Van Kalamazoo naar Potsdam Trein - Tickets Amtrak €179 | Dwalen (2023)

FAQs

Why are Amtrak tickets so expensive now? ›

The reason train tickets aren't any cheaper than flights is that Amtrak is strapped for cash and saddled with major expenses. Amtrak is a federal agency that receives about $1.4B in funding from the federal government each year, which doesn't make a dent in their budget.

To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines. Additionally, the USA is a very big country.

Book Cheap Amtrak Tickets in Advance

Unfortunately, Amtrak doesn't display how many tickets are left at a specific price, so the only way to ensure the cheapest rate is to book as early as possible. On some routes, Saver fares are available when booking coach at least 14 days in advance of your departure.

Nationwide Amtrak Discounts

Before you start clicking links, make sure to check Amtrak's Weekly Specials, on sale between Tuesday and Friday each week. These are deeply discounted fares (often up to 80% off) that can be for any train in the country.

Amtrak tickets do not fluctuate in price like airline tickets. Once you have determined which date you'd like to travel you can buy those tickets with confidence. As time goes on, the price of the tickets will go up, so the cheapest day to buy your tickets is the first day you are sure of your plans.

Amtrak Discontinuing AAA Discount on February 15: Capitol Corridor Working on New Discount for AAA Members in Northern California - Capitol Corridor. New Schedules in Effect April 3, 2023. Click to view the train and bus schedules.

Higher fares usually apply when purchasing tickets onboard the train. To secure the best available fare, passengers should purchase tickets prior to boarding the train.

Train travel is often cheaper than flying, in part because you can generally take more with you before paying extra baggage fees. It can also be more convenient and relaxing than driving, especially if you'd be driving in an unfamiliar place or driving for many hours nonstop to get to your destination.

According to Frommer's, Amtrak offers specials every week, and it's best advised to check on Tuesdays and Fridays to see what sale deals are offered by them. That being said, booking train tickets 12 weeks ahead of your departure date can also provide you with additional savings, as reported by MoneySavingExpert.

Can you bring food on Amtrak? ›

Bringing Your Food Aboard

You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. However, you can only consume food and beverages purchased in Dining and Lounge Cars in those cars.

Standard Amtrak Discounts (Students, Seniors, etc.)

Seniors: Travelers 65+ receive a 10% discount (excludes Auto Train). There is no additional AARP discount. Military: 10% discount for military personnel plus their spouses and dependents.

Buying tickets

Like all train companies*, you must buy a ticket before you board, or risk getting a penalty fare. Only undiscounted Anytime fares will be available from the conductor** - note that these are more expensive than purchasing before you travel.

The journey by train from Kalamazoo to Chicago takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

This ticket costs you $65 each and seating will be on the MSTX 5447 Comet and MSTX 147 Cupid. There will be assigned seating on a vintage 1950s coach car, car host service, entertainment, souvenir ticket and bell, cup of hot cocoa, and Admission to the Village of Ashley's Country Christmas.

Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than one-ways, sometimes significantly so. NerdWallet compared fares across multiple international routes and found that, typically, buying two one-way tickets costs 20% more than a single roundtrip.

Plan to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart (Auto Train passengers should arrive at the station at least two hours prior to departure).

Amtrak ticket prices generally don't fluctuate up and down like airline tickets. Instead, Amtrak seats are sold in fare "buckets," starting with the cheapest fares first. Once all the tickets in that bucket have been depleted, the price goes up to the next highest fare.

How Many Days in Advance you can Book Train Tickets? Advance Reservation Period for booking train tickets is 120 days (excluding the date of journey). So, booking in trains from train originating stations will open and remain available for 120 days.

No. Currently, we do not offer any discounts on train travel in the U.S. However, select rail options can be included in our Europe vacation packages.

What time of day are trains cheapest? ›

In general, Off-Peak hours begin at 09:30 from Monday to Friday in cities and large towns, and at 09:00 everywhere else. If your train is scheduled to depart after this time, you can travel with an Off-Peak ticket. Weekends and bank holidays are Off-Peak all day.

A menu with hot, ready-to-serve choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A wide selection of wine, beer, and spirits (the first one is on us), plus unlimited soft drinks throughout the journey. Complimentary room service provided by the Sleeping Car attendant.

Saver Fares are the lowest available fares and require advance purchase. Saver Fares are limited in availability and generally require advance purchase. Book early to take advantage of Saver Fares.

