Anyone ridden the Amtrak train cross country?

[Zeke]

I've never been on a long train trip. I'm thinking that I might do this one way from the South US to Los Angeles when I go down for a visit. I looked and it takes 2 days plus a 7 hour journey from Birmingham to New Orleans to catch the Sunset Special to LA. That could be a long time to sit in a seat even wandering around to the dining and louge cars.

But, the scenery during the day has to be good. Any tips on this mode of travel? Also, what is the general bahavior of the passengers? I mean no way would I suffer the bus unless I was writing a novel about skid row. How does the train compare?

[Dantilla]

Last year we took a relatively short ride from New York city up to Syracuse, just a five-hour ride.

We enjoyed it, and are considering a longer train trip sometime. Far more enjoyable than taking your shoes off at the airport, and being stuck in a small seat in an aluminum tube for a few hours.

[pwd72s]

Tip? Check out the Canadian cross country rail trip. More $, but worth it.

[jyl]

I've taken two reasonably long Amtrak rides.

One was from LA to Albuquerque (sp?), an overnight trip. Another was from SF Bay to Seattle, about 24 hours.

Both were in the sleeping car, and that really is the key. You get a private cabin, there are various sizes from one person to two to family. The attendant treats you to the best service Amtrak has - snacks, preferred reservations in the dining car, etc. It is really a nice way to travel. Bring books, magazines, iPod. Hang out in the observation car, eat a decent meal with a great view, have a restful snooze in your cabin.

Kind of expensive, slow, and sometimes delayed - but a neat experience, one that I would gladly do again.

Interestingly, a number of your fellow travelers in the sleeping car will be people who have to travel cross-country for work but have a flight phobia.

[bryanthompson]

took one from central nebraska to chicago to minneapolis... we didn't get a cabin, but if I ever travel that way again, I definitely will. those seats can be hell after 10 hours. While sitting in the viewing car for many hours, I learned how to control my eye muscles and make my eye twitch on command. that's about all i got out of that trip.

[artplumber]

I want to try Chicago to Seattle in early spring or fall. Right through Glacier Park. There's also supposed to be a Continental Divide ride through CO which is supposed to be great.

[TerryH]

We looked into taking Amtrak a few years ago. If you want a pullman car, I remember thinking it must be cheaper to lease the Concord.

I find it ironic that our country keeps this money pit running with huge tax dollars, then Amtrak wants to charge us huge amounts to ride the damn thing.

[kycarguy 935]

Milt, I have gone cross country Kentucky to So. Cal. and vise versa on Amtrak about 5 times and love it. The passengers are pretty cool and easy going....although I had a drunk guy sitting in front of me that was bothing people in the lounge, and the police got on at one stop at took him off the train and left him there. He didn't bother me at all and I'm sure if you ride enough something is bound to happen. Jan 05 I was going to No. Cal. and Reno had the largest snow storm in 40 years and the train stopped and put us up in a Casino for the night which was fun. I say go for it and you will never forget it. The ride through the rockies is one of the best. You can pm me if you have any other questions.

[charleskieffner]

have taken train from PHX to LA. LA to DAGO. FLAG to ALBUQ. EURAIL all thru EUROPA and the best...........NOGALAS TO MATZATLAN! plus durango- silverton, and chama N. MEX. to antonito COLO. and williams , AZ to south rim grand canyon. had a blast! like others said sometimes slow but all in all the secret is the EL CUBO or sleeping car. would love to go from MARICOPA ,AZ to FLORIDA some day and fly back. they used to have deal btwn amtrak and delta. very cheap rates. 1-way on train was $225 bucks. hell of a lot of fun! bring fold down ice chest!

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

expensive and VERY slow.

[Zeke]

Thanks, guy. This sounds encouraging. If one gets the single sleeping cabin, not the family deal, what are the shower facilities, if any, like?

[legion]

I rode from Chicago to New Mexico (Raton, to be exact) in '92 and '94, and from Chicago to Dallas in '96. Rode in the conventional seats all three times.

