Anyone ever take an Amtrak trip?

[Captain Hindsight]

I've been looking into a unique family vacation and have been looking into Amtrak vacations and they actually offer some pretty cool trips. Has anyone ever taken one? How are the accommodations?

 

https://www.amtrakvacations.com/

Edited July 29, 2022 by Captain Hindsight

[TBBills]

I have heard the trains that run east and west are much better than the trains that run north and south.

[LeviF]

41 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

I've been looking into a unique family vacation and have been looking into Amtrak vacations and they actually offer some pretty cool trips. Has anyone ever taken one? How are the accommodations?

 

https://www.amtrakvacations.com/

 

You're in the Rochester area? Don't plan on going anytime soon lol

 

https://www.amtrak.com/alert/service-west-of-albany-temporarily-suspended.html

 

 

[Draconator]

When I moved to California in 2000, I moved from Buffalo to Walnut Creek, CA via Amtrak. The deciding factor was that at that time, every box I loaded up, no matter the weight and size, was $10 per box. So 11 boxes with all my stuff crammed in for $110, it was a no brainer. 

 

I ended up getting a sleeper car on the train, and that was a game changer. No way I could have spent 3 1/2 days sleeping in a chair. The dining car was superb with great food. I was smoking at that time, and they had a dedicated smoking car which made the trip that much more enjoyable.

 

All in all it was a great experience and I definitely want to take another long train trip again. Wife and I have talked about Via Rail in Canada through the Canadian Rockies. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 hours ago, TBBills said:

I have heard the trains that run east and west are much better than the trains that run north and south.

Why?

 

[WhoTom]

Just before the pandemic, my wife and I took the train from Chicago to Seattle to visit her brother. We got a roomette on the way out, but it was a tight fit for two people, so we upgraded to the full room for the ride back. If you have a room or roomette, the meals in the dining car are included - otherwise, you pay a hefty price for food. The food was pretty good and the beds were comfortable enough. If you can afford the full room, go for it. It makes a huge difference.

 

When you go to the dining car, they'll seat you with other people until each table is full. That's good or bad, depending on who else is at your table. We met some people who were interesting, but a few who I'd prefer not to talk to again. But if you have a room/roomette, they'll deliver your meal there if you want.

 

We enjoyed it and we're glad we did it, if only for the experience. I'm not sure I'd do it again, but I wouldn't rule it out either. I've heard the route from Chicago to San Francisco (via Denver) is the most scenic Amtrak route.

 

 

[DrW]

After a family vacation in Florida, my son and I took the Sunset Limited from Orlando to San Antonio (that was before hurricane Kartrina; since Katrina, the Orlando-New Orleans segment has been suspended). Nearly two nights in chairs, but we did not mind. Food in the dining car was very good. As someone else mentioned above, if your party is less than four, they seat you with somebody else. Usually, I hate this; however, having a charming six-year-old with you makes the whole situation much easier.

Scenery is OK for most parts, but of course cannot compete with the western US. The most interesting part was the journey through Louisiana where they had a National Park ranger in the lounge car who talked about nature and history. On the segment through East Texas the train had to make several unplanned stops to let freight trains pass; the tracks belong to the Union Pacific and their trains have priority. We arrived in San Antonio two hours late, but we did not mind as this meant less waiting time for the Greyhound to Lubbock. We thoroughly the Amtrak trip - I would do it again

One scene is forever engraved in my memory. A few rows in front of us was a young woman with a 4- to 5-year-old kid. The kid made a mess by spreading chips all around on the floor in front of their seats. After watching this patiently for an hour or so, the elderly conductor (black) handed the young woman (white) a carpet sweeper to clean up the mess. (Admittedly, we were seated too far away to hear if she asked for the sweeper.)

Edited July 29, 2022 by DrW

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

2 hours ago, Draconator said:

Wife and I have talked about Via Rail in Canada through the Canadian Rockies. 

[PromoTheRobot]

I've looked into taking the train from Massachusetts to Buffalo, but the train merge in Albany adds too much time to the trip.

 

But I do have a day trip to NYC set for October from Boston for the AES/NAB Convention. Leave in the morning and ride back by midnight. 

[T&C]

I've always enjoyed trains... slower than a plane for sure but you see parts of the US that you would never see otherwise. It's more of a relaxed travel imo. Also, the train station in NYC sucks.

[Fleezoid]

Took a train from San Antonio to Buffalo one summer about 15 years ago. Sleeper car's the way to go. It had a "sightseer" lounge car; 2nd story observation car. Took in some scenery while getting liquored up. Got in to Chicago late for my connection train to Buffalo which ran daily from 7 pm. Amtrak put me up in a hotel. Next day was "Taste of Chicago". Huge party. Had some fun before departing at 7 pm. 

 

By the way.....Amtrak is almost always late. Freight has priority.

 

Next trip was with a buddy of mine. Flew to Buffalo for a football game and had tickets to next game in New Orleans. Then Katrina happened. At least game was in San Antonio, so the trip was still on. Although football seats weren't nearly as good as the ones we had in NO.

 

Train crashed just outside of St Louis. Pretty big wreck. No deaths but several injuries. Had to stay overnight and ended up flying to San Antonio on Amtrak's dime. Actually got to San Antonio about an hour before Amtrak's scheduled arrival. 

