I don't get Amtrak?

[bumbershoot]

We took a train from Seattle to Vancouver when we were cruising out of Vancouver. It was cheaper to fly into Seattle, spend a couple of days there, and take the train. It was a fun journey, slower than driving, but we liked it. I have taken trains in Europe and if there was better rail service in the US, I would take trains to other cities.

Love that train! And really, if you've ever been stopped for awhile at the border, you know that just going right past all that mess makes it worth it. We took transit to Seattle's train station, then the train to BC, for our honeymoon cruise. It was so lovely. Stress-free.


The TX-Orlando thing...I would swear there used to be a train that went all the way along the bottom of the country (like 10 does), but it just doesn't seem to be there anymore (or I am just making things up). I wish there were such a train, b/c it would lovely to just go on down to LA, have a side trip at DLR, then hop back on the train and take a few days to get out to WDW.

I appreciated the food on the Coast Starlight trip I took (being a roomette passenger meant that food was included and I got to hang out in the lounge car), and since I was pregnant with extreme food aversions AND am vegetarian, that was saying something big for the food...

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I've never taken the autotrain, but as a single parent, I'd probably want to spend the night somewhere if I had to drive 15 hours, making the 26 hours actually shorter.

Plus 26 hours of reading, playing chess with my kid, talking and playing around, vs. 15 hours of staring straight ahead because I'm driving? I'll take the former.

 

[disneydance]

I've tooken the train 3 roundtrips from Seattle to Portland and I enjoy it alot more than driving on the Amtrak Cascades they play movies and it's nice to be able to walk around and relax. I also took the train in February from Seattle to Vancouver Canada for the Olympics. It was nice to be able to go straight past the boarder amd straight into Canada you take care of customs once you arrive in Vancouver and we didn't have to deal with any border mess considering the World was all there in Vancouver for our family of 4 including transport up to Whistler on there motor bus was about $400 also during the olympics only buses were allowed on the road up to Whistler and our hotel was in Whistler so we would of ended up dealing with the boarder mess having to park our car somewhere in Vancouver and pay for parking then take a bus up to Whistler just didn't make sense at all...

 

[christinou]

We also love the auto train, the key is to book early the prices do go up really quickly

 

[Imzadi]

It's only relaxing if it's not a full train and you do not have a stranger squashed in the seat next to you. Also, if someone doesn't bring their screaming baby on board for the full 26 hours.

As someone who used to work in the rail industry I learned that rail travel is most efficient in relatively short-haul, densly populated corridors. Such as from DC-Philly-NYC-Boston. Longer routes require more stops to keep the costs down and so they can take longer.
BD

I have to head to a seminar this summer. It is being held in the sticks of CT. There is no train or buses even close to it. I'd have to rent a car to get there.

Then someone said, "Why don't you go to the seminar in DE instead? It is right off the train station?" I had to look it up on the map & the train schedule. But sure enough, the NYC-DE route is way quicker, easier and cheaper than driving to the sticks of CT. I never would have thought DE was closer than that place in CT. (The whole state of NJ is in between.) But the distance turned out to be nearly the same.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I always enjoy taking the Amtrak on the short 2-hour trip from OC to San Diego. But, next week I'll be taking the train from OC to Chicago! It'll be 42 hours and cost me a boatload of money, but I've wanted to take that trip ever since I was 8 and first saw the movie "Silver Streak". So, I'm thrilled I finally have a reason to do it (friends recently moved to Chicago).

But, if I didn't have that particular odd desire, there's no way I would have paid the fare for the private room (had to have just what Gene Wilder had in the movie). It's outrageous, even when you consider it includes meals. I could have flown, had 2 nights hotel and paid for my meals and gotten out cheaper!

I still hold out hope for an LA to Vegas high-speed train, but doubt we'll ever see it, no matter how often the subject comes up in the news. Had the chance to ride the Eurostar from London to Paris on an ABD trip and it was great! Wish we could have that kind of thing here in the U.S..

Argh, you b eat me to it! We take the Amtrak from Van Nuys to SD and it is such a lovely ride. The train travels right along the ocean in places and it is so nice.

