Amtrak sale: Get up to 30% off tickets for summer train travel

Amtrak’s summer sale is here: The rail operator is offering up to 30% off coach and Acela business-class fares through August, with one-way coach fares starting at $14.

You must book by May 16 for travel from June 1 through Aug. 30.

Deal basics

Carrier: Amtrak
Routes: Across the Amtrak network
How to book: Directly through Amtrak
Travel dates: June 1-Aug. 30
Book by: May 16

Sample routes

The following one-way routes were priced as listed at the time of publication. We cannot guarantee the below will be available when you book:

Boston to Providence, starting at $14 for coach and $46 for business class
Philadelphia to Baltimore, starting at $21 for coach and $53 for business class
Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, starting at $25 for coach and $60 for business class
Washington, D.C., to New York, starting at $39 for coach and $84 for business class
Los Angeles to Sacramento, starting at $60 for coach
Chicago to New York, starting at $85 for coach
Dallas to Los Angeles, starting at $100 for coach

Although this is advertised as a sale on one-way fares, you can stack two one-way fares for a round-trip journey. Based on a test search for this story, one-way sale fares were lower than marketed. For example, you can book an Acela from Washington, D.C., to New York June 10-13 for $126 round-trip; each one-way fare is on sale at $63.

Discounted fares will be noted with a green sale indicator at the top. You cannot make changes to tickets booked with a sale fare, and you’ll be charged a 50% fee for canceling before departure.

Sale fares are available to book with Amtrak Guest Rewards points.

Maximize your purchase

If you book this deal, use a credit card that earns bonus points on travel, such as:

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday spending
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on all travel purchases
American Express® Green Card: 3 points per dollar spent on travel
Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard®: 2 points per dollar spent on Amtrak travel
Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®: 3 points per dollar spent on Amtrak travel

The information for the Amex Green, Amtrak and Amtrak Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

If you want to book a last-minute trip this summer, this deal is valid for train travel for trips across the country. The availability is along the Northeast Corridor.

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