Off. Amtrak Website not User Friendly

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Aeroflot57

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Apr 13, 2004
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:unsure: I'm brand new to this site and also have never scheduled an Amtrak trip before. I seem to have difficulty doing anything on the "official" Amtrak website. I ordered the catalogue -- will that be more helpful?

I'm surprised that in this day and age the official website is so difficult to use. I plan travel by plane very easily online, but can't find out much of anything through the Amtrak site. Has anyone else had this problem, or am I just a spaz?

I don't like to use the telephone because I've got hearing difficulties, and I just want information. Anyone know anything about the rail passes? They talk about 5 day passes and 15 day passes, but I'm not sure what that means. Does that mean 15 days on the train, all at one time, or 15 days including stops and stayovers?

I would like to take a train from Miami to Las Vegas, and then from Las Vegas to California, either Monterey or San Francisco.

I'm also interested in a trip to Boston, and maybe one to New Orleans and Biloxi Mississippi, where my brother lives. Will the catalogue help, or must I call just to get this info? Is there some special secret to figuring out what trains leave when? The way it's set up, I have to put in specific dates, and I just want to know itineraries, where the trains stop, and what different options I have, so I can plan a trip.
 
Help is on the horizon! Amtrak's website, particularly the booking side, will undergo some dramatic changes at the end of the current calendar year. These changes should improve the user-friendliness of the site.

In the meantime, www.amtrak.com does have facility to view and print out .pdf files of the train schedules, so that may help you establish the facts you are seeking to assemble. Those .pdf files are accessed most easily from the home page -- not the booking site.

Currently the entire family of Amtrak rail passes are unavailable for on-line purchase. That too is expected to change. In the meantime you'll have to work with a human Amtrak reservation clerk or your local travel agent. If you are a non-US citizen and looking to purchase a USA Railpass you must work through a travel agent or tour operator in your home country. Those passes are availabel only to foreign visitors and must be purchased outside of North America.

Finally, if you are hearing impaired, Amtrak's reservations center can be accessed through TTY if you have that service.
 
Part of your problem may be hat Las Vegas has not had regular passenger service by train since 1997.
 
Aloha

Everything said here and my own trials mak me think Amtrak doesnt know the meaning of "Rail Service". When I have made inquiries about Air/Rail booking so that I don't have to buy separate segments and can get a pakage rate the Agents say "the train doesnt go to Hawaii" DUH what does the lack of track have to do with Air/Rail? Using Air/Rail has made some trips reachable like the one from Honolu, LA, Chicago, Miami, Jacksonville, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, and Honolulu cheaper than the Air only from Honolulu, to Miami and back.

Curently I want to Go to New Orleans with a stop in LA and some train included. Aththe moment the cost appear to be tripple the direct Honolulu New Orleans cost.

I realize I am ranting, but At least this gets it off my chest.

Mahalo = Thanks

Eric
 
Aeroflot57,

You can click here to view the page listing the various timetables that Railman mentioned. Please note that you must have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer to view these time tables.

You can click here to view Amtrak's National map, which will help to show you where Amtrak does or doesn't go.

As for the passes, I guess that Amtrak doesn't bother to give the full details, since you can't buy them on-line anyhow. Most people never bother to read the little details, so I guess Amtrak felt that it was just easier to have the agent tell you.

Additionally as Railman pointed out, all the USA Railpasses are only for sale to non US residents. If you are a US resident, then the only pass that you can buy and use is the North American Railpass. First off, and this is a biggie, to use this pass you must include at least one trip on a train in Canada. You cannot use this pass if all of your trips remain within the US.

I can try to give you further information on these passes, but first I need to know whether I should be describing the USA Railpasses or the North American Railpass. So you must tell me if you are a US resident or a non-US resident. :)
 
Air/Rail trips can only be booked through Amtrak Vacations - not the regular Amtrak reservations agent. The Amtrak Vacations phone number is 1-800-321-8684.
 
railman said:
Air/Rail trips can only be booked through Amtrak Vacations - not the regular Amtrak reservations agent.  The Amtrak Vacations phone number is 1-800-321-8684.
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Aloha

The Air/Rail program (from Amtrack Vacations) is not available to Hawaii residents. The program is contracted for 1/2 way travel to and from the same city but not if that city is in Hawaii :angry:
 
I managed to book our fares and accommodation no trouble on the website. Don't know if booking them from New Zealand made any difference - shouldn't think it would - had them sent to family in the US who will send them on to us. Otherwise I'm not sure if we could have booked them online and had them sent to us at home in NZ. Did the same a couple of years ago with another trip, no trouble. One thing I'd like to know - can people outside the US become frequent user members? Also been waiting for reply to emails sent to Amtrak "contact" on website but nothing so far.

The RailPass details are confusing! Found that with some European passes as well.
 
Is it possible to buy two one-way tickets to avoid getting the round-trip price?
 
Guest said:
Is it possible to buy two one-way tickets to avoid getting the round-trip price?
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Sure, it's possible. I'm just not sure why you'd want to do that. :unsure:

In most cases the round trip fare(RTF) will cost the same as two one way tickets and on certain trips the RTF will cost less. I've never seen a case where the RTF cost more than two one way tickets.
 
Yeah, kinda thought that. I just notice somtimes it cost more coming back from the place you went , even thought it's the same distance.
 
Moderator note: this reply resurrected a topic that had been idle for 9 years!

Amtrak has absolutely the worst, most ridiculous website I've ever seen. If you're confused (which you will be, because almost every trip you plan comes up as "unavailable,") you get a nice robot named Julie who is just in the way and wasting your time. I finally gave up and booked greyhound which was actually a little more expensive but at least I could figure it out! AMTRAK: YOUR WEBSITE IS NOT USER FRIENDLY AND SUCKS BAD. IT NEEDS A MAJOR REHAUL. And sadly, frankly, my 12 year old could design something better.
 
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Well, he is in TX. Do they have trains down there? :giggle:

Or maybe Jim is booking too many points run and crashing the system. :eek: :p
 
It was 2004. It probably ran on Angelfire or Geocities.
 
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