Amtrak tickets can be booked at a reasonable and affordable price on some days, as discounts are offered weekly, monthly, or annually. These discounts can be offered on specific days of the week, like Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Prices drop are usually assessed through their official website or app of Amtrak.
However, it is certainly important to keep the dates flexible to get the best possible prices. Moreover, travelers can use the Amtrak Fare Calendar, which provides ticket prices day by day for the whole month. Night owl fares are another way to get discounts on selected trains in the Northeast by booking between 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
What Is the Cheapest Day to Buy Amtrak Tickets?
The cheapest day to buy Amtrak tickets is generally midweek, as those are considered to be the off-peak days with less crowd and demand. Travelers with flexible dates and times are likely to get tickets at more discounted rates than usual.
The purpose of booking tickets is likely to affect the day, as business or formal reservations are not most of the time non-changeable, while vacation bookings can be altered depending on the rates.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: These are generally the cheapest days for both booking tickets and traveling, as the demand for tickets is less.
- Advance Booking: Making reservations in advance can provide more discounts, as offers are usually available at the start when the seat availability is higher.
- Special Discounts: Amtrak runs some special discounts that are valid for a limited time and will expire after some time. Travelers can access these discounts on most of the routes operated by Amtrak within the United States.
- Annual Discounts: Passengers who belong to a special category can access offers, like the Amtrak Military Discount, Group Discount, Senior Discount, and more.
Special Discounts By Amtrak and their Deadlines
Amtrak, being the largest passenger rail company in the United States, offers some special discounts, but they are available only for specific timelines. In these discounts, passengers can earn 2X points and score using Amtrak Guest Rewards.
Moreover, they can get an additional discount of up to 60% on their trips by researching and comparing these offers to get the best possible price on any day of the week.
- Twice as Nice Sale: Travelers can book a free ticket for their companion while booking a roomette. However, the tickets must be booked by 11 January, and travel dates must fall within 31 January.
- Milestone Bonuses: Passengers can earn 2x bonuses by traveling with BonusTrak under the guest reward. It starts from 15 October 2025 and will end by 20 November 2025.
- Low Night Owl Fares: On routes of DC-NYC to NYC-Boston, travelers can save money by booking coaches from 16th March 2023 to 31 December 2026. They can get the best prices between 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Traveling in the Northeast: It is possible to save on the Northeast Regional and Acela trains. But this offer is valid till 31 December 2025.
- Acela Trains: On every route of the Acela trains, travelers will be granted an additional off on their regular fares till 31 December 2025.
- Buy One, get one offers: On trains to Maine and other selected Downeaster trains, travelers can bring a friend or companion and get 50% off on one ticket. This offer started from 4 January 2023 and is valid till 31 December 2027.
NOTE: Category discounts don’t have any time limitation. They work every time a traveler books a ticket through that quota. It will be applied automatically in discounts like the Amtrak Senior Discount by selecting senior in the passenger type while booking.
Factors Influencing Amtrak Ticket Prices
Some factors affect the prices of Amtak tickets for any coach. It can increase or decrease due to its demand during the peak and off-peak seasons. However, it is important that travelers know when to book and how these factors can affect the ticket pricing structure. It may include booking time, travel class, season, demand, and journey distance.
- Booking Window: Amtrak ticket prices increase when the departure dates are close, as seats are limited and demand increases. Booking in advance can help in securing low-fare tickets at cheaper rates.
- Travel Class: The fares significantly depend on the travel class chosen by the passenger, as first class and Sleeper cars are often on the expensive side due to additional amenities than usual coaches.
- Day of the Week: Booking tickets in midweek is always cheaper than making reservations on Saturdays. Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays offer cheaper tickets.
- Seasonality and Demand: Traveling during peak seasons like vacation or festive periods will be costlier as the demand for Amtrak tickets will be higher than usual.
- Journey Distance: Longer trips generally have a higher base cost due to increased operational expenses.
NOTE: There might be some additional costs that can increase the overall charges of the ticket, even after applying discounts.
