Use the company's website to buy Amtrak tickets online, or get 'em at the station. If buying Amtrak tickets online, fill in the cities under "Departs" and "Arrives" (first ensure the city is served -- see the route map first).
You can also buy Amtrak tickets at the station itself from QuikTrak kiosk or, if need be, buy directly from the conductor once you board. You can also have Amtrak tickets mailed to you for a fee. And, if someone else is buying for you, they can do so over the phone and you can pick the Amtrak tickets up at the station, provided it's staffed (if the purchase is made via phone, you won't be able to look at your itinerary online). Amtrak's phone number: 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Amtrak Tickets Deals?
There are only so many routes, and, as opposed to air travel, train ticket prices really don't change much on long-distance trips (short hops on the East Coast are a different story, where you may want to travel during off-peak, like early morning or late night). Waiting until the last minute won't get you an online deal on Amtrak tickets; in fact, the early bird gets the sleeper (read more about that and see photos of sleepers). I took the train from Chicago to Denver with a resourceful fellow who always buys an economy seat online prior to his trip, then upgrades to a sleeper right on the station platform for a pittance. You can also get deals on Amtrak tickets with ISIC cards, like discounted Amtrak tickets for a parent on college campus tour trips. US residents can buy US train passes now -- Amtrak passes were once meant only to encourage foreign visitors to travel the US via train, similar to the rationale behind giving the best Eurail passes to non-European residents, but as of October, 2008, US residents may buy Amtrak passes. Learn more about seat types and Amtrak rooms or sleepers in the next Amtrak picture, or jump to another information page:- US Train Route Map
- Choose a Coach Seat or Superliner Sleeper
- About Viewliner Sleeper & Other Sleeper-Bedroom Options
- About Family Bedroom Sleepers
- Carry On & Checked Baggage Amtrak Rules
- Finding & Boarding Your Train
- Conductor Checking Tickets
- Observation & Dining Cars & Other Services
- Train Personnel & Who's Who
- Tipping on Trains
- View From the Window
- Denver Platform View
- Nebraska Platform View
- Ski Train Platform View
- Mountain Platform View