I hung out in the observation car most of the time. Talked with people. No problems that I recall. I think that it cost between $200 and $300 round-trip all three times.

[RKC]

Sometimes cheaper than flying if you get a regular fare. Sleeping cars make it non-competitive w/flying - depending upon where you're going. Have used it on short hops too = San Diego-LA growing up in SD; and now Chicago-St. Joseph, MI and Chicago-Milwaukee.

Long distance I've ridden Chicago - Santa Fe, NM (Lamy) twice (about 24 hours) and Chicago - Tucson once about 48 hours (you hook up with the Orlando-LA train in Texas). Tucson and latest Santa Fe trip with the kids. Trips do take some time, but I used them to bracket and extend business trips. 24 hours is better than 48, but as you don't sleep much the first night, the second night's sleep is better. Bring soft earplugs, as it seems it isn't the rocking but the noise that keeps you awake.

Being in a sleeping car gets you free meals in the dining car. The experience isn't fancy, but it is pleasant. I have a cramped, coach-class trip to Japan coming up, and I much prefer to get up and walk around and talk. No cellphones or emails for a day or two helps my stress level before and after a business trip too. If you like to drive cross-country, you'll probably enjoy the train - it is quicker than driving since you don't have to stop at night, but still has that pleasant "free time" feel. If you can't stand cross-country driving, you won't like it.

You have to have a romantic streak in you, and enjoy pointless Sunday drives and other adventure journeys, or the realities will bother you: It can be slow, and is usually a bit late arriving.

If you're in a hurry, you shouldn't be on a piece of 19th Century technology to go across a continent - wheather it is a train or a car.

Heard the best trains for sights are Chicago-SF (Rockies & Sierras) and Chicago-Seattle (Glacier N.P.)

Chicago to Santa Fe runs on the same rails my commuter train does, and it was really kind of fun, though the scenery isn't much until you get out to the Colorado/New Mexico border.

Scenery in Texas was great - to watch in one day as the swampy east gave way to rolling hills and then to the dry west. Made me think about buying some land!

[Zeke]

Wow, RCK, you wax poetic. Did you write for a tavel mag in your previous?? Good info. Yes, I like to think I have the romantic and adventurous streak in me, don't we all? But, I do like driving, however only on the open road. I hate to even get in a car here in LA. Mostly, I restrict my driving to the absolutley necessary.

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by TerryH


I find it ironic that our country keeps this money pit running with huge tax dollars, then Amtrak wants to charge us huge amounts to ride the damn thing.

Our country keeps many money pits rolling along with huge tax dollars. Amtrak is an easy target because of the problems it perpetually has with infrastructure, management and funding. The tickets are usually market rates, comparable to airfare, it's not DisneyWorld.

I used to work there and it's a bad mix of a lot of things, which I can't begin to cover all of them here. But as a start:

1. Amtrak gets 1 year funding and most capital projects often take that long just get the long lead materials. Ammtrak must maintain rolling stock, track and stations. Airlines only have to pay for their equipment. Not the sky or the airports.

2. The routes were decided long ago by the freight RRs. Amtrak inhereted them and is almost powerless the change them for market conditions or where people actually want to go.

3. Amtrak does not own it's own track or signalling outside the NorthEast corridor and are at the freight RRs mercy when off the corridor. When Amtrak trains fall behind, they fall behind the freight trains so the problems compound. Additionally, the freight RRs don't need to maintain their tracks to passenger standards.

4. Amtrak employees are locked in by railroad retirement. Employees pay more that Social Security (about 5%) and once you're there 5 years, you have a pension. THis makes it hard to leave or for Amtrak recruit new talent.

I took a lonh trip from NYC to Montreal. We ended up being 2 hours late because of some signal problem or something and an hour at the border for customs. Beautiful scenery along the hudson in the fall. People were nice. I sat behind a guy that was the mayor of some small CA town. He travelled all the way cross country on the train because he was scared to fly.

[RKC]

Well, thanks....

