Nationwide Amtrak DiscountsBefore you start clicking links, make sure to check Amtrak's Weekly Specials, on sale between Tuesday and Friday each week. These are deeply discounted fares (often up to 80% off) that can be for any train in the country.
People Also Ask
Advance purchase tickets are cheaper rail fares which are sold prior to the day of travel, and, in some cases on the day of departure.
Yes, it is often cheaper to buy train tickets online. In fact, Saver Fares—the most discounted Amtrak fares—almost always require that you purchase in advance, which is easiest to do online. In general, prices fluctuate based on availability and demand, but tend to spike as you get closer to your departure date.
Generally speaking, the Off-Peak window begins after 09:30 and outside of evening commuter hours - 15:30-18:15 - for travel in and out of big cities. Super Off-Peak tickets become available after 10:00.
The earlier you book your tickets, the more likely you are to get the lowest fare available for the dates you want on the routes along your journey. You may book your travel up to 11 months in advance.
This means that travelling on a weekend can be more expensive. In particular, you might find it cheaper to travel before 09:30 on Saturdays, and after 17:00 on Sundays. However, if you're travelling on Greater Anglia or Thameslink for example, the cheapest day to travel by train is a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday.
The reasons for this are varied: from the privatisation of the rail industry to the rising cost of infrastructure. The UK does not have fixed rates like other European countries such as France, which can result in flight tickets being cheaper than a regional train journey in the UK.
Generally, if you're traveling on one route multiple times in a day, an all-day ticket may be cheaper than buying two separate tickets, depending on the distance. However, if you're traveling on multiple routes on the same day, two single tickets may be the better option.
Advance train tickets are usually the cheapest way to travel by train, and generally go on sale 12 weeks before your date of travel. You'll need to travel on the train you're booked on, but you'll get a cheaper price by foregoing flexible travel times.
There may be interim dates when timetables and Advance tickets are yet to be confirmed by train operators. We'll do our very best to alert you as soon as our systems detect availability. If you do not receive an alert, check back in before you travel to book a ticket and reserve a seat.