I have a strong faith that we will get our high-speed train to LV. The casinos will jump on it once the economy turns around PLUS everyone wants it. There is a lot of red tape, but I really think (hope) we can do it.

 

[AnnaS]

For my dd and I (my dh and my two dss prefer to fly all the time), if we always had a choice, we would to Amtrak/Autotrain.

We drove down and took the Autotrain home once and my dd and I have taken Amtrak twice - once to West Palm Beach and once to Orlando.

It's not about time or saving money. We fly all the time but are not happy about it. Driving is not that bad - but there is stress involved, chances of accidents, arguing in the car, etc.

 

[java]

was that with a sleeper car? We have no problem with coach. Last trip kids were 2,3,8 and 15. This summer trip was going to cost us around $800 RT but prices just jumped to about $1100 RT. For that we will drive. I also did it straight from Newark, NJ to florida.

They don't do the auto train out of Newark anymore. Unless I am wrong? Someone correct me? But yes that was a sleeper car-

 

[Teacher03]

I take Amtrak from Ohio to DC to visit my daughter. It makes it so much easier, especially when I am traveling alone. It costs around the same price when gas and tolls are added up, and it's less stressful. It's a little longer trip, around 3 hours, but about half of the time is at night, so I sleep. We did travel home from Disney once, which I would never do again without a sleeper car.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I've wanted to take that trip ever since I was 8 and first saw the movie "Silver Streak". So, I'm thrilled I finally have a reason to do it (friends recently moved to Chicago).

But, if I didn't have that particular odd desire, there's no way I would have paid the fare for the private room (had to have just what Gene Wilder had in the movie).

Loved that movie and was a HUGE fan of Gene Wilder! In college, I named a plant "Jerry Silberman" in his honor. (Note: I have not since named a plant.)

 

[AmandaSparks730]

My mom and I have taken Amtrak from Providence, RI to NYC (Penn Station) twice now. We used to take a local tour bus, Conway Tours, and we found that Amtrak is actually quite faster than busing it. (Besides that my Uncle works for Amtrak and can get us on for free!)

Conway Tours: 3.5 to 4 hours, including a stop at McDonald's. Left Warwick, RI at 7:30 and in NYC at 11:15 or so.

Amtrak: 3 hours. Left Providence, RI at 7:00, in Penn Station by 10.

If it's a short distance, like from D.C. to NYC, or something like that, it's worth it, especially if you take the Acela (less stops).

 

[disney1990]

The auto train takes longer from Virginia than it does to drive from NJ- and the cost is ridiculous. I was going to try it after my mom raved about it- but at $1500 each way for our family it's just not happening. I do enjoy the Acela train though if I am heading up to Boston or down to MD. It's faster.

The Auto Train is a whole other ball game. The key to cheaper Amtrak travel and advance planning. DH and I travel quite often on the Auto Train. We usually spend about $650 for both of us and the car. When you figure driving, the cost of a hotel overnight both directions, and meals, the cost is quite comparable Car vs Auto Train. When we get to Florida, we aren't tired from the long drive.

A couple years ago, I took the train from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA. I spent the time, talking to people and making friends. I loved watching the country go by -- you just don't get to see the country when you fly over it.

As far as it taking longer on the train, people that travel on the train, usually consider that their vacation starts when they get on the train, not when they reach their destination.

 

[Planogirl]

From your post, I can see that the real problem is limited rail service. If the train went from Dallas to Orlando, rather than having to transfer in Chicago and DC, and there was a market for it, the prices would drop greatly.

Two things keep this from happening. First, we love our cars. Second, air travel in teh US is pretty inexpensive.

That is of course a big part of it but it's still funny. Truly puzzling is 29 hours to get to El Paso from Dallas on a direct route. We can't figure that one out since it takes 23 hours if you make a stop.

I spent part of my youth in Europe and I do wish that we had such rail service. I'd pay well for the luxury.

