Time to plan cross country trip before it’s too late?

*Title should be: Time to plan that cross-country ride before its too late? Was posted prematurely by accident, and the apostrophe in its seems to have vanished after editing the post, as well as all quotation marks. Bizarre.

With all of the recent developments making the possibility of Amtrak 2.0 more and more real, I am wondering if now is the time to start planning the bucket list coast-to-coast trip. I am aware that no one here is able to predict the future, but any thoughts or opinions would be welcome. It would be quite a bit of money to save up to do this, and I want to think it through before committing to anything.

I would start putting the money together since a cross country trip on Amtrak does cost especially if you loop through the west. You always have the money until you pull the trigger to buy tickets. Personally, I am reviewing the routes to see what I might want to see again. I don't think any of the west routes will be touched for change short term since starting the busy season. As for Dining Car changes, the easiest to do would be the CONO and the TE both with CCC.

Exactly why I booked a ride on the EB last year and the Zephyr this year. I never booked before because of the cost, the delays and the extra time it takes to travel by train. I always thought that I would do it "next time" . I finally wised up and pulled the trigger.

I should have learned my lesson from when lesson back when Johns Manville was a customer of mine. I would fly into Denver and drive to their HQ in Deer Creek Canyon. They really liked me there and told me to let them know when I was coming in. If the helicopter was at the airport (and it often was) they would give me a lift to their HQ. I never took them up on it because it was always too inconvenient. I should have done it at least once. Next thing I know Johns Manville was being sued for asbestos. The first thing to go was the helicopter.

I just hope the EB is running next year. My plan is to ride my bicycle from Spokane to White Fish then take the EB back home to Pittsburgh via the CL.

We just got roll on roll off bikes all along the CL after years of pleading. It was of great benefit to Great Allegheny Passage / C &O Canal Trail riders. I hope that train stays for at least a while.

Amtrak706 said:

Time to plan cross country trip before it’s too late?

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Too late.

Amtrak706 said:

*Title should be: Time to plan that cross-country ride before its too late? Was posted prematurely by accident, and the apostrophe in its seems to have vanished after editing the post, as well as all quotation marks. Bizarre.

With all of the recent developments making the possibility of Amtrak 2.0 more and more real, I am wondering if now is the time to start planning the bucket list coast-to-coast trip. I am aware that no one here is able to predict the future, but any thoughts or opinions would be welcome. It would be quite a bit of money to save up to do this, and I want to think it through before committing to anything.

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Do it. The longer you wait, the less you'll be getting for your money. Have that once in a lifetime trip and you won't have regrets 10 years from now.

JoeBas said:

Amtrak706 said:

Time to plan cross country trip before its too late?

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Too late.

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Too late already? If you are talking about the LSL/CL diner cuts, thats not a dealbreaker for me as I have done those two already. If you mean the LD network might disppear before I can even plan the trip, then yeah that would suck.
Anyway, seeing as most of you recommend I do this, lets go down the rabbit hole a bit. With this hypothetical money all saved up and ready to go (ha ha) should the priority be more total segments or less but in a roomette? I went NYP to MIA in coach on the pre-Starvation Star, and it was not exactly fun. But is it possible that with the Sightseer Lounge on the western trains and possibly in the single seat side of Business Class on the Cardinal or LSL Boston section, the experience would be different?

Myself, I would vote for less with a room. 1 night (if I have to) in coach, I could do. Any longer, has to in a room.

A room, for sure. Do it now, for sure.

I was finally able to take my bucket list trip across the country last year (after years of needing to stay close to home for my elderly parents).

I'm so glad I did it.

The business class seats in the Cardinal looked very comfortable--more so than the roomette seats!--so an overnight in that might be okay.

Otherwise, definitely a roomette.

If you are limited in how many trains you can take, go for the type of scenery you like.

Age plays dirty tricks on you. There was a time I could ride from Pittsburgh to the west coast in Coach. Today, I can no longer even get into the upper bunk. To me it is not the distance, but the memories, the enjoyment, being happy.

I did a "bucket list" trip in May 2002 because it seemed at that point like the long-distance trains could be going away soon.

You may have noticed they're still around.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that did that back in 2002.

Hope they are still running again in another 15 years so I can do it again.

trainman74 said:

I did a "bucket list" trip in May 2002 because it seemed at that point like the long-distance trains could be going away soon.

You may have noticed they're still around.

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trainman74 said:

I did a "bucket list" trip in May 2002 because it seemed at that point like the long-distance trains could be going away soon.

You may have noticed they're still around.

Click to expand...

Not all, and not in the same form as today.

2002 was the same year the Silver Palm lost its dining cars and sleeping cars. 2 years later service was truncated from Miami to Savannah, and service on the S-Line in Florida between Tampa and Jacksonville ended.

2002 I could take the Sunset Limited from Orlando to New Orleans (and beyond).

2002 I could take the Three Rivers from New York to Chicago via Akron and Youngstown.

2002 I could eat dinner in the dining car on the Silver Star

So yes, if you want to ride LD trains in their current form, do it now. Otherwise, 10 years from now we'll probably be looking at a Greyhound on rails.

Plan it. Never mind Amtrak. You never know when the grim reaper will come a-callin'.

niemi24s said:

Plan it. Never mind Amtrak. You never know when the grim reaper will come a-callin'.