 

All in all, trains are fun as long as you stay on the track. Food's good too. Keep in mind, if you get a sleeper car, for a single person, it costs more than flying and takes about 10 times longer. 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

8 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

Took a train from San Antonio to Buffalo one summer about 15 years ago. Sleeper car's the way to go. It had a "sightseer" lounge car; 2nd story observation car. Took in some scenery while getting liquored up. Got in to Chicago late for my connection train to Buffalo which ran daily from 7 pm. Amtrak put me up in a hotel. Next day was "Taste of Chicago". Huge party. Had some fun before departing at 7 pm. 

 

By the way.....Amtrak is almost always late. Freight has priority.

 

Next trip was with a buddy of mine. Flew to Buffalo for a football game and had tickets to next game in New Orleans. Then Katrina happened. At least game was in San Antonio, so the trip was still on. Although football seats weren't nearly as good as the ones we had in NO.

 

Train crashed just outside of St Louis. Pretty big wreck. No deaths but several injuries. Had to stay overnight and ended up flying to San Antonio on Amtrak's dime. Actually got to San Antonio about an hour before Amtrak's scheduled arrival. 

 

All in all, trains are fun as long as you stay on the track. Food's good too. Keep in mind, if you get a sleeper car, for a single person, it costs more than flying and takes about 10 times longer. 

 

 

Old days, passengers had priority on rail.   I guess people fly now and money can't be made on passengers. Freight owns the rails...

 

Locks and dams... Commercial passenger (defined as on a published schedule) still has priority over commercial cargo. 

MiL took the Lakeshore Limited got right here into NW Indiana/Chicago 2 hours EARLY.  She got downtown @ Union Station in Chicago an hour LATE. That's like 10 miles! 😆 

 

Brutal here with with freight on the Southern tip of L.Michigan...

Edited July 30, 2022 by ExiledInIllinois

[UConn James]

11 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I've looked into taking the train from Massachusetts to Buffalo, but the train merge in Albany adds too much time to the trip.

 

But I do have a day trip to NYC set for October from Boston for the AES/NAB Convention. Leave in the morning and ride back by midnight. 

As a teen in the mid-‘90s, I would take Amtrak Lake Shore Limited from Springfield to Rochacha to help haying at the maternal side dairy farm and spend time with cousins… and become a Bills fan watching in black & white on my grandparents OLLLLD console teevee that would take 20 minutes to warm up before it got a picture.

 

It was ALWAYS delayed in Albany. One time that was 6 hours. SIX. HOURS. In Albany. Which is what the whole trip should / was scheduled to have taken. Got a $50 voucher toward a future Amtrak ticket for that, whoopdedoo.

Simpler times.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

On 7/29/2022 at 9:50 AM, Captain Hindsight said:

I've been looking into a unique family vacation and have been looking into Amtrak vacations and they actually offer some pretty cool trips. Has anyone ever taken one? How are the accommodations?

 

https://www.amtrakvacations.com/

Some of those itineraries look great. I was looking at that Utah national parks one, as I am not great with long drives and hate the idea of driving 4 hours every day for that Utah loop. 
 

the only issue is they seem pretty pricey per person. 

[Just Jack]

 

[PetermansRedemption]

On 7/30/2022 at 9:45 PM, UConn James said:

As a teen in the mid-‘90s, I would take Amtrak Lake Shore Limited from Springfield to Rochacha to help haying at the maternal side dairy farm and spend time with cousins… and become a Bills fan watching in black & white on my grandparents OLLLLD console teevee that would take 20 minutes to warm up before it got a picture.

 

It was ALWAYS delayed in Albany. One time that was 6 hours. SIX. HOURS. In Albany. Which is what the whole trip should / was scheduled to have taken. Got a $50 voucher toward a future Amtrak ticket for that, whoopdedoo.

Simpler times.

Flying these days isn’t much better. 6 hour delays or downright cancellations are common place this days. Amtrak is probably more reliable than flying now. 

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

I've only taken the train up and down the West coast, but I've always had fun.  First trip was Portland to LA... I was walking through a car and someone goes, Pat?? - I look and it's my buddy Tim- Tim introduced me to the concept of frosty mugs, and he was THE expert at it.  

So we end up in the bar car- back when you could smoke like civilized people,

and the couple sharing a table with us got into a misunderstanding with themselves.  She apparently wasn't too happy with him, and put her cigarette out in that soft-spot between his thumb and fore-finger.  It was fun to watch, but didn't sit too well with him.  
 

Anyway, they gave them both one last chance to not get thrown off the train.  They put her up front, and put him at the back.  Somewhere around 3:30  AM there's this chick grunting/screaming as she's running full blast to the back of the train past us in the upper deck.  
 

I guess she's the one who broke the pact, because next stop she was standing at a station in the snow, somewhere in the middle of the night, as we kept chugging along. 

 

I'm also pretty sure I spent a trip next to David Crosby another time, but we all get to just live sometimes, so I never asked who he was... maybe I sat next to a guy named Bob. 
 

I'd definitely get a sleeper car, unless you don't want to sleep so much.  It's a very entertaining way to see the USA.