WASHINGTON — Through Tuesday, Jan. 20, Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass, normally $499, is being sold for $250. The pass, on sale here, permits passengers to ride up to 10 trains in coach over a 30-day period, regardless of trip length, so this is an especially good deal for anyone looking to make multiple stopovers traveling long distances. Discounted pass sales have been offered this time of the year previously, but the rate has never been cut nearly 50%.
Restrictions and travel tips
Not all trip segments need to be booked up front, but the pass is only valid for a 30-day period up to 120 days after purchase. This means the last segment must begin the week before Memorial Day if a passenger waits until mid-April to begin travel.
Once the pass is obtained, each segment can be booked directly using its confirmation, by going to “My Trip” on www.amtrak.com or by looking up the reservation on the Amtrak mobile app.
After the initial departure, itineraries can be changed as long as the revision occurs before the next ticketed train leaves, and either “sale” or “value” fares are offered at the time. Thus, options could be limited if the desired train is close to sellout and offers only the higher-priced “flexible” fares, so waiting until the last minute to book might be a problem leaving major terminals on long-distance trains with constricted coach capacity.
On the other hand, travelers should have no problem breaking up a multi-day trip mid-route, such as at Las Vegas, N.M., riding the Southwest Chief or Tucson, Ariz., on the Sunset Limited. A significant advantage of the pass is that intermediate stop stays can be lengthened or shortened, as long as all travel can be completed within 30 days.
The USA Rail Pass is good in coach on all trains except Acela, Auto Train, the Toronto-Niagara Falls, N.Y., portion of the Maple Leaf, or 7000-series Thruway buses. No upgrades to sleeping car accommodations or business class are allowed.
There are no blackout dates, but passholders can’t book more than two round trips or four one-way journeys over any part of the same route. The $250 fare is being promoted as celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary, but only $499 passes will be in effect through the summer months.
Regional deals
Several state-supported routes are also offering significant discounts for a limited time. Through Jan. 28, travelers on the Boston-Brunswick, Maine, Downeaster can buy $26 round-trip or $13 one-way fares using promo code V530 for tickets bought at least three days in advance. Coach tickets are good on all trains except four southbound runs: the first morning train from Brunswick on weekdays (No. 680), the second morning train weekends (No. 692), and the early afternoon departure (Nos. 686 weekdays and 696 weekends).
On the West Coast, Pacific Surfliner passengers using code V526 at checkout will get a 20% discount for trips beginning Jan. 26 through March 13, 2026. A 13th Los Angeles-San Diego round-trip launches on Jan. 26 [see “Pacific Surfliner adds …,” Trains.com, Jan. 13, 2026], but the discount applies to all Surfliner trains over the entire 351-mile route south of San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The new round trip fills gaps in the current “memory” schedule, which offers departures at the same time each hour. The added trains leave San Diego at 7:01 a.m. and Los Angeles at 7:10 p.m.
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