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I know you say this in jest (at least I think so!!!) but this is part of the reason I travel. Without going into the grim details I have lost several relatives at young ages and more who were permanently disabled at young ages. Do it while you can!! You just never know....

Personally, I would go for coach but many here would disagree. Since most of my trips involve staying either with family or on the train every night and I bring all my food with me, the only major expense is the train ticket itself. In addition, being a student I have a relatively large amount of time to travel. For these reasons, it comes down to about two overnight trips in a year by sleeper or probably three times that in coach. While a sleeper is clearly much nicer, it is not worth it to me to give up 2/3 of my train trips. However, if time were to become more of a limiting factor than cost in my travel than I likely would pay for the upgrade to sleepers.

trainman74 said:

I did a "bucket list" trip in May 2002 because it seemed at that point like the long-distance trains could be going away soon.You may have noticed they're still around.

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Well this time we don’t have a David Gunn to turn everything around. I would be very glad if all this turns out to be much ado about nothing, but so far there is no indication of that.

Mystic River Dragon said:

A room, for sure. Do it now, for sure.

I was finally able to take my bucket list trip across the country last year (after years of needing to stay close to home for my elderly parents).

I'm so glad I did it.

The business class seats in the Cardinal looked very comfortable--more so than the roomette seats!--so an overnight in that might be okay.

Otherwise, definitely a roomette.

If you are limited in how many trains you can take, go for the type of scenery you like.

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The Amfleet I club seating 1x2 business class intrigues me. I feel like it would be a happy medium between coach and sleeper. Anyone have experience riding on one of those cars overnight on the Card or LSL? Maybe with BC on the New York - Chicago leg, a roomette on the western trains wouldn’t break the bank as much.

I have been hit hard medically this winter, so as I am recovering I quickly made reservations for another trip. I had promised myself I would travel on as many routes as possible after my PE event 2 years ago. I take someone along with me, usually a daughter or a teen granddaughter. We have done two major loops, will do another this summer. I have made short trips myself, but I am hitting Amtrak as much as possible. After each loop we put together a photo book of the trip so who ever traveled with me can tell their grandchildren.

I did the LSL/CZ in 1980 (coach), partly to be sure I could do so while it was still possible. I did it again ca. 1997 (sleeper), partly to be sure I could do so while it was still possible. The fact of it still being possible now is a cause for relief, not one for regret, but I'd regret if I hadn't done the trips. Still want to get to the EB.

Amtrak706 said:

The Amfleet I club seating 1x2 business class intrigues me. I feel like it would be a happy medium between coach and sleeper. Anyone have experience riding on one of those cars overnight on the Card or LSL? Maybe with BC on the New York - Chicago leg, a roomette on the western trains wouldn’t break the bank as much.

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I traveled in the split business car in 2011 from Buffalo to NYC (I think it was Empire Service). Due to Hurricane Irene and a tornado on the tracks, we were delayed several hours, and the extra space and free soft drinks were very nice. We ended up getting bused between Amsterdam and Albany, where we were stuck in coach on another train.

Yes, do it while you can. In the 1970s I took the opportunity to ride the Floridian, the North Coast Hiawatha, the Pioneer, and the SFZ when it ran through Wyoming. I'm glad I did.

My gut feel is that the only overnight trains that will survive in 15-20 years are the Auto Train and one or possibly two of the Chicago-west coast trains. I see a somewhat brighter future for daytime-only trains.

xyzzy said:

Yes, do it while you can. In the 1970s I took the opportunity to ride the Floridian, the North Coast Hiawatha, the Pioneer, and the SFZ when it ran through Wyoming. I'm glad I did.

My gut feel is that the only overnight trains that will survive in 15-20 years are the Auto Train and one or possibly two of the Chicago-west coast trains. I see a somewhat brighter future for daytime-only trains.

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I would be surprised if the corridor trains are not at least linked, even with a massive cut to the LD system. This would mean at least the CS, a Chicago-West Coast train, a Chicago-East Coast train, and a New York-Florida train. If I had to guess, I would predict most of the current 15 LD trains remaining in 15-20 years, with the only likely cuts in my mind being the Cardinal and Sunset Limited.

Without new equipment, I do not see the LD trains making another 20 years.

Lonestar648 said:

Without new equipment, I do not see the LD trains making another 20 years.

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The Viewliner order will supplement the current single-level equipment, with Amfleet replacements likely coming in a few years as well. Superliners may have to hold out a while longer, however.

http://railpac.org/2018/04/21/amtrak-ceo-phasing-out-long-distance-trains-in-favor-of-corridors/

OK then, looks like it's time to start planning this trip.

I live in NYC and have family in SF. Here is what I am thinking:

NYP-BOS in coach on a Regional

BOS-CHI in 2x1 Business Class on the LSL

CHI-LAX in a roomette on the Chief

LAX-OKJ/EMY in either coach or BC on the Starlight. (I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

For the way back:

EMY-CHI in a roomette on the Zephyr

CHI-WAS in 2x1 Business Class on the Cardinal

WAS-NYP on whatever Amtrak has scheduled to replace this portion of the Cardinal's run for the summer.

I feel like this will give just enough time in a roomette not to go crazy in coach the whole way, and still not absolutely break the bank. It will also not repeat any route segments, e.g. more bang for the buck. Assuming I am able to get the best possible bucket via AmSnag, this will still end up being about $1600 round trip. Oof. Any suggestions/modifications?