RT from Portland,OR to Chicago

[rosewood]

We have done this trip on the EB and CZ and twice using VIARail. We have not gone on the SL or TE. We are OK in repeating but what would you choose for a winter trip?

 

[Bob Dylan]

We have done this trip on the EB and CZ and twice using VIARail. We have not gone on the SL or TE. We are OK in repeating but what would you choose for a winter trip?

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'd choose to do 1)the Starlight #11 PDX-LAX/ Overnight in LAX. 2)Texas Eagle-Sunset Ltd. #422 LAX-CHI( 3 days a week)

Then return on 1) SWC#3 CHI-LAX/ 2)Starlite #14 LAX-PDX.

 

[yarrow]

since you have done the eb and cz, i would go coast starlight to texas eagle. you get the ocean on the cs, los angeles union station and the saguaro(eastbound in daylight) around tuscon

 

[rosewood]

Sounds like a plan. We have done the CS a few times but using AR points might as well do the longest trip!

Thanks for the replies.

 

[tricia]

SWC is more scenic than the TE/SL (IMHO at least--Texas boosters might disagree ^_^ ). Also departs from LA, but unlike the TE the SWC is 7 days/week, and requires an overnight in LA to connect from CS to SWC, in either direction.

 

[zephyr17]

Out of curiousity, how did you do PDX-CHI on Via, particularly the eastern end?

 

[rosewood]

We ended up flying from Chi to Toronto to begin our VIA trip across Canada. Amtrak does go to Toronto and they have a ticket station at Toronto but the long layover somewhere along the route stopped me from wanting the train . In hindsight I would take the train all the way even with the long layover as our plane was cancelled and we missed our connection and had to stay two extra days in Toronto to begin our trip.