Have you ever traveled by train?

[emer95]

We considering taking our kids to NYC this April. I looked into flights, and the prices were pretty good. Then for the heck of it I looked at Amtrak fares and was pleasantly surprised. With our AAA discount the price came to only $313 round trip for all 4 of us. We've never traveled by train before so I thought it might be cool. It's a long ride- 8 hours. But no one has to drive, we save on gas, and we get family togetherness.

 

[Planogirl]

We traveled by train in Europe and it was wonderful. I wouldn't hesitate to do so now if we only had decent train service. I wonder if Amtrak trains are nice?

 

[mommasita]

Oh YES, a lot. Growing up my father worked for CN, so I have done the train quite a bit, lol.

I actually loved it. As you mentioned, family togetherness. I remember my mother brings lots of games, such as scrabble, backgammon, etc. Also, small pillows and blankets. It can get nippy at certain times of year.

I do find they are not often 'on time', so I would not plan on anything concrete near your arrival times.

My children have only been on very short hauls, and me, I could handle never going again, I have done THAT many. No regrets, but now that DH and I work for airlines, that is much faster.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I used to but lately I find that the train fares are almost as much as flying,

I loved train travel it was so relaxing. I would take a few books, read. I would bring some food with me and some times there was a dining car. It was a lot less stressful than air but it takes a lot longer.

It think everyone should do it at least once!

Lisa

 

[Abbeys_mom]

In Europe, the passenger trains own the rails, they are smooth, fast and designed for people.

In the US, Amtrak rents tracks from the freight companies. They are NOT smooth, go much slower (lots of rocking, especially in the back of the train) and frequently "pull over" so a 150 car coal train can pass you.

I have traveled both quite a bit, once with a kid and more without. My learnings:

- Trains can be delayed by several hours to days. If it is crucial you be somewhere, add in a couple of extra days. My trip from Sacramento to Chicago got snowed in near Reno, the train could not make it down to Sac. We were able to hop the Coast Starlight to Portland and then caught the Empire Builder across instead of the CA Zypher. If we had not looked online and acted FAST, we would have missed our entire vacation to MI.

- PACK FOOD!!! Our kitchen car became disabled and was left behind somewhere in Montana, and we did not get one for another state or two. They brought on KFC, DH is a vegetarian. We had Clif bars and snacks for him.

- If you have a LO, put them in a back pack or carrier. DD was 6 months old and LOVED walking the length of the train. The Dome Car and the library car had the most interest for her.

- Since we were traveling several days, we got a sleeper car - LOVE LOVE LOVE those! Private room for nursing/changing, private potty, tiny shower, beds for napping/sleeping. Ours had a table, so DH and I played travel games.

- Old people love kids, commuters do not. DD has traveled from SF to Portland with her grandparents and was the belle of the ball and spent time on the Dome Car. On commuter trains we sometimes take, people are working or reading and seem to prefer it quieter. Pack games and toys, maybe a DVD player or laptop with DVD player. But kids are kids and need to run off energy, most people get it.

-Be flexible and go with it. We love to travel by train, and cannot wait for the highspeed from SF to LA. We can mainline to DLR!

 

[redlight]

I've traveled by train many times, especially in the northeast. It is nicer than flying, but as the previous poster said, it's not as fast as it should be and trains can be delayed. Still, it's relaxing and you often can get great views.

 

[clh2]

We've done several train trips. One way from Chicago to San Fransisco (did that two times) and one trip from Chicago to Seattle.

Done several short trips - Milwaukee to Minneapolis/St. Paul

LOVE travelling this way.

I would agree - Definitely allow a little extra time for arrivals that are not timely!

 

[Principessa1284]

Yes! From Buffalo to NYC, actually. I was 11 or 12, I believe. I remember it being just fine - my cousin and I kept each other entertained, but BOY did it feel like forever to get there. I think we stopped every hour or so (Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, et al..) Bring food, though.. the amtrak food wasn't so hot. But then again, that was like, 14 years ago.

I do distinctly remember that a strange, dirty man kept trying to offer my cousin and I cookies.. they seemed like perfectly good cookies and I was pretty peeved that my mom wouldn't let us have some

 

[fall08CP]

Many times. Not a big fan.

Here's why: I have never been on an Amtrak train that's been on time. EVER.

