Medicate and fly.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Wife rode from San Antonio to Alpine, a drive of around 6 hours. Took over 12 hours on Amtrak. Apparently freight trains take priority over passenger service. Hop a freight.

I did Houston to Alpine once as a kid, going to a Boy Scout summer camp.

Going to camp, the train was 14 hours late departing.

Coming back, 12 hours after the scheduled departure time, they still couldn't tell us where the train was or when the when the train would even arrive. The dads shelled out enough money to get the bus they rented to take us from the camp to the train station to drive us back to Houston.

I work for a Class 1 railroad, so a couple observations:

1) Except for certain corridors along the east coast, Amtrak runs on rails owned/operated by the Class 1 railroads. As such the trains are dispatched by the host railroads. The incentive (in the form of not paying fines for late trains) is enough such that Amtrak (almost) always has the highest priority even over host railroad trains.

2) Unlike cars if something happens on the track ahead (crossing accident, weather event, etc.) the train can't easily divert to a side road.

3) Once you're behind schedule, it's very hard to make up lost time.

4) As noted above with the out-of-service dining car, the condition of the Amtrak equipment can vary drastically.

My recommendation, either suck it up and fly, or drive.

My only experience with them is Business Class between Philly, NYC, and DC.

I liked it. Had my own large laptop stand, my own power plugs, and it was comfortable.

I've used AMTRAK several times, and enjoyed it. In 2005 and 2014 I was in the middle of an auto trip but needed to make a short side trip from Chicago, Illinois to northern Arkansas for a 1-day reunion of relatives, so I took an AMTRAK train down to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, where I was picked up by one of the relatives for the reunion. I was brought back the next day and rode back to Chicago to get my car and continue my auto trip. The train ride was very pleasant, only significant delay was around St. Louis, Missouri (waiting for a freight train, I think), and the coach was comfortable. (The arrival and departure times in Walnut Ridge weren't good, but it was what it was.)

And in 2013 I took the 9-day AMTRAK tour from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington, with 4 days and nights in Glacier National Park. This was an escorted tour, and the number of slots is pretty small, but it was great! I had a Roomette for the 2 nights on the train--it was small, but quite comfortable. Since I was traveling alone, it was adequate for my needs. I could have arranged for a Bedroom (for more money) but the Roomette was satisfactory. (The Bedrooms have their own toilet, sink, and shower; the Roomette uses facilities down the hall in the same car.) That tour included all meals on board, and they were fine.

After the AMTRAK arrived in Seattle and we had our planned tour of the city, I then hopped a coach to Vancouver, British Columbia and joined a 15-day rail tour from Vancouver to Halifax, Nova Scotia. My accommodations for that trip were similar to what I had in AMTRAK.

All in all, I have had several successful trips using AMTRAK, and am considering more of them. It is nice to be able to see the countryside as one passes through it, rather than a view from 30,000 feet up (if by a window, which I'm usually not).

Travel by rail is not for everyone--some folks are too pressed for time to enjoy the leisurely train ride--but I have enjoyed my rail journeys.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
I'm too lazy to verify this, but I'm pretty sure that statistically you're more likely to be involved in an accident with either a train or bus. I'd just suck it up and fly if I was in your shoes.

But that's just me, but if you decide to go by train I'll wager it will be the first and last time you do it.

Jim

What is the likelihood of surviving a crash in a train, compared to a plane? Virtually no one survives a plane crash. And whether or not the traveler enjoys the trip depends on what accommodations have been arranged. (If one expects to sleep, get a Sleeper!)

flashguy

I've had a friend whose has done it a couple of times and was ok with it. But as SigM4 states, Amtrak timetables are not in favor of Amtrak, so expect a longer than planned trip.

Expect to see some cool scenery though.

Probably the best for me was the Empire Builder, through North Dakota/Montana.

It sure opened my eyes to the vastness of the Hi-Line.

Go Greyhound.....

You certainly can see some great sights from a train. They are fun times. 4 days confined would be the issue for me. I understand you can get up and move about, maybe even get out at a station. But that’s a long time in a little box....with strangers near you.