Pictured: Amtrak Norfolk - Image by Adam
4/23/23 Update:
All the upgrade vouchers are still available
There are 2 more lounge passes available & 2 are considered tentatively claimed.
The BOGOs are tentatively available since the person who claimed them hasn't booked yet after more than a week, so someone else can claim them as long as they book travel prior to the person who tentatively claimed them >1 week ago not using them.
Tentatively claimed means that there is someone who claimed them but there is no ticket yet, so there is still a chance that they will become available again if travel isn't booked. If you'd like something that's been tentatively claimed in the event that they're not used, let me know.
This year I'm offering former closed clients on a 1st come, first serve basis the option of selecting Amtrak upgrades or a companion certificate (buy one, get one heavily discounted) on Amtrak for 1 way or round trip travel. I'm also giving away 4 lounge passes available for use for departure or arrival where lounges are available, each of which can provide access for at least 2 people.
Top Reasons To Consider Train Travel
When Is Train Travel Optimal?
Details of all Awards
Details of Companion Coupon (potential to save >$400 per coupon)
Details of 12 Hour Upgrade Coupons on 1 Leg
Lounge Locations & What's Offered
Details of Lounge Passes
First Class Passengers, Rooms, Roomettes, & Bedroom Suites receive complimentary lounge access & complimentary meals.
Route Maps
Stations in SE VA
Stations in DC/Baltimore
Example Direct Routes Compared to Car Travel Times
Pricing Patterns
Maximizing
Examples of Low-Value Redemption & Low Out of Pocket Cost: Coach or Business Class BOGO or Upgrade
Examples of Mid-Value Redemption & Low-Mid Out of Pocket Cost: Coach or Business Class Upgrade or BOGO
Examples of High-Value Redemption ($243) & Low Out of Pocket Cost ($71) via Upgrade:
Miscellaneous
Below I'll go over starting pricing (before any discount) & timing options for 1-way direct travel from:
Newport News (coach & business only)
Richmond (coach, business, partial 1st, roomettes, & bedrooms)
DC (coach, business, or 1st)
Examples from Amtrak Newport News (with often similar pricing from Williamsburg), 1 passenger can go direct 1 way to the following as of 4/7/23, not factoring in any discounts from above:
Direct Option from Newport News (North East) | Coach 1 Way Base Price | Business 1 Way Base Price | Lowest Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
Williamsburg (though you're likely better off driving unless you don't have a car) | 8 | 24 | 19 mins |
Richmond Main Street Station | 9 | 25 | 1h 12m |
Richmond Staples Mill Rd | 9 | 25 | 1h 45m |
Ashland, VA | 11 | 32 | 2h 2m |
Fredericksburg, VA | 15 | 44 | 2h 44m |
Quantico, VA | 16 | 46 | 3h 10m |
Woodbridge, VA | 16 | 46 | 3h 24m |
Alexandria, VA | 17 | 48 | 3h 39m |
Washington DC - Union Station | 17 | 49 | 4h 6m |
New Carrollton, MD | 19 | 54 | 4h 42m |
BWI Airport (Baltimore) | 20 | 58 | 4h 57m |
Baltimore Penn Station (within city) | 22 | 62 | 5h 12m |
Aberdeen, MD | 43 | 83 | 5h 41m |
Newark, DE | 49 | 95 | 6h |
Wilmington, DE | 24 | 70 | 5h 59m |
Philadelphia, PA | 24 | 70 | 6h 22m |
Trenton, NJ | 28 | 80 | 6h 54m |
Iselin, NJ | 31 | 89 | 7h 18m |
Newark Airport, NJ (EWR) | 40 | 100 | 7h 29m |
Newark Penn Station, NJ | 32 | 92 | 7h 34m |
New York, NY | 32 | 92 | 7h 56m |
New Rochelle, NY | 32 | 92 | 8h 48m |
Stamford, CT | 32 | 92 | 9h 7m |
Bridgeport, CT | 32 | 92 | 9h 7m |
Going further from Newport News examples below:
Direct Option from Newport News (North East) continued | Coach 1 Way Base Price | Business 1 Way Base Price | Business 1 Way Base Price |
|---|---|---|---|
New Haven, CT | 32 | 92 | 10h 3m |
Old Saybrook, CT | 36 | 103 | 10h 35m |
New London, CT | 36 | 103 | 10h 54m |
Westerly, RI | 36 | 103 | 11h 27m |
Kingston, RI | 36 | 103 | 11h 41m |
Providence, RI PVD | 36 | 103 | 11h 51m |
Boston, MA BBY (too far for single segment 12 hr upgrade from Newport News, but not from Richmond) | 37 | 105 | 12h 43m |
Boston, MA BOS | 37 | 105 | 12h 48m |
Small Sampling of Examples from Richmond Staples Mill Road (RVR) Station 1 Way:
Destination | Coach | Business | 1st (indirect) | Roomettes | Bedrooms | Minimum Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington DC | 12-79 | 34-101 | | 191-211 | 236-404 | 2h 33m |
Baltimore | 17-86 | 48-141 | | 215 | 260-428 | 3h 24m |
Philadelphia | 23-153 | 66-196 | | 248 | 293-461 | 4h 37m |
New York City | 32-215 | 92-275 | | 297 | 342-510 | 6h 7m |
Boston | 37-244 | 105-312 | | NA on direct | NA on direct | 10h 23m |
Boston Indirect | | 139 | 342 (business from RVR-WAS, 1st to Boston) | | | 10h 11m |
Boston Indirect 2 | | 272 | 319 (business from RVR-WAS, 1st to Boston) | RVR-NYP Roomette, then choice of business or 1st class. w/ business class $355, w/ 1st, $496 | | 11h 59m |
Boston Indirect 3 | 137 | 198 | | RVR-NYP roomette, NYP-BBY Coach $319, Business $380 | | 13h 31m |
Charlotte, NC | 43 | 80 | | | | 7h 20m |
Charleston, SC | 68 | 128 | | 282 | 634 | 6h 59m |
Savannah, GA | 78 | 147 | | 300 | 683 | 8h 54m |
Jacksonville, FL | 90 | | 352 | 1237 | 11h 35m | |
Orlando, FL | 102 | | 392 | 1403 | 15h 15m |
Small Sampling of Examples from Washington DC Union Station:
Destination | Coach | Business | 1st | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston, MA BBY Acela | | 74 | 255 | 6h 33m+ |
Boston, MA BBY | 36 | 107 | | 7h 43m+ |
New York, NY | 20 | 92 | | 3h 16m+ |
New York, NY Acela | | 71 | 243 | 2h 46m+ |
Philadelphia, PA | 10 | 57 | | 1h 50m+ |
Philadelphia, PA Acela | | 50 | 173 | 1h 30m+ |
In case you'd like an extended journey on a train, here's a 74 hour- 77 hour example to Los Angeles from Norfolk, with a 2h 37m transfer in Washington & a 6h 5m transfer in Chicago:
Image courtesy Amtrak.
For some of the longest journeys by train, here are a few Miami to Seattle examples:
Image courtesy Amtrak.
Image courtesy Amtrak.
For a long direct route, here is an example from Chicago to around San Francisco:
Image courtesy Amtrak.
Here's a National Geographic article that covered that route.