Originally Posted by
GoAmtrak
I usually book the latest Capitol train/bus I'd likely take on a given day, and the conductor/driver on earlier schedules can lift the ticket with no problem. I haven't attempted going later. It should be allowed under the terms of unreserved reservations, but I don't trust the e-ticketing system to not negatively intervene.
If they're anything like the unreserved Keystones, they're fine to use whenever, before (same date only) or after (any date) the scheduled train. Amtrak's system does not auto-cancel unreserved space tickets. I have done so countless times.
The tickets are valid for travel (or refund) one year from the date for which the ticket was booked. That is, if I book a ticket today (7/23/14) for travel a month from today (8/23/14), the ticket is valid (usable or refundable) through 8/23/15.
Note that unreserved tickets are subject to a 10%/minimum-$5 cancellation penalty regardless of when the ticket was booked and for which date it was booked (future or past). This makes absolutely zero sense, since an unreserved ticket does not withhold space for sale from anyone else. If anything, unreserved tickets should be fully refundable at any time, and reserved space tickets should have a refund penalty (even for far-future dates)--Amtrak got this one totally backwards. That said, I don't really actively complain about it here or to Amtrak since eVouchers (which get around the refund penalty) are now usable online, so I have never had a need to actually refund an unreserved ticket back to my card.