 

[englishteacha]

My DH loves train travel (I swear half of our UK trip was spent watching or riding trains!). I thought it would be fun to take the train somewhere, anywhere. It's so expensive for us. From Portland, Maine, to Boston would cost us twice the cost of driving round trip, including our parking fees, and we'd have to drive 2 hours to get to Portland (we're 4 hours from Boston). From Boston to Orlando, it's 26 hours (it's 26 by car from HERE), and costs more than $100 more than it costs us to fly from Portland, ME.

I miss train travel. It was the most wonderful way to tour the UK, and we took the Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris, too. London to Paris in a couple hours by comfy train...who could ask for anything more??

 

[Toad_Passenger]

The Auto Train is a whole other ball game. The key to cheaper Amtrak travel and advance planning. DH and I travel quite often on the Auto Train. We usually spend about $650 for both of us and the car. When you figure driving, the cost of a hotel overnight both directions, and meals, the cost is quite comparable Car vs Auto Train. When we get to Florida, we aren't tired from the long drive.

A couple years ago, I took the train from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA. I spent the time, talking to people and making friends. I loved watching the country go by -- you just don't get to see the country when you fly over it.

As far as it taking longer on the train, people that travel on the train, usually consider that their vacation starts when they get on the train, not when they reach their destination.

I'm very jealous that you've done the DC to LA train ride. Our next trip to the West Coast is definitely going to be by train. I'd also like to take the train into New Orleans someday. There is just something to be said for seeing America that way.

 

[Took]

I'm very jealous that you've done the DC to LA train ride. Our next trip to the West Coast is definitely going to be by train. I'd also like to take the train into New Orleans someday. There is just something to be said for seeing America that way.

We've done several trips to the West Coast from Chicago on Amtrak. The best is the Empire Builder out to Seattle. Wonderful ride and pretty scenery. My parents took the Chicago-San Francisco train last year and said it was great, too.

 

[luvmyfam444]

We would have to drive I think 3hrs to the nearest station - so we're in that area of no service.

But I so can't imagine not having a sleeper car traveling so long...

never knew about the auto train (done auto ferries before - just not train) I'll check it out!

 

[disney1990]

I'm very jealous that you've done the DC to LA train ride. Our next trip to the West Coast is definitely going to be by train. I'd also like to take the train into New Orleans someday. There is just something to be said for seeing America that way.

I absolutely love the train. People are just in a hurry these days and I prefer a more relaxed way to travel and see the country. I too would love to take the train to New Orleans one day and a trip to the Northwest in on my list too.

 

[NotUrsula]

I absolutely love the train. People are just in a hurry these days and I prefer a more relaxed way to travel and see the country. I too would love to take the train to New Orleans one day and a trip to the Northwest in on my list too.

Well, yes, lots of people are in a hurry, but that doesn't explain why a train route that took 16 hours in 1934 now takes just under 19 hours. (Denver to Chicago.) The only reason for something like that is a mucked-up infrastructure.

The necessary infrastucture to support passenger train service in this country has been largely dismantled, and it is no longer at all efficient efficient except on a very few selected routes. THAT is the tragedy -- that we had it and we threw it away because the US govt. chose to subsidize road construction and NOT subsidize rail maintenance.

 

[CandyMandy]

THAT is the tragedy -- that we had it and we threw it away because the US govt. chose to subsidize road construction and NOT subsidize rail maintenance.

I agree the government has focused on highways as opposed to rail, but that hasn't led to the major cross-country rail routes crumbling.

As others have pointed out, the reason a passenger train ride from Chicago to Denver takes longer now than it did in the 1930s isn't because the tracks are a mess - it's because the priority on that sort of route is now given to trains carrying freight, not passengers. If the Amtrak trains didn't have to constantly roll off onto sidings for a half hour so a 280 car train carrying soap and lumber can rumble by, you would see the timetables for Amtrak pretty much being at or close to what they were during the "golden age" you reference.

Or put another way, a contemporary EMD F40PH 270 consist pulling Superliner passenger cars can get going just as fast as a 1930s Pacific Steam engine pulling vintage heavyweight Pullmans.

The difference now is simply that the track ahead often aren't clear.

Then:

Now: