17 hours as you sit in the same seat....

[barkley]

Beats a 14+ hour flight from San Francisco to China. At least you can get up and walk around on a train.

and there's the added advantage that if there's an unruley passenger they can and WILL be removed from the remainder of your travel. we saw this in action on our Amtrak ride when the train did an unschedualed stop in the boonies and we saw security remove a guy that had been acting up-he was handed over to local law enforcement who had been called ahead.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I think the longest I have ever been cooped up in one spot was a flight from JFK to Madrid (back in the late 80's). We sat on the runway for about 4 hours before even taking off. We landed in Lisbon, and sat there for a long time again. We eventually arrived in Madrid. I don't remember how long I spent on that flight, but I know it was a very long time.

 

[NotUrsula]

This is why I always break up long air trips as evenly as I can, so as to shorten the longer legs. From where I am, the usual closest airport for international connections is O'Hare, but no thank you. I'm either going to NYC or LAX from here, so that the over-the-water leg will be shorter. (I've never been south of the equator, but if I was headed that way I'm sure I'd go via Miami; though I've been told that the jet lag effect isn't as bad when you're moving N-S. Still, a flight to Argentina or Brazil would be pretty darned long!))

Flying domestically I'd rather do non-stop, but when it comes to crossing an ocean, I want to start out more or less on the shore before the part where they can't land it until we get there. (I also almost always fly to Ireland first if I can, then continue from there after a bit of a break with my feet on the ground.)

I'm not at all afraid of flying, but the older I get, the more claustrophobic I feel on planes; probably because the seats have been getting smaller as I've gotten a bit larger over time. I also don't sleep much on planes, even with meds, so a full day or night of flying always seems endless and exhausting. Trains don't bother me nearly as much; push comes to shove I can get off when it stops and get back on a later train. (I don't take trains in the US except in the NE corridor, where that's actually possible.)

 

[disney212]

Way back in 1993 the military sent me on a flight that was awful. Cincinnati to St. Louis with a 5 hour layover to Chicago with a 4 hour layover with our final leg to Frankfort. It was me with my 2 kiddies who had just turned 4 and 5. Back then I had 0 say in the flights, not sure if that has changed. The Army mailed us the tickets. It was also the first time my kids had flown and only my second time. Luckily the kids were good but we were all exhausted.

 

[soccerdad72]

I wouldn't mind trying a trip like the California Zephyr, but I don't think I could convince my wife to travel that long in that confined of a space, even with a sleeper car.

 

[citruscurtis]

I wouldn't mind trying a trip like the California Zephyr, but I don't think I could convince my wife to travel that long in that confined of a space, even with a sleeper car.

There Are living spaces in the sleeper cars... but very expensive and the least expensive are the bunk beds and they are very enclosed... Coast starlight because of its short route can be done like head north to San Jose..get off ..stay in hotel and then catch the South bound... that segment is very historical and scenic and that route north bound...if on time has 2 fresh air breaks and South bound has 3

 

[citruscurtis]

and there's the added advantage that if there's an unruley passenger they can and WILL be removed from the remainder of your travel. we saw this in action on our Amtrak ride when the train did an unschedualed stop in the boonies and we saw security remove a guy that had been acting up-he was handed over to local law enforcement who had been called ahead.

It happens often... they unloaded them in Eugene Oregon as that train station is downtown... makes for a longer fresh air break as we head south.... and if you are having a medical emergency they also have plans to unload... last trip we stopped under an overpass that allowed medical services 30 yards from the tracks to help.... and we were 30 minutes away from Sacramento