Trains!

I decided to do something different this month, which I quite possibly will end up regretting, but I will be glad to have experienced it nonetheless.

My last several plane trips have been dreadful, cancellations/delays (often 24hr+), so this month I decided to get a train on a route that I usually fly. It will be a 15-16 hour train trip as opposed to a 2 hour flight (if nonstop is available, not counting airport time, and travel time to airport, etc....) And, airports have been a nightmare recently (even with TSA-precheck and other benefits). So I decided to be adventurous and book a ticket on Amtrack.

Has anyone ever taken a long train trip? I can't find any threads on it so I decided to start one.

My basic thoughts are (before having actually been on), it seems like the experience will be more enjoyable than flying, being able to walk between several available cars, eat and drink at will, get on and off at each station for fresh air, however its much more time consuming (but as I will be under no time crunch and I am a patient person, so this is not an issue for me this time). However, the counter to the time argument is that even a single 24hr delay (which has been the norm lately, and in some cases I have had 48 hour delays) makes up for this. So with uncertainty on certain routes, even the time argument can be negated (And, I am seeing more articles that cancellation may get worse over the summer).

I may be romanticizing it in my head, and I may hate everything for 16 hours (I doubt it), but it seems like it could be a good alternative to flying in a much more comfortable environment (assuming you are not under a time crunch to get somewhere). Of course I have been on many shorter trains/rail (probably 1.5 hours max is the longest, which would be the train between Philly and AC), but nothing nearly of this length.

I once took the train from Rochester to Atlantic City.

Just plain awful. Uncomfortable seats. Cafe car was a joke. You max at about 50mph. Have to stop at every little town. Every few hundred miles you must wait for a crew change.

And this was for just a day trip. Longer than that would be even worse.

Quote: AZDuffman

I once took the train from Rochester to Atlantic City.

Just plain awful.

The only thing I can say about trains is they are better than Greyhound, barely. Unless you get a sleeper compartment on the train and those are expensive.

I took an Amtrak from Ann Arbor to Chicago a few times and uh, I agree with EB that it is slightly better than a Greyhound. That’s about the best I can say.

There's some scenic trains, 1st class meals, glass ceilings, riding through mountains and valleys, etc., Cost you an arm and a leg.

(at first I thought you were starting a thread about getting into hobby trains and going to build a miniature landscapes)

My former dentist was into those. After he talked about it once, I brought it up next time I saw him. He looked uncomfortable. I think he was maybe trying to impress his new young assistant and didn't want her to think he was some kind of super nerd.

Greyhound buses are an adventure all right. But so is a visit to skid row.

When I was younger I wanted to do a cross country train trip for the experience. Today, I can't even imagine spending 48 hours on a train. A 5 hour plane ride is bad enough.

Quote: DRich

When I was younger I wanted to do a cross country train trip for the experience. Today, I can't even imagine spending 48 hours on a train. A 5 hour plane ride is bad enough.

I have crossed Canada several times on a train. As a kid and young adult. The last time was with my kids when they were young. We arrived at my parents house (the kids grandparents) on Christmas Eve. It was a magical trip. That was over 40 years ago and the last time I was on a train.

Quote: ams288

I took an Amtrak from Ann Arbor to Chicago a few times and uh, I agree with EB that it is slightly better than a Greyhound. That’s about the best I can say.

I have never been on a greyhound (actually I don't think I have been on any bus other than a school bus that I can recall), certainly never for a long trip, but I am taking it you guys are not meaning this in a positive way.

I have always thought a long train ride would be fun, but so far it seems that will not be the case (at least based on the reviews on here).

I do have refundable tickets, so in a worst case scenario if the way up is terrible, I can always cancel and just fly back.

Quote: Evenbob

The only thing I can say about trains is they are better than Greyhound, barely. Unless you get a sleeper compartment on the train and those are expensive.

No, I considered it, but it was almost the 4X the price on this trip (I saw some where the price was much more reasonable, in some cases not much more at all, so it does not seem to be a set rate, probably based on demand). I got "business class" tickets, with the thought process being in a worst-case scenario I can just set up a laptop and zone out for the ride (I can't claim to even knowing exactly what business class means on a train, other than hopefully being a bit more comfortable, and I read that they have chargers).

Quote: AZDuffman

I once took the train from Rochester to Atlantic City.

Just plain awful. Uncomfortable seats. Cafe car was a joke. You max at about 50mph. Have to stop at every little town. Every few hundred miles you must wait for a crew change.

And this was for just a day trip. Longer than that would be even worse.

The stopping part does not bother me, I accepted that is a reality of a single route, and in some cases it can probably be a benefit if you need to step out for whatever. Nor does the speed, I already accepted the time length, its just a matter of how comfortable it is on the train.

As for the food, I can't imagine it can be worse than even the best airplane food.

Quote: rxwine

(at first I thought you were starting a thread about getting into hobby trains and going to build a miniature landscapes)

My former dentist was into those. After he talked about it once, I brought it up next time I saw him. He looked uncomfortable. I think he was maybe trying to impress his new young assistant and didn't want her to think he was some kind of super nerd.

No, though I have nothing against model trains (actually I think they are quite cool, especially when there is a detailed setup), I can see why this is a hobby of retired people. I have gone to some train shows (mostly as a kid) and they are always impressive.

Quote: DRich

When I was younger I wanted to do a cross country train trip for the experience. Today, I can't even imagine spending 48 hours on a train. A 5 hour plane ride is bad enough.

I agree on planes being terrible, and trains may be as well (I find it hard to believe that they can worse, especially the experience overall), but I guess now I will know definitively.

Quote: kenarman

I have crossed Canada several times on a train. As a kid and young adult. The last time was with my kids when they were young. We arrived at my parents house (the kids grandparents) on Christmas Eve. It was a magical trip. That was over 40 years ago and the last time I was on a train.

Coast to coast? How long was that trip? (I am assuming you stopped in towns and did not train straight the whole way). I can see how that can be fun. Though I imagine there are differences in Canadian trains and American trains.