How Do I Make a Reservation for Amtrak?

To travel on an Amtrak train, it is best to make a reservation in advance of your trip. There are three different ways you can make a reservation. The first is making the reservation online. The second is making the reservation by phone. The third is making the reservation in person.

Traveling by car is expensive and travel by airplane can be a real hassle. For many people, travel by train is the best option. Often, that means traveling by Amtrak, the sole provider of train travel in most of the U.S. While there are certain situations in which you can just go to an Amtrak train and buy your tickets, this is usually not allowed. Fortunately, there are a few different ways you can make reservations on Amtrak.

For Best Results, Stay Flexible

Prices for Amtrak train tickets vary, depending on when you travel. Try to work out several different departure times and days, so that when you book your reservation, you can try each of them and then take the one that offers the lowest price.

Reserve Amtrak Tickets Online

You can make your reservation online followingTo reserve your tickets by phonew these instructions:

  1. Go to Amtrak's website.
  2. Sign into your Amtrak account via the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on the Book Now button near the top of the page.
  4. Enter your departure location and destination in the text fields provided.
  5. Enter your departure and return dates in the text fields provided.
  6. Click on the Find Trains button.
  7. You will be shown all the options for travel on those dates. Choose the one that best suits your needs. You will be sent a confirmation email with your tickets as a PDF attachment. You can print them out or display them on your mobile device for the conductor.

Reserve Amtrak Tickets by Phone

To reserve your tickets by phone, call an Amtrak customer service representative. They will ask about your destination and the dates and times you want to travel and give you the various options. You can use your credit or debit card to pay. Arrange to have your tickets emailed to you as a PDF file, which you can print out or display at the station, or choose to pick up your tickets at the Amtrak station.

Reserve Amtrak Tickets in Person

It's also possible to make the reservation in person by going to an Amtrak station and talking to a ticket agent or using a Quik-Trak kiosk, which will print out your tickets for you.

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Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.

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