Amtrak relaunches USA Rail Pass, a ticket that lets you travel the country for 30 days for $299
- Amtrak's USA Rail Pass is here as the country braces for a boom in summer travel.
- The ticket allows buyers to book 10 trips over 30 days for a flat fee.
- It normally costs $499, but it's discounted to $299 through June 22.
After a year-plus of coronavirus-induced stress and boredom, many Americans are eager to travel again.
Expecting a boom in summer travel, Amtrak is luring in travelers with the relaunch of its USA Rail Pass. The ticket, which Amtrak launched last week, allows people to spend a month crisscrossing the country on Amtrak trains for a flat fee.
Through June 22, the pass is $299, 40% off its usual price of $499. It doesn't allow for unlimited train travel - the $299 covers 10 rail segments over 30 days.
According to Amtrak, a segment of a trip ends when a passenger gets off a train, so a trip with one connection would use two segments, but one long ride would be only one segment. Amtrak's longest direct routes - like Chicago to San Antonio - stretch more than 1,000 miles.
The USA Rail Pass is good for only coach seats and doesn't let passengers book premium accommodations like sleeper cabins or first-class seats. Still, at $30 a segment, the pass offers massive discounts, given that one segment can cost hundreds of dollars.
For instance, one round-trip ticket on the 1,377-mile Crescent line from New York to New Orleans can run you close to $500. The USA Rail Pass would pay for itself after that trip alone.
Buyers have 120 days to book trips using their USA Rail Pass after purchasing it, so a discounted pass bought by June 22 would be good through late October. They have 30 days from the day of their first trip to use up the 10 segments.