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[Expired] Save $200 Off of Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass Through January 20

James Larounis's image
James Larounis
James Larounis's image

James Larounis

Senior Content Contributor

543 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 30U.S. States Visited: 35

James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in...

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Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

Now through January 20, 2023, you can save $200 off of Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass, allowing you to explore the country without having to purchase separate tickets.

The USA Rail Pass can save you a significant amount of money from the normal day-to-day coach ticket prices. And with this $200 discount, it’s a no-brainer if you’ve got some upcoming train travel.

The Discount

The USA Rail Pass allows passengers 10 rides (segments) over 30 days to over 500 destinations. The pass normally costs $499, so when you purchase by January 20, you’ll save $200, bringing your total to $299.

There’s nothing special you need to do to get the discount. Simply head on over to the purchase page.

Hot Tip: While you can’t redeem your Amtrak Rewards points for a USA Rail Pass, Amtrak Guest Rewards members will still earn 2x points per $1 spent on your purchase. Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard® cardholders can earn an additional 3x points per $1 spent on Amtrak, but if you don’t have this card, consider making your purchase with one of our recommended travel credit cards

Amtrak couple in coach
Amtrak has discounted its USA Rail Pass by $200. Image Credit: Amtrak

Restrictions

There are a number of restrictions you should be aware of when you purchase Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass:

  • It’s only valid for coach travel. If you like to sit in business class or a sleeper car, this isn’t the pass for you. Even though Amtrak’s seats are fairly comfortable, it’ll be a rough ride in coach for long-distance trains, especially if you’re doing an overnight journey.
  • The pass is not valid on the Acela, Auto Train, Maple Leaf (Canadian stations), or Thruway Bus Series 7000-7999. The Acela runs high-speed services between Boston and Washington, D.C., while the Auto Train travels from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL, where you can travel with your car.
  • You can only do 4 one-way trips between the same city pairs, so don’t purchase this pass if you intend on commuting with it, or making a recurring trip to a specific city. The pass is intended for you to progress across the U.S. to see various cities and is not necessarily meant for 1 specific area or train. For example, if you travel between New York City and Baltimore 4 times, you then won’t be able to do any trip that passes through those city pairs, either.
  • You’ve got 120 days to use the pass, and there is a process to change segments if you need to. Once you complete your first segment, you’ll have 30 days before the pass expires.
  • Every time you travel a segment — meaning, when you get on the train to the time you get off that same train — it uses a segment. You’re allowed to use 10 segments on the entire pass. To get maximum value, you’ll want to travel on routes or trains that would ordinarily cost more than what the pass is worth. This may be the case with overnight long-distance services.

Final Thoughts

Seeing the U.S. by rail is one of the best ways to explore the country. Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass adds to that magic and makes traveling by train even cheaper. You’ll see towns and scenery that you can’t see by plane, and with up to 10 trains to travel on, you’ll definitely be able to see a lot!


James Larounis's image

About James Larounis

James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.

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