Americans looking to see the country up close this summer are getting a special opportunity this summer from Amtrak.
The nation’s railroad has relaunched its USA Rail Pass, a ticket that gives riders the chance to take 10 different rides over a 30-day period for a single price. Normally sold for $499, Amtrak is offering it through June 22 for just $299.
“We want to offer our customers a truly unique way to travel this summer,” Roger Harris, Amtrak’s chief marketing officer, said in a release. “With the new electronic USA Rail Pass, customers can take advantage of a great value and newly streamlined web and mobile app interfaces to make managing personalized travel plans convenient and easy.”
The USA Rail Pass allows passengers up to 10 segments in a 30-day period. Customers have 120 days to activate the pass, and the 30-day window begins with the first trip.
Customers can do all of their booking as well as modify any reservations electronically, so there are no paper tickets to handle. Purchase of the pass and booking of trips can be done at Amtrak.com or by using the company’s app.
The USA Rail Pass allows customers to travel in Coach, which features wide, reclining seats, no middle seats, plenty of legroom, and a big picture window to view the countryside. Upgrades to Business Class or private rooms are not available.
Amtrak considers a segment to be any trips when a customer boards and disembarks a scheduled service. If the trip involves changing trains for a connection, that is considered two segments.
Passengers can get just about anywhere in the United States on Amtrak. It serves more than 500 destinations and has more than 21,000 network route miles.
While the USA Rail Pass is good for the entire country, Amtrak has another offer exclusively for those wanting to explore California. The California Rail Pass is similar to the national program, but it allows seven days of travel over a 21-day period.
You can go from San Diego to the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe and all points in between. The cost is $159 for adults, and $79.50 for children ages 2-12.
The California plan includes corridor trains, the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Dunsmuir, and any Thruway bus services associated with the corridor routes, including extensions to Las Vegas and Reno.
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