Days to Avoid for Cheapest Amtrak Tickets
To get the cheapest Amtrak tickets, travelers must avoid these days as the demand for tickets is slightly higher, and the possibility of getting affordable tickets is nearly negligible.
- Sundays and Fridays: These are the most expensive days to travel by Amtrak trains or book tickets, as people often plan a weekend trip that increases the demand and price.
- Holidays: Travelers must not book tickets in the holiday season, like Christmas or Thanksgiving time, as those are public holidays and the demand will increase, so the prices.
- Last-Minute Bookings: The longer passengers wait, the higher price they will have to pay to book the ticket. Prices always increase when there are fewer seats left.
- Peak Commuting Hours: Booking tickets in the peak commuting hours will cost more, especially in the morning and evening. The trains will reflect the high demand, and sometimes it’s not even possible to use coupons on such tickets.
Tips For Booking Cheap Tickets on Amtrak
It is possible to book cheap train tickets on Amtrak. Travelers can keep these considerations in mind while booking tickets. Shared fares or Group travel discounts are mostly available if traveling in a group of 8 or more.
- Book Early: Travelers must aim to book their tickets in advance, about 12 weeks before, can get them reservations at a much cheaper rate.
- Be Flexible with Dates: Flexibility opens more opportunities to explore the affordable dates possible. It offers to compare passengers’ desired dates with all available dates and select which suits them the best.
- Amtrak Fare Calendar: Using the fare calendar will help them compare the rates of train tickets by providing all information at one convenient platform for the whole month.
- Shared Fares: If traveling in a group of 8 or more, travelers must use the shared fare or Amtrak Group Discount option to save up to 60% on their ticket prices.
- Promotional Discounts: Travelers should always check the available promotional discounts while booking tickets. These are generally possible most of the time during off-peak season.
- Amtrak Reward Program: Passengers can use their accumulated rewards under the guest reward program to pay for their reservation, and combining it with discounts can reduce the cost significantly on any day, irrespective of their traveling class.
NOTE: By using the Amtrak App or website, travelers can set fare alerts to get notifications every time the ticket prices drop.
Conclusion
Booking cheap train tickets on Amtrak is possible by using the offered discounts. There are most of the time all-year-round discounts based on the categories, while others are seasonal or route-specific.
However, offers must be applied while booking tickets online or by phone and no discounts will be granted at the station.
Using the Amtrak low fare calendar is always beneficial as it helps in better comparison and offers more clarity in selecting the best available ticket, but it is only possible for travelers with a flexible date option.
Additionally, people who fall under some category, like student, senior, or Active Military personnel, can avail the discounts at any time of the year.
FAQs
The cheapest days to buy and travel on Amtrak are generally Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as these are midweek days with lower demand and fewer travelers.
It’s best to book tickets at least 8–12 weeks in advance to secure the lowest fares, since prices tend to rise as the departure date approaches.
Yes. Amtrak offers ongoing discounts for students, seniors, military personnel, and groups. These category-based discounts are available year-round and apply automatically when selecting the passenger type during booking.
Night Owl Fares are discounted tickets available on selected Northeast routes, like DC–NYC–Boston, for travel between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. They can save travelers up to 60% off regular fares.
Yes, some current offers include the “Twice as Nice Sale” (book one roomette, get a companion free) and Milestone Bonuses (earn 2x Guest Reward points). These deals have set booking and travel deadlines listed on Amtrak’s official site.
Avoid booking or traveling on Fridays and Sundays, as these are peak days for weekend travel. Prices are also higher during holidays and festive seasons like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Ticket prices depend on several factors such as booking time, travel class, day of the week, demand, distance, and seasonality. Traveling during off-peak seasons and booking early usually ensures lower fares.
Yes, Passengers can redeem Guest Rewards points and also apply eligible discounts or promotional offers, allowing for even more savings on the same booking.
You can set fare alerts through the Amtrak website or app, which will notify you whenever ticket prices drop for your preferred routes and dates.
Yes, Groups of 8 or more passengers can book under the Amtrak Group Discount program and save up to 60% on total fares, depending on availability and route.
