Amtrak Select Pass

Amtrak recently announced they will begin offering the USA Rail Pass to customers in the United States, rather than only to foreign travelers to the country. If you travel often by rail, this might be a money saver for you. I know, Europe has been offering similar passes for years. I’m glad we’re finally keeping up with the Joneses.

How do the passes work? You purchase the pass for a certain number of days, which provides you with a set number of segments you can ride during that time.

• 15 Days: The 15 day rail pass offers eight segments for $389.
• 30 Days: The 30 day pass will get you 12 segments of travel for $579.
• 45 Days: The 45 day pass will allow 18 segments of travel.

What does a segment consist of? Each time you board a train or a connecting bus. So this is maybe more economical for direct routes.

The AP article points out that a pass is not a ticket. You must also have a reservation and a ticket to ride.

There are, of course, restrictions.

You can check out Select Pass for all the 411 and make a purchase.