TransitGeek
Service Attendant
So my wife is going to finally finish with school this spring, her long-coveted teacher's credential finally in her hands. To celebrate, we're planning a month-long train trip around the country. Current itinerary looks something like:
(Metrolink RIV-LAX), LAX-PDX-VAC-VIC, then ferry to SEA, then SEA-CHI-BUF, bus to Niagara Falls, Greyhound to Toronto and Montreal, then MTR-NYP-BBY-POR, rent a car and visit Acadia National park, then POR-BON-subway-BBY-WAS-NOL-ONA-local buses back to RIV.
It uses precisely 30 days and 12 segments (we'll pay for the ferry and buses BUF-TOW-MTR ourselves), with the time I've budgeted for sight-seeing- precisely the package offered by the USA Rail Pass. And yes, I've priced it- the rail pass is definitely the way to go. We'll save money by the time we hit Chicago.
Of course, this means we're going to be spending lots and lots of time in coach. I know this site has a penchant for recommending sleepers, but it just isn't in our budget. So I have some questions for the board.
What's the best way to stay fed on the cheap in coach?
I've never done an overnight trip. Tips on sleeping in coach?
Has anyone done a trip like this? Any advice?
Oh, and if you could buy a roomette in one and only one of these segments, which would it be? LAX-PDX on the Starlight, SEA-CHI on the Empire Builder, WAS-NOL on the Crescent or NOL-ONA on the Sunset? (I'm currently leaning towards SEA-CHI because it's the longest, but I figured I'd ask.)
(Metrolink RIV-LAX), LAX-PDX-VAC-VIC, then ferry to SEA, then SEA-CHI-BUF, bus to Niagara Falls, Greyhound to Toronto and Montreal, then MTR-NYP-BBY-POR, rent a car and visit Acadia National park, then POR-BON-subway-BBY-WAS-NOL-ONA-local buses back to RIV.
It uses precisely 30 days and 12 segments (we'll pay for the ferry and buses BUF-TOW-MTR ourselves), with the time I've budgeted for sight-seeing- precisely the package offered by the USA Rail Pass. And yes, I've priced it- the rail pass is definitely the way to go. We'll save money by the time we hit Chicago.
Of course, this means we're going to be spending lots and lots of time in coach. I know this site has a penchant for recommending sleepers, but it just isn't in our budget. So I have some questions for the board.
What's the best way to stay fed on the cheap in coach?
I've never done an overnight trip. Tips on sleeping in coach?
Has anyone done a trip like this? Any advice?
Oh, and if you could buy a roomette in one and only one of these segments, which would it be? LAX-PDX on the Starlight, SEA-CHI on the Empire Builder, WAS-NOL on the Crescent or NOL-ONA on the Sunset? (I'm currently leaning towards SEA-CHI because it's the longest, but I figured I'd ask.)
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