I took it multiple times between home and school; supposed to be a 2h50min ride, but it never took less than 4 hours. Once it took 11.

Also took the Chicago-PA Amtrak. Took about 10 hours longer than scheduled. It was an absolute nightmare being stuck in the train and not being able to go anywhere. We kept saying we should get off at an earlier stop and rent a car. The bathrooms were overflowing due to overuse so they were completely unusable for the last 5 or so hours... unacceptable.

They share the lines with freight and freight had the right of way. If they were going way below our anticipated speed, we'd have to slug around until we could pass. Once we hit a deer and had to stop for an hour to clear it off. Another time the wheels overheated. Once we got stuck on a hill (in the midwest- really??). We joked that they had a list of excuses and just pulled a new one every trip

Positives: the seats are very comfortable and spacious. You can get up and walk between cars. It was open seating so usually I got two seats to myself.

 

[disney1990]

We travel by train quite a bit. We recently traveled from DC to NYC to see a play and the Christmas decorations.

 

[SaraJayne]

I've done it on the short trip between Milwaukee and Chicago. I wouldn't want to do it for much longer than that.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes!

A few times as a kid (and for me, I didn't like sleeping in the seats!).

We did the Eurorail in 2004 and my kids enjoyed that, though it was a much shorter journey than 8 hours (London to Paris and back).

We recently did the autotrain and due to the memory of my experiences as a kid, we did get a sleeper and my kids LOVED it!!!!

So the train can be fun. But it can also be testy at times--for example...as a kid, one of my trains was a whopping 6 hours or more late. I can't recall exactly. I do know we were to catch it at 2pm or something like that and at 7pm, we were still hanging out at the train station.

As an adult, I took what should have been an easy trip from Tampa to Fort Lauderdale and it turned into a lenghty nightmare. The signals were not working that day--you know, the ones that let the arms come down at railroad crossings so folks don't get hit. For quite a lengthy distance, the train could not travel at its full speed. They had to be able to stop and manually trigger the arms to lower...and then after they crossed, manually trigger them to put them back up. My train ride was to be only 2 or 3 hours and it took 5 or 6.

Additionally--CSX owns the lines, so if they are having issues, they trump amtrak.

Lastly--my mom took a train from Charleston to Fort Lauderdale just yesterday. the train was 5 hours late getting into Charleston. But that was an easy and understandable issue--something about blizzards in the NE.


But when amtrak runs smoothly--it is fun and enjoyable. You just have to really watch how it can affect your plans.

We were relocating when we took the autotrain--so if we had delays, it wasn't too much of an issue for us. We didn't have a deadline to be anywhere. The only hitch was the train had to stop for a medical emergency. It stopped in the first available town near the time of the incident so that the person could be transported to hospital. That's the plus of a train. It isn't an airplane that has to find the nearest airport. The train can just literally stop wherever, but they did choose a town for this case. (I recall several pages for train personal to report to someone's room--not sure why the several pages, but it was handled quickly.)

If you are flexible and can roll with any punches, I say go for it. The longer the trip, the increased likelihood of a glitch, though.

I do plan on doing it again when appropriate for a trip. I really loved that auto train!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

we recently did Syracuse to NYC and we really liked it. We also recently took a bus and the train wins hands down! For the short distance, I prefer it over flying. much prefer it over driving - stress free and DH got to spend time with us instead of concentrating on the road!!!

we were slightly delayed because we had unusually heavy rains and they had to go slow in areas that still had flash flood warnings, but we made up time in the rest of the areas. I can't blame them given the conditions.

only complaint - no WiFi!!!

 

[C.Ann]

Only once - and it's a pretty funny story - although it wasn't so funny when it was happening..

My parents had moved north to Port Henry - (Lake Champlain) - just a blip on the map.. My dad was in the hospital quite ill and one of us was needed up there right away.. Siblings took a vote and I was elected to go..

I didn't know diddly squat about buying tickets or anything else.. All I knew was that I had to take the train that would pass straight on through Port Henry to Canada.. There used to be a regular train station in Port Henry, but by then it was just a closed up building in the middle of an overgrown field.. If you wanted the train to stop and pick you up in Port Henry (going north to Canada or south towards Albany), you literally placed your luggage on the tracks and they could see it from far enough away to stop.. (That's how often anyone ever went to or from Port Henry..)

