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After a lapse in travel because of Covid, let this be the kick in the pants you need to do some safe domestic traveling this summer. From now until March 29, Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass is $399 rather than its usual $499. Consider your pants kicked.
The pass actually encourages adventure, because you can’t do more that two round trips between the same two stations (and all the stations in between). So dial up some new destinations and see this beautiful country... all while you watch mesmerized out the window, catch up on that novel you always wanted to read, chat with fellow passengers, get work done on your laptop (boo), or close your eyes and snooze. The pass is good for 120 days after purchase, and once you take the first segment, you have 30 days to complete all travel.
So how does it work? The pass includes ten free segments – so as long as you don’t get off the train or have to make a connection with another line, you could conceivably ride for days as one of your ten trips. For instance, the California Zephyr train runs from Emeryville, CA, to Chicago, IL, over a period of three days, two nights, so if you can handle sleeping in your seat (perhaps you could also opt to be in your twenties), that would constitute just one segment. Bonus: it's one of the most scenic train rides in the country.
So, yes, the caveat is that the pass is only good for coach travel, which is pretty good on its own with reclining seats, no middle chair, and a big picture window. You can’t upgrade to a sleeper car or business class with this promotion.
With 500 destinations in 46 states, there should be lots of ways to maximize your sightseeing for less than $40 a ride. Once you’ve bought the pass, you can specify the segments you want to ride.
Purchase tickets online at Amtrak.com or use the Amtrak app on your phone which lets you access tickets or modify them (and you can’t lose them as with a paper ticket), receive boarding details, check the train’s status and even text an agent.