USA Rail Pass on sale ($299 Jan 2023)
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Devil's Advocate
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In my view they should at least credit the $40 spent on a given segment toward a Business Class seat or Sleeper Compartment at the going rate. What keeps me from riding coach is the prospect of ending up with a problem neighbor and having no way out other than an en route last minute upgrade. In the past I could at least move to the Sightseer Lounge on a TE day trip, but Amtrak took that option away and does not seem interested in giving it back.
Exactly. I did the rail pass at $299 last year. Most of the time I had both seats to myself. With more people riding now I'm afraid I won't have that luck. The prospect of a seatmate on an overnight run is enough to deter me from doing it this year.
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My son is looking at a June trip from Springfield, MA to Fargo, ND and return. It is pricing out $612 in coach. It looks like he could just purchase the pass and take the trip for $399.
$612 in COACH?!?
Devil's Advocate
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Do you have to wait until 2 days before a trip to make reservations? The T&C on the website are unclear whether that applies to just multi-trip passes or the Rail Pass as well.
Not just Fargo, he could do quite a bit more traveling with the pass. He could go the 'long way'!
But only if cheap fares are available on the trains.
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Yes, in coach. I was shocked.
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That rules out one direction. Thanks for catching that.Amtrak - Reservations - Select Train
www.amtrak.com
that's ridiculous. for June?!? try doing multi-city in Albany and Chicago. Sometimes fares on 49 differ from 449 for example.
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The expensive segment is the June 9th departure from Springfield to Fargo. We could also do Albany to Fargo. I just noticed that business class is cheaper than coach.
Barb Stout
Conductor
I have been pricing tickets for June through 1st part of August and about 1/3 of the coach tickets are more than twice the amount of the rest of the days and IMO are "expensive" like that. Try different dates also. I miss that automated price scraper.
After retirement, I was considering a circular tour of the US by making use of a USA Rail Pass. Possibly something like:
The problem, at least for me, is that I couldn't do it by taking coach. I would need a sleeper for each segment. I know you can always upgrade, on board, to a sleeper if one is available. Do you think Amtrak could offer guaranteed sleepers on rail passes? If they would, I have to think the sleeper price would be at a significant discount, compared to the normal cost. Maybe that's the problem. If they can fill up sleepers at the usual megabucks cost, why would they offer discounted sleepers for Rail Pass riders?
Even so, it would be expensive for such a long trip. Another loop possibility would be Bay Area- Chicago-Toronto-Vancouver-Seattle-Bay Area. That wouldn't be cheap, either. The USA Rail Pass used to allow passengers to go to and from Canada. Is that still the case?
Richard
The problem, at least for me, is that I couldn't do it by taking coach. I would need a sleeper for each segment. I know you can always upgrade, on board, to a sleeper if one is available. Do you think Amtrak could offer guaranteed sleepers on rail passes? If they would, I have to think the sleeper price would be at a significant discount, compared to the normal cost. Maybe that's the problem. If they can fill up sleepers at the usual megabucks cost, why would they offer discounted sleepers for Rail Pass riders?
Even so, it would be expensive for such a long trip. Another loop possibility would be Bay Area- Chicago-Toronto-Vancouver-Seattle-Bay Area. That wouldn't be cheap, either. The USA Rail Pass used to allow passengers to go to and from Canada. Is that still the case?
Richard
Sadly,it's Coach only. If I was guaranteed both seats to myself I might consider it,but with trains getting full that is not going to happen. Another negative doing Coach is that you have no access to the diner.
The rail pass is US only. Years ago there was a rail pass that covered the US and Canada.
The rail pass is US only. Years ago there was a rail pass that covered the US and Canada.
Yes, for a long Rail Pass trip, you would definitely want access to the diner.
I wondered what a perimeter trip around the US, as seen in the diagram above, would cost if you booked a roomette for the entire trip. I checked roomette costs, for each segment, during the peak summer months. Here is what I came up with:
Boston to Washington, DC on the Acela (no roomette), $ 87
Washington, DC to New Orleans, Crescent roomette , $ 602
New Orleans to Los Angeles , Sunset Limited roomette, $ 1504
Los Angeles to Seattle, Coast Starlight roomette, $ 1626
Seattle to Chicago, Empire Builder roomette, $ 1074
Chicago to Boston, Lake Shore Limited roomette, $ 748
Total cost: $ 5,641
I wondered what a perimeter trip around the US, as seen in the diagram above, would cost if you booked a roomette for the entire trip. I checked roomette costs, for each segment, during the peak summer months. Here is what I came up with:
Boston to Washington, DC on the Acela (no roomette), $ 87
Washington, DC to New Orleans, Crescent roomette , $ 602
New Orleans to Los Angeles , Sunset Limited roomette, $ 1504
Los Angeles to Seattle, Coast Starlight roomette, $ 1626
Seattle to Chicago, Empire Builder roomette, $ 1074
Chicago to Boston, Lake Shore Limited roomette, $ 748
Total cost: $ 5,641
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Is that for one or two people? Wow! Very pricy..and considering you get flex food on the first and last segments. I actually did a true perimiter when the Sunset ran to Florida
Out of curiosity I checked the same itinerary in mid November,not exactly a peak travel time using the senior fare for roomettes. Bos-Was Coach $35..Was-Nol $410,Nol-Lax $709,Lax-Sea $749,Sea-Bos $733. Total $3494.No wonder most people can't afford to do sleepers anymore. Only reasonable price was The Crescent. Really..$749 for the CS and $733 for the Lake Shore?One night trips and this is not prime riding season. Outrageous
chickpea
Train Attendant
Same though not a circular, a cross country. I am time rich so can do it slowly in shorter segments but curious if anyone can say about how much an upgrade to roommette from coach costs? Let's say on a leg from maybe Omaha to Denver? (random cities, will happily accept any samples of upgrade prices)
I would like, someday, to try the Canadian "Canrail Pass". It will let you upgrade to Business or Touring class with a 40% discount. I think it would be fun for touring through and stopping at some of the small towns and areas in BC and Alberta:
is.gd
Calif. has a "Calif. Rail Pass" which will let you travel on the San Joaquins, Pacific Surfliners, and Cap. Corridor trains. No long distance Amtrak trains, however you can travel on the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Dunsmuir.
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Calif. has a "Calif. Rail Pass" which will let you travel on the San Joaquins, Pacific Surfliners, and Cap. Corridor trains. No long distance Amtrak trains, however you can travel on the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Dunsmuir.
You cannot upgrade to a roomette on a rail pass
