrak deals

Amtrak emails:

  • Include limited time deals
  • Exclusive deals for Amtrak Guest Rewards members (more about this below)
  • Plus receive the most recent Amtrak news

Click here to sign up for Amtrak’s email list

Amtrak Ticket Discount Code For Groups Up To Six

Updated 12 August 2019

Amtrak Roomette

Amtrak Superliner Roomette

Amtrak’s latest discount code V291 is for groups of two or to six passengers riding together in coach. Booking must be three days in advance, and the offer expires on June 30, 2021. V291 works for groups up to for people.

Tickets:

The way it works is the first ticket is full price, and the second is 15% off the second ticket. The third is 60% off, and the rest are 70% off. All the reservations need to be purchased together to use this offer.

The discount does apply to long-distance trains, Northeast Regionals, and associated thruways.

For more information and restrictions, check this link out.

To use: When booking your coach seas two or more days in advance,  add the code V291 when prompted

Side note: There might be a set amount of tickets available for this deal. Meaning you may not be able to take advantage every time you try, or on the date you want, but this is a guess.

Amtrak’s Online Deals

Amtrak’s online deals include seasonal, limited time offers, and exclusive deals on select trains

The Amtrak website offers

Multi-ride Passes On Regional Trains (Six Or Ten Rides & Monthly Passes)

Select routes such as the Hiawatha, offer flexibility and savings with multi-ride passes. Passes can be unlimited monthly passes or ten-ride passes and in a few areas a student six ride pass.

For more information, check out this page on Amtrak’s Multi-ride Passes.

Amtrak Coffee

Coffee from Amtrak’s Cafe Car

Rail Passenger Association Membership

Members receive a 10% discount on Amtrak’s rail fare when purchasing tickets three or more days in advance (the discount does not apply to upgrades). 

The Rail Passenger Association (PRA), formally known as the National Association of Rail Passenger Association (NARP) is a non-profit organization to promote passenger rail service around the United States. PRA’s mission includes developing and fighting for both regional rail companies and Amtrak.

A yearly tax-deductible membership comes with a 10% discount on Amtrak rail fare. This reduction applies only to the base rail fare ticket and not to upgrades such as a room or business class. If you are interested in joining PRA, click here, and below is information on how the PRA/NARP discount works when you buy tickets.

Amtrak Guest Rewards Program

Amtraks free loyalty program to earn free rides (after redeeming points)!

Portland Union Station

Portland Union Station in Portland, OR.

Amtrak Guest Rewards (AGR) is a multi-tiered rewards program offering free Amtrak travel. You can earn points from Amtrak travel! You can even earn more points from deals with partners sites, purchasing products online, transferring points. If needed you can buy for yourself or as gifts for others (links are below). Points do not expire unless the account is inactive for three years or more.

AGR awards two points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel. Like airline rewards programs, points earned while traveling are tier qualifying points (TQP) that lead to status levels.

Status level rewards include free upgrades, companion coupons, and bonus points.

For more on the points program

Make sure you use your Amtrak Guest Rewards Number every time you book a ticket, so you get all your points. 

Ways To Accumulate Amtrak Guest Reward Points

New AGR members earn 500 bonus points if the first Amtrak trip is within 90 days of joining.

Point redemption trips, aka Free rides, start at 900 points on up. The number of points needed for a trip is based on the current market value of the ticket or accommodations you are after.

Side note: AGR member can earn points for joining RPA

Amtrak Credit Card

Earn points from shopping and paying bills.

Credit cards

If you need a credit card, get one that will help you travel.

If planning a cross-country trip or riding the regional routes, the Amtrak Mastercard will help accumulate points faster for free adventure.

Typically, Amtrak offers 20,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 with three months of activating a new card (click the link below for more information).

