Autotrain -- cheapest days of week or specific days for July/Aug 2013?

[jthelman]

I'm going through the Amtrak site, and the Autotrain ticket prices seem to be "random".

There has to be a method, but they don't have a feature that quickly lets you find the cheapest days +- a couple days like the airline sites (or a month view would be the best)

Rather than spend another couple hours doing the back, change date, next shuffle with their web site, does anyone know which days are cheaper to book on the autotrain?

I realize the accommodation prices are demand based, but is that true of the tickets?

Thanks!

 

[Sadie22]

I reserved our trip down this July 11 months out, I think it was. The rates were cheapest then, but even then there was variation between days of the week. If you wait until you're down there to book the trip back, that's subject to availability and will probably cost the most.

 

[Henlady]

Auto Train prices are NOT like airline prices that continually fluctuate. The prices are cheapest at 11 months out. They then increase according to how many seats are sold. The more seats sold, the higher the price goes and in 25 years of AutoTrain travel, I never recall of prices dropping. They may offer kids travel free occasionally during the summer, but that is the only price break. What you see right now for your chosen dates is pretty much "it". You may find travel on Tuesday, Wednesday a bit cheaper than on weekends, but not by much.

In February, we booked the AutoTrain for Sept 27 from Lorton to Sanford and Sanford to Lorton on Oct 4. We booked coach seats at $100 per person each way ($400 for 2 people), the Car round trip was $350. The same trip today is $125 per person down and $100 per person back, the car round trip is now $375. So an increase of $75 total round trip in 4 months. Now if you're talking rooms, those start at $136 for a roomette and then literally go thru the ceiling. I have seen bedrooms and family rooms go up to around $800 or more and that is on top of your coach fare.