Train Trip around the US

Peregrine · 11-10-2009, 02:19 PM

I've always enjoyed travelling by trains when in other countries, but have never really done it in the United States. So I leave Thursday on a trip I have wanted to take for a long time - I am flying up to Chicago then travelling on Amtrak over to San Francisco (the California Zephyr route) then after a couple days there heading up to Seattle on the Coast Starlight, then finally back to Chicago on the historic Empire Builder route. Including the flight, I will be travelling 5500 miles in 10 days. I'm really looking forward to seeing parts of the country I've never travelled through before.

sabotai · 11-10-2009, 02:21 PM

You are living one of my dreams (although, in my dream "Great Train Ride", I make a lot more stops). Enjoy it!

flere-imsaho · 11-10-2009, 02:23 PM

Very soon after you leave Chicago, you will go through (and may stop at) a town called "Glenview" in the burbs. I'm 1/2 mile from the station, so wave!

Peregrine · 11-10-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

You are living one of my dreams (although, in my dream "Great Train Ride", I make a lot more stops). Enjoy it!

I would love to have more stops but I only had so much time, so I chose to cover more ground but at the expense of stops.

Lathum · 11-10-2009, 02:39 PM

sounds cool, hit me up if you wanna grab a beer in Seattle!

fantom1979 · 11-11-2009, 08:12 AM

I really wish the US would get more on board with train travel. I was looking up if it was possible to grab a train from Detroit to see my parents in Raleigh, NC.

The train went from Detroit to Chicago, from Chicago to DC, from DC to Raleigh. The trip would take just about an entire day, and costs more than a airline ticket. Why the heck would I do this? I love trains, but from Detroit, I don't think it is set up very well right now. (I used Amtrack's website, is there someone else I can check with?)

CraigSca · 11-11-2009, 08:26 AM

I agree - anytime I've check using the train, the cost was prohibitive and much more than flying.

FWIW, I took a trip from Newark, NJ to Minneapolis in one of those private room cars that sleep 2-3 and it was very difficult to sleep through the night. Something about the train having to make itself known at railroad crossings

Sounds like your route is much cooler than ours - hope you have a great time!

Peregrine · 11-11-2009, 08:27 AM

I think it's more of the train is not set up well in Raleigh - from here (I live outside Raleigh) there is only one Amtrak option - the line from Atlanta through DC and New York. So to get basically anywhere to the north, you have to go on that line.

Doug5984 · 11-11-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I've always enjoyed travelling by trains when in other countries, but have never really done it in the United States. So I leave Thursday on a trip I have wanted to take for a long time - I am flying up to Chicago then travelling on Amtrak over to San Francisco (the California Zephyr route) then after a couple days there heading up to Seattle on the Coast Starlight, then finally back to Chicago on the historic Empire Builder route. Including the flight, I will be travelling 5500 miles in 10 days. I'm really looking forward to seeing parts of the country I've never travelled through before.

This is something I would love to do- simply out of curiosity how much are the train tickets going to cost you total?

whomario · 11-11-2009, 08:46 AM

Train trips are awesome, have fun !

I´m a huge fan of trains and use it whenever possible for my travelling. Just next May/June i´ll go on a 3 week train (plus some bus and ferry) tour through Norway and Sweden and look forward to it a lot.

If you ever come to Europe again and need some scenic routes ...

If anyone goes to Europe google "Eurail".

A few years back i was in Cleveland for a couple months and was shocked how little train routes there were to travel out of town .

have fun !

Peregrine · 11-11-2009, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug5984

This is something I would love to do- simply out of curiosity how much are the train tickets going to cost you total?

From what I saw - the basic coach seat is quite affordable - generally like $150 for a trip from Chicago to San Francisco or Seattle to Chicago. Once you upgrade to any kind of sleeping compartment, even the basic roomette which I have, it does add a good bit of cost, but you get more privacy, ability to sleep lying down, more access to the lounge cars, and free meals. The whole train part of the trip, with roomettes for each leg, is going to run me just over $1000.

Izulde · 11-11-2009, 01:07 PM

Very, very cool. I myself would take trains more often if it wasn't so damn expensive. I hate flying and find trains relaxing.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-11-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izulde

Very, very cool. I myself would take trains more often if it wasn't so damn expensive. I hate flying and find trains relaxing.

+1. I loved taking trains in Europe. Of course, I took most of the long distance lines and it seemed like they were easier to sleep on. But, to travel the USA by train is also one of my dreams. Have fun, Peregrine.

Honolulu_Blue · 11-11-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantom1979

I love trains, but from Detroit, I don't think it is set up very well right now. (I used Amtrack's website, is there someone else I can check with?)

It's pretty horrible. The only place you can really use the train to get to from Detroit is Chicago. The problem, however, is that even without delays it's not much faster than using a car and the train is almost always delayed because the tracks are owned by the freight companies, so the freight trains always get the right of way. I used it once for a weeked trip to Chicago. The trip there wasn't too bad, only about 30-45 minutes late. The trip back was horrendous. It took 8-9 hours.