So the first thing I do is to call Amtrack and ask if I need to make a reservation for the train to Port Henry.. The guy that answered the phone starts laughing like crazy and yelling to others, "This lady wants to know if she needs a reservation to take the train to Port Henry!!!" (Hysterical laughter in the background..) Finally composes himself, tells me no - just show up at such and such a time - buy your ticket - and listen for them to announce the train leaving for Montreal..

(Great.. I'm a nervous wreck already..)

Show up at the train station, buy my ticket (I think it was the same guy because he was chuckling to himself), and he tells me to sit down and wait for them to announce the departure.. A little while later they call for the train to Montreal and it was like a stampede!! People making a mad dash for the train like the gosh darn train station was on fire.. So I grab my suitcase and run right along with the rest of them..

Go up the steps to the landing and ask the conductor (or whoever that was) if I had the right train for Port Henry.. His response? "Port Henry?? You're actually going to Port Henry???? No one ever goes to Port Henry!!" (You would have thought I asked him if this was the train to the moon!) He tries to stifle a laugh and says yes.. I ask him if he'll come and get me when it's time to get off because obviously, I was the only person on the train going to "Port Henry".. (I was terrified I was going to fall asleep and end up in Canada!)

After a couple of hours or so, the gentleman comes back, grabs my bag, and says, "Come with me.. We're coming up on Port Henry.." Then he takes me out in the area between the two cars of the train - and there we stand - with everything whizzing by..

Now I'm really nervous.. The gosh darn train is still going like a bat out of heck.. I couldn''t stand it any longer so finally I said to him, "We are going to stop in Port Henry, right?" As serious as can be, he looks at me and says, "Stop? No - we're not gonna stop.. We're just gonna slow this baby down, you hop off, and I'll toss you your bag.............."

I imagine the look on my face was priceless because he started laughing so hard he nearly fell over..

Needless to say, they did stop - be it ever so brief - and there stands my mom - in the middle of the field with the neighbor that drove her over - comes rushing up to me - gives me a BIG hug - and says, "Frances, you made it!!!"

My name is NOT Frances!!!!!

--------------------------------

Hysterically funny now - back then? Not so much.......

 

[Abbeys_mom]

Now I just went and looked at the train tables, I might have to plan an overnight trip somewhere. My DD would love it.

 

[jlmarr]

Now I just went and looked at the train tables, I might have to plan an overnight trip somewhere. My DD would love it.

It's nice if you get sleeping quarters, but sleeping in the coach car is, by all accounts, not so fun. There was an item about this a few months ago:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38021375&postcount=59

We did an overnight trip on the Coast Starlight about 15 years ago and it was very nice, but pricey with the sleeper. "Free dining" in the cafe car offsets that a bit.

 

[curious3069]

Twice...once cross country when I was a freshman in high school with half of my very small town, to Pasadena to march in the Rose Bowl Parade. It was fun, but I was only 14-didn't have to be worried about being on time or any of that fun stuff. The second time was from St. Paul to central IL. HORRIFIC. The way back to St. Paul took 24 hours (It's was an 11 hour trip driving)...the staff had worked too long so we were stuck outside of Milwaukee for 3 or 4 hours until they could get a new staff on the train. Wouldn't be so bad but they tell you nothing, the train just stops and you wait. It was awful. Definitely tack on additional travel time, just in case.

 

[brasswillow]

I've taken the trains in Europe and on the East Coast in the US (Washington DC to Central PA and Central PA to New York). The trains in the states were a nice experience. I was traveling by myself, but enjoyed being able to just sit back and watch the scenery pass by.

 

[bicker]

We did Boston to Chicago (and back). Never again. We had a sleeper, but it was insanely cramped, the shower was creepy, and the train rocked so much all night that I don't think we slept at all. The coach cars were abominably dirty by mid-evening and much worse by morning - we were so glad that we had a sleeper.

Buffalo to New York is a day trip, though, so perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[Shmily1]

I did this quite often when I was younger going to my grandmothers in Clearwater, FL. It was an 8 hour ride and we loved it!! We thought it was such a big deal that we could go to the club "bar" car and they would let us in! We went there every time to play cards. That was such a big deal to us.

DS20 and DD19 have both done train trips too when they were smaller and they loved it too.

Food is quite expensive on the train though so be sure you plan for that. It is pretty decent food and good portions, but just more expensive than you think.