Amtrak Adventure, Group Travel Edition

Whether you’re planning a girl’s weekend, school trip or a family reunion, Amtrak group travel is an instant memory maker. We love seeing groups experience the perks of train travel. Honestly, what’s better than enjoying the journey with friends or family? But truth be told, planning the trip can get tricky. To ensure your group travel experience is stress-free, here are a few need-to-knows about Amtrak group travel.

Twenty Can Lead to Savings
If you’re planning an Amtrak trip, keep in mind groups of 20 or more may be eligible for discounts. Let’s repeat that. Twenty or more can lead to savings in your pocket and the half-fare children’s discount may be applied to eligible members of the group. Fine print, our group discounts are not available on every route. So make sure to ask about available discounts when booking your trip.

Plan Ahead
If you’re a savvy Amtrak rider, you already know booking early is the way to go. But how early is early? You can book trips up to 11 months in advance. But for those travelers that procrastinate (no biggie we’ve all been there), groups traveling with us must reserve their trip a minimum of four business days in advance of the departure date.

Speaking of Booking Your Trip…
After you have confirmed the required number of travelers and a plan of where you want us to take you, then head over to complete our Group Travel Request Form. From there, our Amtrak Group Travel team will contact you to get the process rolling. Not a fan of online forms? You can send an email here or call 1-800-USA-1GRP (1-800-872-1477) to speak with a representative.

Meals and Snacks
Savings on your tickets aren’t the only Amtrak perks you receive when your group travels with us. We offer a variety of meal options too. From light snacks to full meals (on long-distance routes), full bar options or non-alcoholics drinks, we’ll work with you to customize meals and beverage options for your group.

At the Station
We recommend groups arrive at least 60 minutes before scheduled departure. This allows for plenty of time to get the pack together, alert Amtrak staff of your arrival and grab last minutes items. After the leader of your group has spoken to a staff member get ready, because it’s almost time to board.

Leader of the Pack
If you’re traveling with minors, we require a minimum of one designated chaperone for every six minors in your group. Chaperones are responsible for minors traveling with the group and must follow the Group Leader and Chaperone Guidelines. These guideline ensure the safety and security of not only your group but for your fellow Amtrak riders.

Other Group Travel Perks
Pre-boarding, an exclusive train car (for additional fee and if the group is larger enough to occupy an entire car) and a designated train car attendant on select departures, are just a few of the other Amtrak group travel perks. If you’re interested in traveling with us for your next big group trip, contact us so we can help you with the planning today.

Has your group traveled with us before? Let us know in the comment section below.