Amtrak Is Offering Buy-One-Get-One-Free Train Tickets Across the U.S.

amtrak bogo valentine's day sale
Amtrak/Justin Franz
Amtrak/Justin Franz

On what kind of things can you get a buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) deal? Clearance socks at a department store? Expired cans of beans? A coffee at Starbucks once a month if you go at a very specific time? Nothing big or alluring.

That's generally true, but there is one significant exception worth noting right now. Amtrak is offering BOGO train tickets all over the country. During its Valentine's Day sale from February 13-17, you can get a free coach ticket when you buy one for travel between March 9 and August 30, 2020. Plus, there are no blackout dates. Just drop in the code "V214" at checkout. (The sale is among the best Presidents Day sales.)

The BOGO deal is available for "most long-distance routes," per the Amtrak announcement, as well as the Acela, Adirondack, Carolinian/Piedmont, Cascades, Downeaster, Downstate Illinois Services, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Heartland Flyer, Maple Leaf, Michigan Services, Missouri River Runner, Northeast Regional, San Joaquins, Valley Flyer, Vermonter, and reserved sections of the Pennsylvanian and Keystone Service.

Here are a few examples of what it'll cost to get two one-way tickets in the sale, per Amtrak. 

  • Portland, Maine to Boston: $29
  • Chicago to St. Louis: $36
  • Seattle to Portland, Oregon: $36
  • Detroit to Chicago: $40
  • Richmond to Charlotte: $54
  • San Francisco to Los Angeles: $66.50
  • Los Angeles to Albuquerque: $86
  • New York to Washington, DC: $98
  • Washington, DC to Chicago: $105
  • Los Angeles to Seattle: $126
  • Washington, DC to Orlando: $139
  • San Francisco to Denver: $149
  • New York to Atlanta: $164
  • Washington, DC to Boston: $192

With the offer, you'll have to ride in coach and the tickets won't be eligible for upgrades. Additionally, the two tickets have to travel together. That means you can't game the system and buy one for yourself now and one for later. Though, you are absolutely allowed to be your own valentine otherwise. 

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow him @dlukenelson.