Can I board an Amtrak train without a reservation?

Question

Can I board an Amtrak train without a reservation?

Answer 1

of course you can. but you would be in a world of trouble when the conductor sees that you dont have a ticket.

Answer 2

Yes, if there is space available.

On most trains, there usually is space.  The only exception is popular routes, such as Acela Express, Pacific Surfliner, etc.  

Also, remember that Amtrak prices tickets like the airlines.  The earlier you buy, the less you'll pay.

Answer 3

actually, the answer depends.

what are your city pairs, i need additional info and then i can tell you for sure.

if you have reservations, you will  1) be assured of knowing you have a space on the train, 2) have a chance for discounted fares and accommodation charges, especially if you reserve early like months in advance, 3) will be on manifest list in case amtrak needs to contact you later in case of schedule changes, service disruptions, or emergencies.

in general, there are 2 types of coach, unreserved and reserved.  unreserved generally tend to be in the northeast usa, like newyork-philadelphia-washington, and philly-harrisburg, and some new york-albany trains, as well as chicago-milwaukee.

some trains on these above city pairs do require reservations, these tend to be long distance trains (ie chicago-milwaukee has 7 unreserved trains and 1 reserved train that actually goes thru milwaukee on its way between chicago and seattle/portland).

the other types of spaces, such as sleeper rooms, business class, club car/1st class seats, etc, do require reservations.

now, that all being said, reservations can be made at any time before train dep, so you can go to ticket office, go to web site, or call 800# to reserve tickets before boarding.  

if your station is staffed by a ticket clerk, then of course you should buy your ticket from the clerk before boarding the train.  if your station is unstaffed, then the 800# can give you a boarding code as well as reservation number, and you give both numbers and the money to the conductor when you board the train.

if you do not have a reservation or ticket, but board a reserved train for either coach or 1st class/business class space, 1 of 2 things can happen.  if the train is actually full and sold out, you wont be allowed to board by the conductor.

if there is still space on the train, the conductors can let you board, and you can pay the REGULAR non-discounted fare to the conductor.  if your station had a staffed ticket office that was open at train dep time, then the conductor will also charge you an additional penalty; however, if there is no ticket agent on duty at the time of train dep, then the conductor will only collect the fare and not charge a penalty.

all trains crossing the border, however, require reservations in advance, due to additional info needed on the manifest for customs/immigration inspections on the trains.  however, payment of ticket, although best to do in advance, can be paid on the train if your departure station is unstaffed at the time of boarding.

recommendation is to always reserve space in advance for trains that require them, even if it is just 10 minutes or more before departure, still best to call 1.800.872.7245 or go to www.amtrak.com.  but, the earlier you reserve (and you can reserve up to 11 months in advance), the better your chances for getting the trains/times/days you want, as well as getting lower, discounted fares.

Answer 4

You do not need a reservation on Amtrak trains.

Seating is on a first come first served basis.

Depending on where you are traveling, you may want to have a reservation.

On the eastern corridor (between NYC and Washington DC) trains have been known to sell out all of their seats and people have been known to stand for 3 hours.