Longest one zone

[Linda T]

Okay, I don't have to go anywhere, but I'd like to use my AGR for the longest one zone trip in either the Eastern or central zone (advantage of living near Cincinnati). I'm planning on getting a roomette since it will probably just be myself. Any suggestions?

The longest trip I've found so far is from CHI to ELP on the Eagle, but there's that long layover in San Antonio. Can we stay onboard and sleep during this layover, or is there a required deboard? Another issue is that I need to bring the Cardinal back home, so... my preference would be to find a train that gets in somewhere early enough that I can turn right around and head home. The whole purpose of this trip is to do it as inexpensively as possible, while going as far as possible, and spending the majority of my time on the train. I can't help it, I'm train crazy. :giggle:

 

[NY Penn]

Okay, I don't have to go anywhere, but I'd like to use my AGR for the longest one zone trip in either the Eastern or central zone (advantage of living near Cincinnati). I'm planning on getting a roomette since it will probably just be myself. Any suggestions?

The longest trip I've found so far is from CHI to ELP on the Eagle, but there's that long layover in San Antonio. Can we stay onboard and sleep during this layover, or is there a required deboard? Another issue is that I need to bring the Cardinal back home, so... my preference would be to find a train that gets in somewhere early enough that I can turn right around and head home. The whole purpose of this trip is to do it as inexpensively as possible, while going as far as possible, and spending the majority of my time on the train. I can't help it, I'm train crazy. :giggle:

You can stay on the train and sleep while in San Antonio. And the TE gets into Chicago at 1:45, plenty of time to catch the Cardinal.

 

[Texan Eagle]

I was trying to figure out something for the OP, but the new "dumb" zones map on Amtrak site with no names of cities came in the way. Damn, this change has to be the dumbest thing anyone could have thought of, its so frustrating! What purpose does a map with markers for cities without names of cities serves is beyond me!! On that note, does anyone happen to have a more useful Amtrak zones map that shows names of cities? Please share.

Edit: Never mind, found it.

Edit 2: To the OP, you could technically go from El Paso to New Orleans by Sunset Limited, New Orleans to Chicago by City of New Orleans and Chicago to Cincinnati by Cardinal and still be in Central zone all the time; although I am not sure if Amtrak will allow you to take this routing. Experts, what do you say?

 

[Linda T]

I was trying to figure out something for the OP, but the new "dumb" zones map on Amtrak site with no names of cities came in the way. Damn, this change has to be the dumbest thing anyone could have thought of, its so frustrating! What purpose does a map with markers for cities without names of cities serves is beyond me!! On that note, does anyone happen to have a more useful Amtrak zones map that shows names of cities? Please share.

The problem I'm seeing with the NE seems to be, please correct me if I'm wrong, that there aren't any sleepers much beyond NYC. Everything seems to be business class. Or am I missing something? I wouldn't mind going to Boston or some points further north than that, but...

Last year I did my super trip, my longest two zone trip I could find from CIN - CHI - LA - SEA - SAC - CHI - CIN. My husband discovered after that trip that he has Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, it's that constant feeling of motion after the fact. He only gets it for about two weeks, but that's two weeks but that's two weeks of feeling like he's on the train with no benefit of actually being on it. hboy: So any long distance trip I do will have to be without him. We have one to the Atlanta area coming up later this year, it's just an 18 hour trip. I hate using all the points when we can take shorter trips together, but gall I'm ready for a long trip and we've got a lot of points racked up.

If I figured it out right taking the Eagle to SAS would get me something like 11 meals (I live for the Amtrak food -- okay, I'm strange), plus a couple nights on the train, and I get there about 11 PM and leave the next morning at 7 AM. That's pretty cool. Are travelers allowed to stay at the station overnight, or does it not operate all night?

 

[NY Penn]

No, they released a new map without city names on it. Rather dumb, if you ask me.

 

[Acela150]

If you want distance on one zone.. I think from El Paso to New Orleans on the SL, to CHI on the CONO, then back to El Paso on the TE if you want to do a loop. Not sure if they would charge extra for that but it's one zone so I don't see why.

 

[Linda T]

I was trying to figure out something for the OP, but the new "dumb" zones map on Amtrak site with no names of cities came in the way. Damn, this change has to be the dumbest thing anyone could have thought of, its so frustrating! What purpose does a map with markers for cities without names of cities serves is beyond me!! On that note, does anyone happen to have a more useful Amtrak zones map that shows names of cities? Please share.

Edit: Never mind, found it.

Edit 2: To the OP, you could technically go from El Paso to New Orleans by Sunset Limited, New Orleans to Chicago by City of New Orleans and Chicago to Cincinnati by Cardinal and still be in Central zone all the time; although I am not sure if Amtrak will allow you to take this routing. Experts, what do you say?