If you board a train without a ticket at a station where ticket facilities were available, you may be given a Penalty Fare Notice (PFN) and have to pay a Penalty Fare by a ticket inspector who has been appointed as a 'Penalty Fares Collector'.

E-tickets vs.

They can be sent digitally via email or accessed from a ticket provider's website directly by the customer. Furthermore, e-tickets are less likely to be lost or stolen, making them more secure than paper tickets. E-tickets can also be more affordable than paper tickets in some cases.

You can add money to an Oyster card or use contactless (card or device) straight away. You only pay for the journeys you make and it's cheaper than buying a paper single or return ticket (train companies may offer special deals on some journeys).

Each room includes a big picture window, fresh towels and linens, and access to a private restroom and shower.

You're allowed to walk about the train as often as you'd like. Just make sure to watch where you're walking onboard the train between cars. The safety plates often shift and pinch when the train is in motion.

You + Two Bags = No Extra Charge

Unlike many transportation options, traveling with Amtrak is twice as nice with our generous baggage policy. When you travel with us, you can carry-on two free pieces of luggage. Each item should not exceed 50 lbs. (23 kg) and needs to be 28 x 22 x 14 inches in size.

What are the busiest travel days on Amtrak? ›

The busiest travel days are the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.

The deadline used to be 18:00 on the day before travel - but many train companies now allow you to buy an Advance ticket much later than this, even on the day of travel itself.

Delays do happen on Amtrak, and they can be just as painful as an airport delay. Some parts of the country are known for Amtrak delays, like Michigan where trains are late in the state 75% of the time.

Checked Baggage

Each traveler can check up to 4 bags (2 free and 2 at $20 per bag). Size/weight limitations apply.

Your seat will be automatically assigned when you complete your reservation. You may change your assigned seat and choose a different seat at any time after your booking is complete by viewing your reservation in the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com. There is no fee to change your seat.

To ensure you stay connected while traveling, we offer free basic WiFi service in select trains and stations throughout the country. Stay productive, or simply sit back and have some fun while en route to your destination.

First Class passengers enjoy priority boarding, premium amenities, complimentary onboard food and beverage services and privileged access to station lounges in Boston - South Station, New York - Moynihan Train Hall, Philadelphia - William H Gray III 30th Street Station and Washington, DC - Union Station.

Amtrak no longer offers discounted fares for students and AAA members—both of which had 10% discounts— and increased the senior discount eligibility age from 62 to 65. The discount programs changed between January and February, with no official announcement from Amtrak.

Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transit buses, vans, taxis, ferry boats and commuter rail trains.

You can pay for your tickets using cash or a credit or debit card. We offer a wide range of tickets from our self-service ticket machines to offer the best value fare for your journey.

Can I collect train tickets from ticket office? ›

You can collect your tickets free of charge from any National Rail station that has self-service ticket machines – it doesn't have to be your journey departure station, so if another station is more conveniently located, you can collect your tickets from there instead.

Trainline: Buy train tickets on the App Store.

With high-speed rail, train travel is always faster than driving. In many cases, it's even faster than flying, once you factor in the whole air travel song-and-dance. And if you do need to catch a plane, trains make it easier to get to the airport.

The fastest train in North America is the Acela which hits 150 mph in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Amtrak is upgrading track in New Jersey for 160 mph.

Although The Polar Express isn't available on free legal streaming services such as PlutoTV or Tubi, you can find it for free on the Internet Archive website. Watching films on Internet Archive is completely legal, as the movies on there are in the public domain.

Our murder mystery dinner train in Blissfield, Michigan is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour fine dining and entertaining experience aboard a moving train. The train departs from Blissfield every Saturday and selected Fridays and Sundays.

4, Amtrak will increase fares between 5 percent and 7 percent on most trains, including Acela Express, and regional and long-distance service. Increases will average between $3 and $4.

The combined operating loss for the railroad went from $29 million in the pre-COVID FY 2019 to $789 million in the half-COVID FY 2020 to $1.08 billion in the completely-COVID-but-getting-vaxxed FY 2021.

Why are Amtrak rooms so expensive? ›

Heavy demand for private rooms on many routes has prompted Amtrak to charge the highest fares that passengers will pay. But the westbound California Zephyr leaving Chicago on April 5 still had four roomettes priced at $1,052 each and three bedrooms at $1,825 each for anyone traveling to Emeryville, Calif.

Standard Amtrak Discounts (Students, Seniors, etc.)

Seniors: Travelers 65+ receive a 10% discount (excludes Auto Train). There is no additional AARP discount. Military: 10% discount for military personnel plus their spouses and dependents.