Does anyone know of Amtrack discounts?

[Delaney]

I'm thinking of taking the train down to Orlando from NYC.

I admit it -- I'm nervous about flying. My husband was supposed to come to Orlando with us but now can't get off of work on Thursday (our departure date) and will fly down solo on Saturday.

The kids would love to take the train down and I may use this as my excuse to book an Amtrack ticket instead of flying solo with the kids.

We did take the train down about three years ago and I had gotten a coupon on the back of a Kellogg's cereal box for the kids to travel free via Amtrack.

Does anyone know of any such offers?

Amtrack does have a half price ride for the kids but the price for one adult and two kids is close to $500.00 and that's not with a sleeper car -- that's just the seats. The sleeper car comes to $800.00!

Any ideas?

Thanks

Del

 

[CDavid]

With the recent "deluge" of new passengers, lower-priced Amtrak fares sell out quickly. However, there are several tings you can try. Amtrak is still running the 30% off sale for tickets puirchased by November 16 (must travel by Dec. 16th). Be sure to click the box on Amtrak's website http://www.amtrak.com indicating you want the 30% fares. The earlier you book, the lower the fare generally is (obviously, low priced seats are limited and those sell first; last-minute travelers pay full fare for the most expensive seats). That said, use the website to keep checking fares right up until the moment you buy the tickets, in case a lower-priced accomodation has a cancellation. You might also "play" with the fare finder, trying different combinations and dates to get a better fare (just one day change in departure can mean a big difference).

Also, check Amtrak's RailSale at http://tickets.amtrak.com/indexRailSale.htm

This rarely has fares from NYC-Orlando, but it changes every week (Monday, I believe) so check back in the next few days. RailSale has sharply discounted fares (try $16 New York to Chicago!) for what it does offer. I have seen such discounts fairly recently for NYC-North Carolina, and it would be possible to book the discount fare between New York and Carolina and then get a second, 30% off, ticket south to Orlando. Incidentally, if you are staying in WDW, the Kissimmee station may be more convenient by taxi, although only the Orlando station offers shuttle service to the hotels.

Finally, you might consider Auto-Train. This train boards in Lorton, VA (drive New York to Lorton) and takes your car along with you to Florida (station in Sanford, about 20 miles north of Orlando). This isn't exactly cheap either, but it would give you your own car while on the trip to get around (saves moeny on hotel shuttles/taxi - even pick up your husband at the airport). Since you would be traveling less distance (260-270 miles less) by train, the fare should be less too.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, I'll try to asnswer them. Have a great trip!

 

[MdmMim]

If you belong to AAA, you can get a 10% discount on your rail fare (but not on a sleeper.)

 

[disneyjunkie]

I'm also nervous about flying.

Have you checked the price on both trains? I called last week to book the train for our
trip next August. I wanted to take the 11:35am train out of Penn Station. The cost was over
$400 round trip for my son and I. I asked the agent to check the 7:05pm train and the price
came to $253.

 

[CDavid]

Originally posted by disneyjunkie
I'm also nervous about flying.

Have you checked the price on both trains? I called last week to book the train for our
trip next August. I wanted to take the 11:35am train out of Penn Station. The cost was over
$400 round trip for my son and I. I asked the agent to check the 7:05pm train and the price
came to $253.

That's why it pays to "play" with the fare finder on Amtrak's website, changing details like departure or return dates, types of accomodations, different trains, or even when/where you make connections or transfers between trains. The price difference can be dramatic.

Incidentally, anyone planning to rent a car once arriving in Florida can consider the Silver Palm. This train does not serve Orlando or Kissimmee, but it does go to Tampa or Wildwood, and you can drive from there.