We’re thinking of taking a “vacation” on Amtrak from San Diego/LA to Abuquerque, renting a car and driving to Denver and then taking Amtrak back home via Emeryville/SF and LA.
Are Amtrak rates/tickets sold like airline tickets whereby the rates fluctuate based on days of the week, passenger loads, etc?
In my experience, the primary driver of Amtrak ticket price is passenger load. I base this on taking the train between Chicago & Ann Arbor several times when I was in grad school, and noting that it was always more pricey around Thanksgiving unless I remembered to book early; tickets on non-holidays were almost always cheaper. I don’t recall ever noticing a difference due to the days of the week.
I believe they use the ‘bucket’ method. Basically the cheapest ticks are the first bucket they sell out of, when that empties the next one with more expensive ticks come up for sale. So it’s just better to buy early and check several trains as a emptier one may be cheaper.
I rode ABQ-FLG and return a month or so ago. The Southwest Chief is a nice train, and it was a very relaxing way to travel. WAY roomier than coach seats in an airplane. Food prices on-board are high. Bring a cooler.
It is not quite like the airlines where the fares go up and down over time, but there is an element of that. I think they allocate set numbers of tickets at several price levels. To get the cheaper fares you have to book earlier depending on how popular that day will be for travel. Kevbabe looked into it once, but delayed buying her ticket, and ended up having to pay more. When I booked my trip online, the quote said something like “3 seats remaining at this price”.
Oh, I also suggest you take US-285 between Albuquerque and Denver. I-25 is faster, but mostly desolate sage desert and prairie with the Mountains a distant tease. If you ignore this advice and take I-25, leave time for a side trip at Colorado City to see Bishop’s Castle.
Check their discounts page before you book–you can get 10% off with AAA and some other organizations.
I’ve taken Amtrak from the Carolinas to NYC and the price is doubled if you book a week ahead instead of a month ahead. There was only one run a day and during one period they were doing track work for the following three months. In one instance, this created great problems for me as there were specific reservations and plans that I had to make in New York that were not easily moved. Some days the train would make the run, some days not. They let you know a week in advance.
But they didn’t let that inconvenience go unnoticed. They raised the fare on the trains that ran because there was a higher passenger load. Two trips a month apart cost $85 and $260.