I was looking for ideas on things to do on LD trips and one suggestion was to get off the train and explore! I don't see how that would work. You have a ticket for a specific train, do you not? You can't hop on and off, can you? I don't even think the LD trains go by a certain town (going the same direction) more than once a day so you'd need to spend the night, right?
Getting off and on the train - besides destinations.
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Devil's Advocate
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You can buy multiple tickets using the multi-city option to purchase trips from A-B, B-C, and C-D. On the other hand, if you have a single ticket that goes A-D then you will need to stay on the train until you reach D. If you get off at stop B on an A-D ticket you will forfeit the portion between B and D. The vast majority of the long distance network has no other train to pick you up again on the same day. So yes, you would need to spend a minimum of 24 hours at an intermediate station while heading in the same direction from origin to final destination. In those rare occasions where a single route has more than one daily train your ticket for Train X wouldn't be applicable on Train Y, so each segment would need to be its own ticket.
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ehbowen
Engineer
Most long-distance trains are "one a day" so, yes, you would have to spend the night. In the old days you could ask the conductor to punch your ticket, then get off, take your stopover, and get back on. These days, however, you have to make your plans in advance. You can use the multi-city booking tool if, as an example, you want to travel from Chicago to San Francisco and stop over a night or two in Denver and Reno.
Devil's Advocate
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If the train arrives early or at an extended service stop you can go exploring while the train sits in the station if you want. In some cases I've walked several blocks away from the station far out of sight or earshot. Just make sure you have an accurate timepiece, that you verify the active departure time before you leave, and that you keep track of how long it will take to get back to the train. I always make sure to be back at least 5 minutes before the active departure time since I've seen Amtrak long distance trains occasionally leave 1-2 minutes early.
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Getting off the train at most stops is like going into a smokehouse.
andersone
Conductor
I once wandered too far in Grand Junction ,,,, missed the zeph but the next day, because I had my ticket they let me back on (they even had an open sleeper) and all my stuff was waiting from me in Oakland. But this was back in the 80's when it was a different world. We do a lot of point to point trips,,, and they work quite well,,, have one in May come to think of it
Eric308
Lead Service Attendant
True that. I once witnessed 5 oil field workers get off in Glasgow, MT for a couple of "quick ones". I watched them coming running out of the Montana Bar as the train pulled away.
Tennessee Traveler
Conductor
All Amtrak trains are non smoking. That is why they allow passengers to get off and stay near the trainside at crew change stops--so the smokers can smoke outside.
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If you are going to wander away, walk on the tracks in front of the train. One way or the other, the train will stop for you. Of course, it may stop too late ...
About a decade ago, I was headed to Savannah on one of the Silver trains. I dozed off when we got to Fayetteville for a rest stop. I woke up after we had been stopped there for five minutes so I went outside in a haze, figuring we had a few minutes. i went inside the station and when i went outside the train was moving. All my stuff was on the train. I called Amtrak, they took all my stuff off the train and left it at the Savannah station. Next train was 11 hours later. Needless to say, a very frustrating wait, My coat was on the train and the temperature dipped when night came, so I couldn't even go outside. All my stuff was at the station. I got to my hotel about 5AM instead of 7PM.
Always be aware when you step outside and keep the train in your sight!
Always be aware when you step outside and keep the train in your sight!
StriderGDM
OBS Chief
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I have to admit, recently on my southbound trip on the Crescent I got off the train in DC to get some money from the ATM.
I sprinted to the ATM and then back to the gate....
and then had to wait 20 minutes to wait for general boarding. So the running was for nothing ;-)
I sprinted to the ATM and then back to the gate....
and then had to wait 20 minutes to wait for general boarding. So the running was for nothing ;-)
neroden
Engineer
I step off whenever there's a longer station stop in order to take photographs of the stations from the platform. Apart from that...
If you go into the WAS station during dwell time, don't go to the boarding gate to get back to your train. Go back through the doors you came out of, the ones by the Women's restroom. You will have remembered your track number and the escalator will still be coming up so you go down the stairs directly across from the escalator to get to the platform.
StriderGDM
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I've tried that and been accosted by security in the past. It just seemed easier to wait and board with the rest.
In 2013, while taking the Cardinal to CHI, I left the train in WAS, after verifying when the train would leave, and went down to the food court and got some lunch. It was before the lunch crowd, so no line, otherwise I would have skipped it. I went back to the train the same way I had come up and had no issues. YMMV.
Edit: I'm familiar with WAS, otherwise I would not have left the train/platform.
Edit: I'm familiar with WAS, otherwise I would not have left the train/platform.
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I get turned around easily and do not recognize where I've been. That's probably why I get so paranoid about getting off. I took a train from Portland to Modesto and was so lost when I had to change trains or get on a bus. :help: I did find an interesting person to kind of hang around that was going the same direction. That helped.
I've never used public transportation. I think there's something foreign about it to me. :unsure:
I've never used public transportation. I think there's something foreign about it to me. :unsure:
Devil's Advocate
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I agree. I forgot to mention in my post (and will edit it) that I'm familiar with WAS. Otherwise, I probably would have stayed by the train....unless I hang out with Penny, which could be a risk.
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