There was a lot of talk of a high-speed rail going up between Chicago-Detroit with all the stimulus money. I'd love that. I loved all the train tavelling I did while living in Europe. One of the best aspects about living in Brussels was that it was about an hour by train to Paris and just 2 hours or so (now) to London. It made for some excellent weekend trips.

Peregrine · 11-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Well I am back from my trip and had a great time - I really enjoyed travelling so much by train - met a ton of interesting people from all over the country (and other countries as well.)

ColtCrazy · 11-21-2009, 12:21 PM

Glad you enjoyed your trip.....would love to do that. I traveled Europe by rail after college and have always wanted to do that again. 15 countries in 6 weeks, all by train. It was wonderful!

Julio Riddols · 11-22-2009, 06:40 AM

When I took Amtrak from Phoenix to Charlotte with an overnight stop in New Orleans, I had a great time. Saw parts of Texas that made me wonder how anyone manages to live there, parts that reminded me of old westerns, and then the swampy swamps of Louisiana.. Staying in N.O. for the night was fun, the station is about a 25-30 minute walk from Bourbon Street.. Got a hotel right there about 5 or 10 minutes away from Bourbon, Quality Inn I believe, and it was a very pleasant stay.. The train from N.O. to Charlotte kind of sucked though, because there was no intercom, so I had no idea where I was or where I was about to be most of the time.

Overall, excellent trip, worth every penny since I hate to fly and wanted to experience the train how I had always seen it in movies.

11-11-2009, 08:26 AM	#7
CraigSca Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Not Delaware - hurray!	I agree - anytime I've check using the train, the cost was prohibitive and much more than flying. FWIW, I took a trip from Newark, NJ to Minneapolis in one of those private room cars that sleep 2-3 and it was very difficult to sleep through the night. Something about the train having to make itself known at railroad crossings Sounds like your route is much cooler than ours - hope you have a great time! __________________ She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! She loves you, yeah! how do you know? how do you know? Last edited by CraigSca : 11-11-2009 at 08:26 AM.

11-11-2009, 01:07 PM	#12
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Very, very cool. I myself would take trains more often if it wasn't so damn expensive. I hate flying and find trains relaxing. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

11-21-2009, 12:21 PM	#16
ColtCrazy College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Midwest	Glad you enjoyed your trip.....would love to do that. I traveled Europe by rail after college and have always wanted to do that again. 15 countries in 6 weeks, all by train. It was wonderful! __________________ The Field Generals and Statis Pro Basketball Super League

11-22-2009, 06:40 AM	#17
Julio Riddols College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bryson Shitty, NC	When I took Amtrak from Phoenix to Charlotte with an overnight stop in New Orleans, I had a great time. Saw parts of Texas that made me wonder how anyone manages to live there, parts that reminded me of old westerns, and then the swampy swamps of Louisiana.. Staying in N.O. for the night was fun, the station is about a 25-30 minute walk from Bourbon Street.. Got a hotel right there about 5 or 10 minutes away from Bourbon, Quality Inn I believe, and it was a very pleasant stay.. The train from N.O. to Charlotte kind of sucked though, because there was no intercom, so I had no idea where I was or where I was about to be most of the time. Overall, excellent trip, worth every penny since I hate to fly and wanted to experience the train how I had always seen it in movies. __________________ Recklessly enthused, stubbornly amused. FUCK EA

11-10-2009, 02:21 PM	#2
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	You are living one of my dreams (although, in my dream "Great Train Ride", I make a lot more stops). Enjoy it!

11-10-2009, 02:23 PM	#3
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	Very soon after you leave Chicago, you will go through (and may stop at) a town called "Glenview" in the burbs. I'm 1/2 mile from the station, so wave!

11-10-2009, 02:39 PM	#5
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	sounds cool, hit me up if you wanna grab a beer in Seattle!

11-11-2009, 08:12 AM	#6
fantom1979 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sterling Heights, Mi	I really wish the US would get more on board with train travel. I was looking up if it was possible to grab a train from Detroit to see my parents in Raleigh, NC. The train went from Detroit to Chicago, from Chicago to DC, from DC to Raleigh. The trip would take just about an entire day, and costs more than a airline ticket. Why the heck would I do this? I love trains, but from Detroit, I don't think it is set up very well right now. (I used Amtrack's website, is there someone else I can check with?)

11-11-2009, 08:27 AM	#8
Peregrine Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Cary, NC	I think it's more of the train is not set up well in Raleigh - from here (I live outside Raleigh) there is only one Amtrak option - the line from Atlanta through DC and New York. So to get basically anywhere to the north, you have to go on that line.

11-11-2009, 08:46 AM	#10
whomario Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2007	Train trips are awesome, have fun ! I´m a huge fan of trains and use it whenever possible for my travelling. Just next May/June i´ll go on a 3 week train (plus some bus and ferry) tour through Norway and Sweden and look forward to it a lot. If you ever come to Europe again and need some scenic routes ... If anyone goes to Europe google "Eurail". A few years back i was in Cleveland for a couple months and was shocked how little train routes there were to travel out of town . have fun !

11-21-2009, 12:06 PM	#15
Peregrine Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Cary, NC	Well I am back from my trip and had a great time - I really enjoyed travelling so much by train - met a ton of interesting people from all over the country (and other countries as well.)

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