If you’ve had friends who have traveled extensively in Europe, you’ve probably heard them talk about the Eurail Pass — a decades-old program that allows foreigners to travel nearly anywhere on the continent via train. And you may have thought, that sounds like a great idea, why don’t we have something like that here? A kind of volume discount applied to train travel does seem like a no-brainer, especially when organizations have applied it to everything from sporting events to moviegoing, and it’s no longer the stuff of dreams.
Over at Insider, the outlet offers details on Amtrak’s recently relaunched USA Rail Pass. It’s a system that allows travelers to book 10 segments — more on what that means in a moment — within 30 days for a flat fee. It’s not quite unlimited travel, but it’s not too far removed from it, either.
Normally, the program would cost $499. But right now, as we make plans for post-vaccination summer travel and beyond, Amtrak is currently discounting that to $299 for travelers who spring for it by June 22.
The definition of “segments” here is worth expanding upon. At Insider, Tim Levin writes that “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.” Once you purchase the pass, you’ll have 120 days to book your first trip.
As enticing travel deals go, this one is hard to beat — and it could mean a lot more rail travel in everyone’s future.
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