thursdaysd

The problem with tom's suggestion is the cost of last minute tickets! This is as true for Amtrak as it is for planes, most especially if you want a roomette or sleeper, which I would certainly recommend for over night trips. The earlier you can book the better, I'd advise six months ahead for sleepers, while a couple of months would do for shorter trips. Also, sleeper class on long distance trains is a somewhat different experience to a day train.