That would be cool! I've wanted to go to NO, even if it's just passing through.

 

[Linda T]

I was trying to figure out something for the OP, but the new "dumb" zones map on Amtrak site with no names of cities came in the way. Damn, this change has to be the dumbest thing anyone could have thought of, its so frustrating! What purpose does a map with markers for cities without names of cities serves is beyond me!! On that note, does anyone happen to have a more useful Amtrak zones map that shows names of cities? Please share.

Edit: Never mind, found it.

Edit 2: To the OP, you could technically go from El Paso to New Orleans by Sunset Limited, New Orleans to Chicago by City of New Orleans and Chicago to Cincinnati by Cardinal and still be in Central zone all the time; although I am not sure if Amtrak will allow you to take this routing. Experts, what do you say?

That would be cool! I've wanted to go to NO, even if it's just passing through.

Nevermind, I just looked it up, and it looks like the CNO leaves NO an hour before the SL arrives, so that would require a layover to do that. Bummer. But a great thought, thanks!

 

[Ispolkom]

The longest trip I can find in the Central Zone that Amtrak.com recognizes is New Orleans - Chicago - Wolf Point, with about 42 hours on train. Unfortunately, then you're in Wolf Point. A more likely trip would be New Orleans - Chicago - San Marcos, about 40 hours on train. Naturally departing from Cincinnati takes 10 hours off either of those times.

 

[Texan Eagle]

A side thought- the OP specifically wanted the trip to be in Eastern or Central zone, but if there is no such condition, I believe the best (not necessarily longest) trip one can "grab" with only enough AGR points to afford a One Zone sleeper redemption would be taking a roomette on the Coast Starlight end to end from Los Angeles to Seattle (ok, maybe throw in a Surfliner from San Diego to LA too?), right? Is the crowd unanimous about this?

 

[abcnews]

If you are near Cincinnati I would recommend New Orleans. We are actually doing that trip in April. And we are taking the City of New Orleans and the Cardinal back to Virginia from New Orleans. It is a real nice use of points (two nights/3 days), although for us it is two zones. You are only using one zone.

But I do think El Paso would be the most bang for the buck. Then you have several days on trains (Cardinal to Chicago, TE to ELP). But you are welcome to join us in early April, but unfortunately - I think that the Cardinal leg back home is sold out on our trip. Plenty of rooms on the CONO though. We are taking the Crescent from VA to NOL - and returning via CONO & the Cardinal.

Another idea...

Take the Cardinal to Chicago - and connect to the westbound Empire Builder, and take the Builder to Wolf Point. Then have a pre-purchased ticket in Coach to go on to Essex, Montana. The trip from Wolf Point to Essex is daytime so you only need a coach ticket. Then just sit in the sightseer Lounge and the Diner. The scenery is remarkable form Wolf Point to Essex. And when you get to Essex - just hop off the train and walk over to the Izaak Walton Inn, which is right by the tracks. Spend the night there in the heart of the Rockies and enjoy the snow. The eastbound builder will pick you up in the morning. Again - coach ticket to Wolf Point and then you get your Roomette in Wolf Point (that same afternoon). Just buy time in the diner and the Sightseer Lounge until you get to Wolf Point. When we travel - we always have a roomette, yet it seems like I spend every minute of daylight in the Sightseer (or the diner for meals). So the coach thing is not a big deal. Then you stretch your one zone award into a really nice trip...

 

[RRrich]

Best one zone ride?? Gotta be SEA to EMY on the CZ then EMY to DEN on the CZ. The connection is a bit tight but legal and a bunch of us have done it

Best one zone USED TO BE KWD - KCY - LAX - SEA - CBS but you can't get that as one zone any more :angry2:

 

[abcnews]

Best one zone ride?? Gotta be SEA to EMY on the CZ then EMY to DEN on the CZ. The connection is a bit tight but legal and a bunch of us have done it

Best one zone USED TO BE KWD - KCY - LAX - SEA - CBS but you can't get that as one zone any more :angry2:

Last December we did DEN to Sacramento via CZ. Then CS to Portland - then Empire Builder to Wolf Point. That was 20,000 for a one zone bedroom. Three nights/ 4 days. We had roomettes to Denver - to connect on the front, and we had roomettes from Wolf Point back to Virginia. The one zone trip in the middle worked like a boomerang, sending us around the western US, and then back east to start our trip home to Virginia.

 

[sechs]

The longest trip I can find in the Central Zone that Amtrak.com recognizes is New Orleans - Chicago - Wolf Point, with about 42 hours on train. Unfortunately, then you're in Wolf Point. A more likely trip would be New Orleans - Chicago - San Marcos, about 40 hours on train.

MKE-ELP, about 53 hours on the train.PTH-ELP, about 58.6 hours on the train.

CIN-ELP, about 61 hours on the train.

