Are Amtrak trains usually full at this time of year?

Question

Next Xmas I will have a 14 month old toddler and need to travel to DC from FL. I figured I would take Amtrak since the trains from my experience are about half full. However, I looked for trains next week for pricing purposes and some of them are sold out. Are trains on the eastern line usually sold out during the holidays if I'm not going north of DC? I know that there are many people who have bias against Amtrak, but I would prefer straight answers from people with experience.

Answer 1

yes very busy ,college stdents who don't fly, holiday travel ,business travelers.

Answer 2

yes they get busy and even lease coaches from commuter railroads not uncommon to a see a non amtrak coach insneted into the  consist.

Answer 3

It's like every other mode of travel... there are busy times, and SUPER busy times. The super busy times usually occur around the holidays.

As you get closer to a major holiday, AMTRAK will get more crowded. The best thing to do is early next year (after the Christmas and New Year's rush) is to call the national reservation number (1-800-USA-RAIL) and ask how far in advance will they accept a reservation. If they say "3 months" then mark it on you calendar and call back 3 months before you plan to leave.

Know when and where you want to go and if you want a sleeper or not...they may say "We take reservations up to a year in advance!"

Answer 4

AMTRAK ridership is increasing every year and especially during the holidays. Best time to ride AMTRAK is between February and April and then between September and November