In anticipation of the busiest travel week of the year, Amtrak is encouraging holiday travelers on the Amtrak Cascades route, which travels between Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and Eugene to make ticket reservations early.

Last year, the Cascades saw a 60% increase in ridership the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday following. Similar passenger counts are anticipated this year. Tickets sell out quickly, so customers are encouraged to plan ahead and book early.

Oregon’s trains will run on their weekend schedule all five days, Nov. 27 through Dec. 1. Details are available on the Amtrak Cascades website, the link provided again here.

The best way to experience the Pacific Northwest is on Amtrak Cascades which connects 18 cities along the I-5 corridor. From Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Oregon — along Puget Sound, past Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens and across the Columbia River Gorge — the train offers some of the most distinctive cities and natural attractions that the U.S. has to offer. Customers can skip traffic this year for the holidays and take the train.

In Washington and Oregon, Amtrak has a three-fold mission statement that begins with striving to provide an efficient, safe and cost-effective alternative to highway and air travel; support future growth and operate an efficient, high-quality intercity passenger rail service that helps minimize the need for state subsidies; be sensitive to community and environmental impacts and business costs and to integrate with local roadway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation networks.

 

Ticketing and reservations are also available on the Amtrak Mobile App or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. Boarding documents can be self-printed, or customers using a smartphone or mobile device can present the eTicket to the conductor by opening a document in their email.

 

Regular one-way adult fares between Seattle and Portland start as low as $36. All Amtrak Cascades trains require reservations.

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