10-Ride Booking & missing your train
 

Looks like i am going to do some commutes from PHL to NYP. I was looking into 10-ride and the Amtrak site is a little vague on how to use...

Do i just jump on a train and have them punch the ticket, or do i have to actually book a ticket online first?
If i miss my train (which im sure i will) how does it work, do i have to pay anything extra, or can i just jump on the next train with my 10-pass

Thanks from a rookie amtrak rider :)

If you know the commute ahead of time, I'd recommend booking at least 2 weeks out. It often ends up being cheaper than the average per ride cost with a 10 ride ticket. The 10 ride is also only good for 45 days at a time. Within 2 weeks, fares go up based on availability.

You'll want to check this and scroll down to restricted trains (http://www.amtrak.com/multi-ride-tickets). There are a handful of restricted trains and I'm not sure of what time of day those are. You can just cross reference on the NE Regional timetable. Also Acela trains aren't valid on the pass.

I don't use one but I believe on that route you still need to technically 'make a reservation' that will draw down your 10 trips. You can do it now on your phone or at the quick-trak machine at the station when you show up. Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong. I just do the purchase ahead of time method since I'm on a relatively set schedule.

If it's a long term commute, I'd also recommend joining Guest Rewards and getting the Amtrak credit card. The points are good for when you miss your intended train and can redeem those instead of paying the walk-up fare (assuming you don't go the 10 trip route). Shoot me a PM if you want a referral link.

I would also consider the SEPTA and New Jersey transit option from Philadelphia.
More frequent service and appears to be cheaper and the time of commute does not seem longer

and you can just jump on the train as fare is the same all the time

But since we do not know exact particulars of your situation...

Umm, what?

An Amtrak Regional train makes the trip in an hour and 25 minutes on average.

A rush hour Trenton shuffle connections takes 2 hours and 11 minutes or longer.

Cheaper, yes. But commute is definitely longer. And it isn't a one seat ride.

Welcome! I do the opposite commute daily, typically using a monthly pass, but I've also purchased ten-ride passes in months where I'm not going to be at the office very much. Either pass works the same - you get a paper ticket (sadly no etickets yet for the passes, so you need to keep track of that very valuable piece of paper), and then you hop on any NE Regional or Keystone between PHL and NYP, with the exception of a few restricted trains (and, of course, no Acelas). No need to book anything ahead of time, just hop on the train and go. With the ten-ride, the conductor will punch a hole in your ticket for each of the ten rides, too.

If your commute is predictable, you can in fact save some money by using advance-purchase tickets, but you'll get stuck paying the walk-up fare if you have to switch, so I prefer the passes for the flexibility.

Let me know if you have any other questions, because I've literally made this trip hundreds of times now.

Oh wow, I thought I had heard they had moved to some eticketing. I stand corrected. That IS one valuable piece of paper to avoid losing.

The SEPTA/NJT combo will just suck the life out of you. Get an eyemask, earplugs, neck pillow, travel coffee mug, and you get used to the Amtrak commute pretty quickly.

As I said since we do not know the particulars it is hard to judge.
For example if the OP is doing the exact same run at the same time and knows his schedule in advance then Amtrak might be the better option.

HOWEVER if his schedule is very much up in the air on a daily basis then the NJT/Septa option could be better as he would pay the same fare regardless of when fare bought and not worry about missing his particular train.

Ladies & Gents-

Thanks for the informative info. I'm coming from CC and i tried driving to trenton, parking, and then taking the train in, but it seems like it adds another 40 mins on my commute. I don't mind the extra costs and seems like a 10-ride is the way to go. I do know when i will get into the office, but i don't know when i'll leave, plus i like the flexibility of being able to grab dinner with friends before heading out.

Last question! Is there any AAA or other discounts offered for 10-passes bc like many mentioned earlier that advanced purchases are cheaper than the 10 pass

Nope, the AAA discount is not presently available for monthly passes or 10 ride tickets.

Can Save Money Even if all 10 Rides Not Used
 

I have a friend that comes by Amtrak to Sacramento most weekends from Richmond. Regular fare is $26 each way. 10 ride is $159.

He's been hesitant to buy since there are only 6 weeks to use the 10 rides and he doesn't come every single weekend.

However, he only comes out $3 behind at 6 rides (6 * $26 = $156 vs $159 for 10 ride ticket). Any rides he manages to take beyond 6 become a saving, all the way up to $10 a ride if he does all 10.

So, if at least 6 one way rides are certain in 6 weeks the 10 ride ticket is worth it with the chance for 4 "freebies".

The discount is about 40% give or take if you use all 10 rides. Or you could think of it as ride 6, get 4 free. If your friend is using Capitol Corridor there had been a 50% off promotion on the weekend for the past few months. I believe it run through April. 3-day advance purchase but that would be a much better deal if your friend travels on Saturday or Sunday. Something else to consider before purchasing the 10-ride.

Wow, wish I'd paid attention and learned this long ago. One direction is Saturday and return is Monday so great for one side.

Just bought a couple.

Thanks so much!

No Problem... that is part of the beauty of FlyerTalk... sharing :)

Hey guys- thought i'd share my experience of riding with the 10-pass for the last few weeks.

Flexibility is where the value of this card is. Being able to stay for dinner, or a late work meeting and knowing i don't have to charge the company extra money is worthwhile.

The cost for me was $584 for 10 trips. With a AAA discount and week in advance booked it was 47$ one way. It could be as low as $30ish with 3-4 week advanced booking. so it definitely isn't the cheapest option

The 10 pass just lets me jump on any train with no prior booking and just get the 10 pass stamped.