Bonuses of the card include:

  • 1 point for every dollar charged
  • 3 points for every dollar spent on Amtrak and other travel-related purchases
  • When redeeming points for travel, there is a 5% point rebate
  • Passes and coupons such as free business Class upgrade, companion coupon, and lounge pass
  • Tier qualifying points are available for faster progression within the program

If you are interested in more information on the Amtrak Mastercard getting one, click here

Qualifications To Saving Money On Amtrak Tickets

Anytime discounts for qualified passengers but do not apply for upgrades

  • Seniors receive 10% off for those 65 years or older
  • Kids two and under are free, but their name must be on an adult’s ticket, and children between 3-12 are 50% off, and these must travel with someone 18-years-old or older
  • Active Military members and spouses receive 10% off but must have a valid military ID
  • Veterians: from any branch receive 10% off base tickets *New as of August 2019*
  • Military kids 2-12 military kids receive half off, plus an additional 10% off (best deal out there!)
  • People with a disability and companion (when booked together) receive 10% off
  • Federal employees have a discount program but must be booked through a federal employees travel management company or corporate booking tool and are not bookable on Amtrak.com.
  • Groups of 20 or more people receive a discount as well, but might not be bookable online

How Discounts Apply To Your Reservations

Amtrak's long-distance coach seats

Amtrak’s long-distance coach seats. These seats include foot and leg rest, trays, and an outlet.

With coach reservations, the percentage comes off the cost of the whole ticket, but discounts do not apply to Saver Saver Fares.

Business-class and room accommodations discounts are more challenging to understand at first. The percentage off only applies to the rail fare (coach ticket price) that everyone pays and not to the portion of the upgrade.

For example, if you are booking a business class ticket on the Lincoln Service between Chicago and St. Louis, without a discount, a business class ticket is $52. That ticket breaks down to $31 rail fare and $21 for the business class upgrade, so the percentage comes off the rail fare $31 portion of the ticket. The $52  business class ticket becomes $49.

With rooms, looking at the train The City fo New Orleans, a coach seat cost $135, and a roomette $269, with a 10% discount coach, is $122 and $256 for a roomette.

With rooms accommodations, each person pays a rail fare and one room cost. Using the City of New Orleans example, without a discount, roomette is $269 for one and $404 for two people. For this example, each person pays $108 to ride the train, and the room cost $135. So this means $108 (First rider) + $108 (second rider) + $135 (room price) = $351 for two people.

Room reservation includes all scheduled dining car meals on the train, but for the Silver Star that does not have a dining car.

The prices given were used as an example, and may change at any time. 

Book Trips: Tips To Save Money

Flexibility is key

Amtrak Silver Star

Amtrak’s Silver Star in Orlando, FL

When booking, consider checking a few dates before or after your target date (if possible), because leaving a day sooner or later could save money. Sites like AMSnag displays prices for up to 30 days at a time. That site is an excellent tool for the early stages of a trip when there is often a lot of flexibility.

Buying tickets as early as possible often help, not only for rooms but for a coach ticket as well can save you money. Amtrak usually has “saver fairs” for tickets bought 14 days in advance, but those offerings are limited. You may book up to 11 months in advance.

Kev’s notes:

I know a few things about this

I signed up for AGR before I took my first Amtrak trip, so I earned points when my first ticket got scanned. Because I took advantage of the programs not only with traveling but online purchasing and filling out surveys, I received several free trips. One of my free trips was coast to coast ride in a roomette for free! I average a free one-way big trip every year.

NARP/PRA is a cause I support, fighting for Passenger Rail both nationally and regionally, but the discount is handy. Every year I average 100 trains rides, and the 10% off has saved me more than the cost of my membership fee

Safe Travels!

Kev

If you are interested in more information on traveling on Amtrak check out this page! If I can help, please reach out and let me know!

Note: The information given was current at the time of publication. Read all the restrictions and fine print to make sure you get the most out the programs suggested, and Travels with Kev is not affiliated with Amtrak. The information is a guide to you, and deals can change at any time.

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