$514 for Autotrain?

[MsMulan]

On the Transportation board also...


I just phone Amtrak yesterday and placed a resie on hold for travel in mid-August. I am traveling with my dd(8) and younger cousin(13). Amtrak quoted my a price of $514.00 RT. with my AAA discount.

Does anyone think I can beat this price or should I go ahead and book?

Thanks in Advance for your thoughts.

 

[sweet maxine]

Check to make sure that they are giving you the best price. Have you checked online for prices? Amtrak has been offering a 10% discount for booking online which would translate into a $51 savings for you. I also thought that children were half price with an adult ticket. My mother travels on Amtrak all the time, and to be honest, she has been given all kinds of quotes for the same trip on different calls. Many times her fare comes down by $100 or so with a call on a different day, talking with a different person. It's at least worth looking into.

 

[goofyforlife]

We took the autotrain once last Nov. (2003)

It was me, dd then 10, and dh.

Our fare was around $650..... with AAA disc.

I had waited to book it over a couple of weeks and the fare went up by $50.

(but airfare at the time was even higher ......around $800 and then we would have had to rent a car and transfer luggage, etc.... so with paying the 650 and only having to pack the car once, we figured we were ahead)

If you decide to take the train, get there early so you get one of the earlier dinner seatings....

and I would request LL seats...much quieter and more private...
we did this on the way back and only two families were in our car us included.

 

[MsMulan]

Thanks for the info. I will keep both of your ideas in mind. I was really hoping for a cose which would reduce my price even more. However, if I sit around and waitfor that the rates could skyrocket in the meantime.

I definately will request the lower level seating. I have read other threads that suggest that the train sways at the top. I believe on our last trip down (on the regular Amtrak) dd got sick. I thought it was the food, but now that I thought about when and how it happened, it was probably just the motion of the train and our walking back and forth.

 

[goofyforlife]

If dd gets train sick.....

For dinner I would suggest that she sits facing the front of the train. On our way down, I originally sat backward, started feeling woozy, switched places with my dh, and was much better.

(Had to do with the view of traffic out the window and such)

 

[LisaNJ25]

I think that is a great price. I paid close to that for 2 adults and 2 kids for 1 way my last trip.

 

[MsMulan]

You guys are the best. Thanks goofyforlife for the tip on where to sit during dinner. It was right during our meal on the last trip when she started to feel queasy.

I will also check and see if I can find something for motion sickness that we all can take prior to departing.