Whether you dislike flying, are looking for more environmentally friendly ways to travel, or feel a certain nostalgia for slower trips, it’s now easier to compare trains and planes when searching for tickets.
Google Flights recently added an integration with Amtrak that allows travelers to view train alternatives to flights and click through to book their selected fares on Amtrak’s website. Here’s how to find a train ticket for your upcoming trip.
How to find Amtrak tickets on Google Flights
To see train ticket options for your trip, enter your origin and destination cities and travel dates on Google Flights. If there is an Amtrak alternative for the route, you’ll see it listed below the top recommended departure options under “Trains to consider.”
Credit: Emily Long
Click “See more train options” to open a new tab, which will show departure times, travel duration, and one-way ticket fares. When you select a specific departure, you have the option to click through to Amtrak’s website, where your trip details will be prefilled for you to book (so you don’t have to re-enter your information or search again for the route).
Credit: Emily Long
Note that Amtrak will only populate “reasonable” alternatives to flights for your itinerary. The train network’s reach is limited compared to airlines, and a multi-day cross-country trip isn’t really reasonable, so you’re unlikely to see an Amtrak option for a route like Los Angeles to New York even though technically you could find a way to get there by train.