Does the ticket price change from day to day for the autotrain?
Does Amtrak change pricing like an airline? Should I be watching for a sale or is the price I see today, the price I will see next month for a trip next spring?
The Autotrain uses "bucket" pricing. Reservations are accepted beginning at 11 months out at the lowest rate for so many tickets. When the original "bucket" of tickets is full, it goes up to the next rate, and when that is full, the next one, etc.. So the sooner you book the better.
Read this post about someone who waited, http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2303551
Happy Planning