This article was originally published on July 7, 2020. It has been updated with new information.
Every so often, Amtrak drops a BOGO roomette sale: When you book one of their (very) cozy sleeping cabins, you can bring a friend, partner, or kid along for free. But rarely do those sales go hand in hand with Acela discounts on Amtrak's fastest trains.
For northeastern travelers, Acela fares are currently as low as $69 from New York City to Washington, D.C., and $59 from Boston to New York City. That's a huge discount compared to the $150 or so it would usually cost to take the cushier high-speed train between the region's major cities. Plus, the deal is good for travel through September 12, with no blackout dates.
On the roomette front, if you're splitting with someone else, the 800-mile ride from Oakland to Seattle can cost you each just $176, while the 11-hour trip from Atlanta to New Orleans will cost $121 each. And on rides that long, you'll want to pay that extra amount for a place to lay your head—and, during the coronavirus pandemic, that extra bit of privacy and distance is only a good thing.
The Amtrak roomette sale, which is good for travel from July 13 to September 30, is available on 12 trains, including the California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Silver Service, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, and Texas Eagle. Roomettes come standard across all of these trains, with two seats during the day and two sleeping bunks at night (an attendant will come make the switch for you during your journey) and complimentary meals delivered to your room. You'll also have access to a private bathroom and shower in your roomette's train car.
Beyond the social distancing that having a roomette allows, Amtrak has additional cleaning routines in place for a safe journey, including sanitizing frequently touched surfaces and bathrooms on trains both prior t and during rides. You'll also be required to wear a mask in stations and on the train—though booking a roomette gives you the freedom to remove the mask while inside your room. You can find more information on Amtrak's cleaning policies on its site.
The BOGO discount is running until July 17, and you can cash in on Amtrak's dedicated sale site or by using the code V306 when checking out on the Amtrak app. The Acela fares are first come, first served through July 31, and you don't need a special code when checking out to get in on the deal. Note, you'll want to download the app whether you book either deal through it or not, as it'll send you boarding gate and track information at most stations to lessen crowding by departure boards.