Can we get a family discount for travelling on US trains?
Travel Q&A
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Q. Our family of five (children aged 11, nine and four) are going to California in the summer. We would prefer to travel long distances by train rather than rent a car or fly, but it seems difficult to get reasonable fares. Is there anything like a family railcard in the States?
A. Modern America was created by the railroad. The train remains the most civilised form of travel in the US, taking you through grand vistas and forgotten towns at the ideal pace. But along the track, America seems to have lost the plot.
The trains in the North East, connecting Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, are fast and frequent, with "Saver" fares offering excellent deals for passengers who book well in advance. Elsewhere, though, rail travel is mostly a minority sport, with ponderously slow trains and little or no creative pricing to attract passengers.
Take the journey between Los Angeles and San Diego – a 120-mile trip, equivalent to Bristol to London. It takes nearly three hours. And even if you book several months ahead, the same fare applies for every train. The total of $129.50 (£85) for your family group is about twice as much as you might pay for an advance-booking trip of the same distance in Britain. It's also double what a rental car for a day would cost in California, even taking into account the drop-off fee and a few gallons of "gas".
Between Oakland (for San Francisco) and Los Angeles, the 12-hour rail journey costs about the same as an 80-minute flight.
The closest thing to a Family & Friends Railcard is family membership of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (narprail.org). Unfortunately, the £30 annual fee buys only a 10 per cent discount, compared with at least one-third off in the UK. So wait until shortly before you travel to buy the tickets at Amtrak.com; the national train operator offers deeply discounted "Smart Fares" on a random selection of routes up to three weeks ahead. There's a reasonable chance that some of these may suit your plans. And if they don't, bite the bullet, pay the annoyingly unyielding fares, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments