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Call it romantic, call it nostalgic, but there really is something special about traveling by train.
America’s nationwide rail network, Amtrak, is known for its comfortable and convenient train service, but the romantic vibes of taking the train throughout the United States do not always come cheap. Amtrak uses a tiered pricing system, with a limited number of train tickets available at the lowest price tier. Once those are sold out, you can only purchase tickets at the next highest price.
Wanderu provides the simplest way to book train travel, and that means finding the cheapest tickets out there and showing all your travel options right in one search. But we know that committed budget travelers will keep searching until they find those sweet, sweet Amtrak promo codes.
If you’re looking to save even more before clicking “Book,” we dug out all the ways you can save money on train tickets, from Amtrak discounts to insider secrets for scoring cheap deals. All aboard for the money-saving intel!
Finding Amtrak Deals
Amtrak does not offer traditional promo codes or coupon codes like you would find for a retail site. You won’t even find a spot to enter a promo code if you check-out on the Amtrak site. However, Amtrak does offer limited promotions on their Deals page, where you can occasionally find Amtrak deals like Buy One Get One Free on select routes, or discounts for families traveling in groups. Although Amtrak used to offer a AAA discount, they discontinued this discount in 2018.
You’ll sometimes see promotions for Amtrak “Saver Fares” — these are just the lowest price tier of regular adult tickets, with some limitations on ticket changes and cancellations. In other words, you don’t need an Amtrak promo code to score the cheap Saver Fare prices. Usually, you just need to book your trip well in advance, before all the Saver Fare tickets are sold out for your trip date and route.
Wanderu automatically offers the lowest available Amtrak tickets to make sure you get the best deal.
Amtrak Discounts for Specific Passenger Types
Some passengers can score even more savings if they meet any of the qualifications for Amtrak discounts. If any of the following applies to you, you can save a few extra bucks by checking out the details for Amtrak’s passenger discounts.
It’s worth noting that most of these discounts cannot be combined, so unfortunately you won’t be able to stack multiple discounts if you fit in more than one of these categories. The discounts are available on most Amtrak trains, but they each have some limitations.
Amtrak Fares for Seniors: Travelers age 65 and over can get 10% off their train tickets.
Amtrak Discounts for Children: One child aged 2 to 12 can get 50% off their train ticket for each adult traveler on the reservation. If there are more children than adults in your group, each additional child must pay the full adult fare. Children under age 2 may ride for free if seated on an adult’s lap.
Amtrak Student Discounts: Students aged 17 to 24 can get 15% off their train tickets if purchased more than 1 day in advance.
Amtrak Military and Veteran Discounts: Active-duty military and veterans can get 10% off their train tickets.
Amtrak Discounts for Passengers with Disabilities: Travelers with a disability can get 10% off their train tickets, with written documentation of your disability. Passengers who travel as a companion to a passenger with a disability can also get 10% off.
How to Get Cheap Amtrak Tickets
The best way to save on Amtrak tickets is to book your trip early. The cheapest Amtrak tickets, Saver Fares, almost always require booking in advance, and ticket prices usually increase dramatically as you get closer to your trip date. We usually suggest booking train tickets at least two weeks before you travel. There is no added discount for booking round-trip Amtrak tickets (compared to two separate one-way trips), but booking your departure and return tickets together lets you lock in a lower price before tickets get more expensive.
You can also earn points on Amtrak Guest Rewards to save money on future train trips. Simply enter your unique Amtrak Guest Rewards number on the Wanderu checkout form and you’ll be one step closer to awesome rewards like free Amtrak travel, hotel stays, movie tickets, and more.
Sites and apps like Wanderu let you easily compare Amtrak schedules and prices in a single search, making it easy-peasy to spot a good deal. You can also book train and bus tickets stitched together on unique itineraries that aren’t available anywhere else.
Now that you’ve got all the deets on cheap Amtrak tickets, it’s time for some wanderlust. Check out the most scenic train routes in the United States, or this epic train loop of the country. Or prep for your trip by learning how to read your Amtrak ticket and how much luggage you can bring on board.
And if you’re looking to travel for even less money, consider traveling by bus. One Wanderu search lets you compare Amtrak prices to bus ticket prices from Greyhound, Peter Pan, FlixBus, and more. Sometimes, the cheapest way to take the train is to take the bus instead.
