Take advantage of discounts. Amtrak offers a variety of discounts for different categories of passengers. The discounts range from 10 and 15 percent to 50 percent. Discounts are available for children, seniors, military, students, AAA members and people with disabilities.
Check the weekly specials. Amtrak offers a number of tickets each week at a greatly reduced price. It is often possible to purchase tickets for half price or less. Weekly special prices are usually reserved for weekday tickets. The weekend is usually full price.
But two tickets instead of one. It is sometimes possible to get a better deal by buying tickets for different parts of the trip. This does not involve getting off the train or delaying your arrival time. For example, a train ride between Carbondale, Ill. and Chicago is 5 1/2 hours and typically costs $75 (as of 2010). Champaigne, Ill. is located in exactly in the middle between Carbondale and Chicago. It is often possible to buy a weekly special ticket from Carbondale to Champaigne for $16 and another ticket from Champaigne to Chicago for $16 and both tickets are for the same train. Buy the tickets ahead of time, stay on the train and make the ride for half price.
Look for promotion codes. Promotion codes are semi-secret discount coupons that offer from 5 to 25 percent discounts. The code number is a four digit number that is plugged in when buying tickets online or from an automated ticket machine. The codes are updated periodically. Railservice.com is a useful source for keeping tabs on the codes.
Purchase a Rail Pass for extended or frequent travel. Amtrak offers various options and discounts packages for 14-, 30- and 45-day trips as well as multiple rides within a certain time period.