There seem to be two types of driving. One is everyday driving - I seem to drive my 911 on commutes to work less and less, and take the commuter train more and more, just to have a dependable time frame, and time to tear through the WSJ and USAToday before work so I know what's going on in the world.

The other is long distance - and it is NOT THE SAME as the first. A train is more like this. I just drove 350 miles from the North Woods of Wisconsin where I dropped my daughter at camp back to Chicago. Five plus hours of fun and winding roads and pretty scenery and iPod tunes and word/car games with my son and wife. Two lanes and some highways. Nice people flashing their lights to let the truckers re-enter lanes. Idle talk and cold Root Beer Floats at the A & W. Everyone going 70 or 80, everyone feeling free and happy. My wife's SUV had our kayak on it, just like the commercials! The big GM trucks were towing fishing boats and waterskiing boats and Jet Skis and a Hobie Cat or two. Gold Wings with helmeted couples, kids on ATV's at every farm. And people were appreciative rather than jealous of everyone else's stuff. We got compliments when coming into shore in the kayak from people in high-powered speed boats, and showed interest in return.

80 miles from Chicago the idiots appeared, as they do in every city (even Madison, WI!!!) SUV's driven so aggressively you can't believe they don't tip over. A guy doing 110 in a WRX and cutting lanes like he had a death wish. Living close up to each other on the highways, just like we live close up in the tract homes and the high-rises - too close really, for civility. And everyone hating the Harleys or the Porsches or the pretenders in the Hummers - everyone scratching and competing for scarce resources. Its was ugly. And this is where most of us live.

I prefer the wide open spaces.

[charleskieffner]

above post is correct. had buddy that was 3rd genration worker for BNSF. amtrak pulled out of phoenix and the depot is now 60 miles south at maricopa. other p/up point is flagstaff, up north. railroad upgrading as money allows to concrete RR ties. all wood ties being yanked due to maint. headaches and repairs. buddy used to work on a BURRO which is the crane atop a flat car. worked san berdoo-albuq. mostly repairs, but called off repairs in event of derailment and had to haul A$$ to derail site. huge deal derailments. over a million bucks an hour in lost revenue while track blocked. first rule...........CLEAR TRACK 2nd rule... REPAIR TRACK, then bulldoze leftover cars into hole dug next to track full of cars guns trucks refrigerators microwaves, name the commodity, and it is buried under about 20 ft of dirt within eyesight of main line. RR owns rights quite a few feet on each side of RR track. if caught digging around with backhoe by RR police..............YOU ARE TOAST! have hunted along salad bowl express route(LA-CHICAGO) outside williams AZ. since threats against RR's do not get caught on RR property! was confronted by (2) armed (M-16's) RR police one morning hunting while sitting below RR embankment. first words out of their mouths was YOU BETTER HAVE AN ELK TAG!" watching AMTRAK FLY BY is really cool as well as 150 cars behind 10-12 ENGINE UNITS! now thats some HORSEPOWER!

[onlycafe]

three years ago i took the amtrak from central new york to lincoln nebraska to pick up a 78 sc. the ride from new york to chicago was about the same as a full day long ride in a subway train. yecchhh.
however, the trains out of chi to the west are wonderful. dining cars, bar cars, observation cars. a very civilized way to travel, met some terrific folks on the way. and had a great ride back home on route 20. would do it again in a new york minute, except that i would sedate myself semi-comatose for the first leg of the trip til chicago.

if anyone from amtrak is listening....please, how about an east-west auto train? i would like to drive from the rockies west, without having to drive the three days it takes to get to them.

[wludavid]

Amtrack SUCKS. Expensive, slow and uncomfortable. The sleeper cars are unbelievably pricey, slightly more comfortable and just as slow. Don't waste your time or money.

[targa911S]

Originally posted by wludavid
Amtrack SUCKS. Expensive, slow and uncomfortable. The sleeper cars are unbelievably pricey, slightly more comfortable and just as slow. Don't waste your time or money.

Ditto that. Only James Bond could make it look like fun. Always late, pricey and ....slow. The sleepers are like sleeping on a moving ironing board. Short trip.....maybe.