Travel Around the U.S. America for $499

Appease your adventurous side with Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass, fixed at $499.

Bottom line, if you want to travel without having to sell your firstborn to some creep named Rumpelstiltskin to lock in a mega-deal, you’re going to have to get creative. That’s not to say all travel is unreasonably priced — there are some amazing opportunities out there. It’s just harder to scrounge up satisfying deals in our post-2020 lives, especially when factoring in necessities like security, safety, sanitation, and overall peace of mind.

Even our favorite budget-travel option, the ye ol’ road trip, is getting a bit pricey. Gas prices are still lingering in “BFFR” territory, car insurance premiums are on the rise with thoughtful condolences from providers, and our favorite fast food stops have taken value off the menu.

So, what’s a frugal travel nut to do? Simple answer, invest in Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass. The USA Rail Pass is a multi-ride pass that covers 10 rides, also called segments, over the course of 30 days for a fixed rate of $499. The possibilities for a grand American adventure are endless with over 500 destinations to choose from — including multiple popular travel locations like Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

Amtrak Empire Builder Route | Essex, Montana Mountain Views by Convention Strike

How Does Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass Work?

The USA Rail Pass functions as a low-cost alternative for leisure cross-country travel. Passengers are allotted 10 segments, all of which must be completed within a 30-day window following initial pass redemption.

Note: The 30-day window does not start until after you have completed the first segment. Scheduling the first segment does not count as pass activation.

An unused USA Rail Pass is valid 120 days after purchase. If you do not redeem the pass within 120 days of purchase, you can receive a refund by contacting Amtrak customer service.

The USA Rail Pass is restricted to coach-level travel, and can’t be used for Canadian routes, Amtrak Auto, or Acela routes (Acela routes only offer business and first-class accommodations).

Under the USA Rail Pass, the average cost per segment is $50. Standard Amtrak passengers will tell you that this is an absolute steal. Why? Because while a segment could be defined as a single trip from Charleston, SC to Raleigh, NC, it could also be a 35 hour breath-taking adventure from Seattle, WA to Los Angeles, CA via Amtrak’s Coast Starlight route.

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight Route | Views of Klamath Falls, Oregon by Convention Strike

Without the USA Rail Pass, the Amtrak Coast Starlight route costs $150 per coach passenger. This price may increase or decrease depending on availability and seasonal travel norms. Yet, as far as Amtrak’s concerned, this is only one segment out of 10 under the USA Rail Pass.

Amtrak offers multiple routes that are considered singular segments. Passengers can check out the Empire Builder, which goes from Seattle, WA/Portland, OR to Chicago, IL, or the Sunset Limited (New Orleans, LA to Los Angeles, CA). I’ve had the pleasure of riding both, and they’re definitely worth the experience.

With the right strategy, you can cover a lot of territory within the United States. Hence, the need for creativity.

[Didn’t quite answer all your questions about Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass? Let’s go straight to the source by clicking here.]

How Did Convention Strike Do It?

The Amtrak USA Rail Pass is not a one-and-done travel solution. It’s definitely not as simple as booking an all-inclusive cruise. You have to be willing to put in a lot of time, research, and maybe even some tears to plan a truly amazing and cost-effective experience.

Convention Strike's Amtrak USA Rail Pass Map

My main goal was to see as much as possible within the 10-segment limitation, but I also had some wishlist destinations in mind such as New Orleans, LA, Portland, OR, Washington, DC, and New York, NY — all of which I was able to see with one segment remaining.

With those locations in mind, I looked up Amtrak’s route map (I used something slightly different than this) and searched for segments and connection points that fit my desired paths. I definitely wanted a round-trip trajectory to save time.

Another helpful tool is Amtrak’s standard ticket search engine, which you can find on its homepage or through the Amtrak app. The search engine tells you the fullness of the train, its stops, projected timing, and other important information such as its accommodations (Wi-Fi, viewing cart, etc).

Ultimately, I started in Charleston, SC, and met my sister (who also purchased a USA Rail Pass) in North Carolina. We traveled the Crescent route from Greensboro, NC to New Orleans, LA, where we stayed for the weekend.

After our stop in NOLA, we spent a little over two days on the train to Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited route, where we had a brief layover before hopping back on the train for over a day on the Coast Starlight route, which we rode to Portland, OR.

We reached Portland, OR — relieved to be on land again, and did some quick sightseeing. A day later we headed to Chicago, IL on the Empire Builder route (another lengthy journey). Once we were back on the east coast, we used the smaller Capitol Limited and Palmetto routes to reach both Washington DC, New York, and our start points.

In our travels, we met a lot of people with the USA Rail Pass forging their own paths, and checking out other peak destinations such as Seattle, WA, or national park stops in Montana.

The USA Rail Pass does go on sale at certain times of the year. It can be purchased for as low as $299.

Convention Strike is an independent travel blog, and prone to human error. If you have found an inaccuracy, please comment directly or send an email to conventionstrike@gmail.com.