July 25, 2003 -- It's tough for budget travelers to take the train to New York, because Amtrak has jacked up fares to the Big Apple way above bus fares (and sometimes even above discount airline fares.)
So we're glad to see two new discounts that can bring the fare for trips to NYC down by 20%. Both are theoretically tied to museum exhibits in New York (there's a new ocean life exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History and an Ansel Adams show at the Museum of Modern Art), but anyone can take advantage of these deals.
Book online at www.amtrak.com and use discount code V529 when prompted to get a discount on fares to New York from anywhere in New York State, or from cities along the Northeast Corridor up to Maine and down to Newport News, VA. There's a big catch, though: the discount doesn't apply on Fridays and Sundays between 11 am and 11 pm.
That's where code V709 comes in. V709 doesn't work on quite as many trains as V529 -- we couldn't get it working for fares from Virginia -- but it gives its 20% discount on Fridays and Sundays. Try V529 first, and if you don't get a discount that way, punch in V709.
Code V709 is good for travel until November 9, except for Labor Day weekend; code V529 is good at least through the end of November, except for Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekends.
Over the past few weeks we've also reported on Amtrak discounts to Pennsylvania, so here's a recap: punch in code V707 for a 20% savings on unreserved Northeast Corridor trains to Philadelphia through September 17, and V805 for 20% off weekend (Fri-Sun) trips from Philadelphia to Harrisburg.
But Wait, It Gets Better
Discounts still too expensive for you? Always check Amtrak's Rail Sale (https://tickets.amtrak.com/Amtrak/railsale) page, where truly outrageous savings can be found.
For instance, when we checked Wednesday evening, the railroad was selling seats for 11:05 AM weekday departures from Washington to New York in August for $35.60 -- about 50% off the regular price. Tickets from Boston to New York were a mere $30.40 each way -- still more expensive than the Chinese bus, but cheaper than Greyhound's usual fares. And rides from Indianapolis to Chicago were a crazy $7.40 each way. You don't need a car in Chicago.
The big problem with Rail Sale fares is that they're totally unreliable. The specific fares we're listing may be sold out, or may have disappeared by the time you read this. There are always some great deals listed on the Rail Sale page, though.
A Golden Journey Through the Golden State
California is the Land of the Car, so it may surprise you to know Amtrak has pretty decent service in the Golden State. (Admittedly, they use buses to cover several routes.)
Amtrak's California Rail Pass is a comfortable way to undertake a unique Western odyssey. The best version of this pass costs $159 for seven days' worth of travel across all of California during a three-week period.
You've got to use all seven days for the pass to save you money, as rail fares are actually pretty reasonable in California. But the rail pass could get you, for instance, from LA-San Diego-Santa Barbara-Yosemite-San Francisco and back to LA for your flight home, and you'll save a bit of cash. You can get more information on the California passes online at www.amtrak.com/savings/california/promo-crp.html, or you can purchases by calling 800/USA-RAIL.