HMD-ELP, about 70 hours on the train.

Of course, these only work when the Sunset runs, but, still, not counting layovers, it's something like half a minute per point in a roomette.

 

[the_traveler]

I hate using all the points when we can take shorter trips together, but gall I'm ready for a long trip and we've got a lot of points racked up.

If I figured it out right taking the Eagle to SAS would get me something like 11 meals (I live for the Amtrak food -- okay, I'm strange), plus a couple nights on the train, and I get there about 11 PM and leave the next morning at 7 AM. That's pretty cool. Are travelers allowed to stay at the station overnight, or does it not operate all night?

I'm a little confused!

An AGR award "cost" the same for 1 or 2 passengers on the reservation. It includes the room(s), 3 meals a day for 1 or 2 and the rail fare for 1 or 2! So it does not cost any extra points for your husband to join you!

As far as the layover in SAS, if you are booked on "train" 421 and not "train" 21 connecting to "train" 1, you can stay on and sleep thru the stop. Otherwise you must get off and stay overnight in the station. Likewise with "train" 422 and not "train" 2 connecting to "train" 22. (I wrote like that because #21 and #421 are the same train between CHI and SAS, with train #421 - 1 sleeper and 1 coach - transfered to #1 to become #421/#1. And the opposite with #422.) And SAS is open all night.

As far as a sleeper in the NE Zone, it is possible although not likely. You could take a sleeper from

1. BUF to BOS or NYP
2. NYP to RVR or CVS or LYH

 

[SarahZ]

I hate using all the points when we can take shorter trips together, but gall I'm ready for a long trip and we've got a lot of points racked up.

If I figured it out right taking the Eagle to SAS would get me something like 11 meals (I live for the Amtrak food -- okay, I'm strange), plus a couple nights on the train, and I get there about 11 PM and leave the next morning at 7 AM. That's pretty cool. Are travelers allowed to stay at the station overnight, or does it not operate all night?

I'm a little confused!

An AGR award "cost" the same for 1 or 2 passengers on the reservation. It includes the room(s), 3 meals a day for 1 or 2 and the rail fare for 1 or 2! So it does not cost any extra points for your husband to join you!

Her husband suffers from a syndrome that causes him to feel motion for up to two weeks after they've returned from a long train trip.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

If you are near Cincinnati I would recommend New Orleans. We are actually doing that trip in April. And we are taking the City of New Orleans and the Cardinal back to Virginia from New Orleans. It is a real nice use of points (two nights/3 days), although for us it is two zones. You are only using one zone.

But I do think El Paso would be the most bang for the buck. Then you have several days on trains (Cardinal to Chicago, TE to ELP). But you are welcome to join us in early April, but unfortunately - I think that the Cardinal leg back home is sold out on our trip. Plenty of rooms on the CONO though. We are taking the Crescent from VA to NOL - and returning via CONO & the Cardinal.

Another idea...

Take the Cardinal to Chicago - and connect to the westbound Empire Builder, and take the Builder to Wolf Point. Then have a pre-purchased ticket in Coach to go on to Essex, Montana. The trip from Wolf Point to Essex is daytime so you only need a coach ticket. Then just sit in the sightseer Lounge and the Diner. The scenery is remarkable form Wolf Point to Essex. And when you get to Essex - just hop off the train and walk over to the Izaak Walton Inn, which is right by the tracks. Spend the night there in the heart of the Rockies and enjoy the snow. The eastbound builder will pick you up in the morning. Again - coach ticket to Wolf Point and then you get your Roomette in Wolf Point (that same afternoon). Just buy time in the diner and the Sightseer Lounge until you get to Wolf Point. When we travel - we always have a roomette, yet it seems like I spend every minute of daylight in the Sightseer (or the diner for meals). So the coach thing is not a big deal. Then you stretch your one zone award into a really nice trip...

Great idea! Maybe you should do this one! The Empire Builder is excellent, and I think you could be able to spend that much money.

The longest trip I can find in the Central Zone that Amtrak.com recognizes is New Orleans - Chicago - Wolf Point, with about 42 hours on train. Unfortunately, then you're in Wolf Point. A more likely trip would be New Orleans - Chicago - San Marcos, about 40 hours on train.

MKE-ELP, about 53 hours on the train.PTH-ELP, about 58.6 hours on the train.

CIN-ELP, about 61 hours on the train.

HMD-ELP, about 70 hours on the train.

Of course, these only work when the Sunset runs, but, still, not counting layovers, it's something like half a minute per point in a roomette.

How does HMD-ELP take such a long time? May I confirm that you mean Hammond - El Paso?

 

[Linda T]

I hate using all the points when we can take shorter trips together, but gall I'm ready for a long trip and we've got a lot of points racked up.

If I figured it out right taking the Eagle to SAS would get me something like 11 meals (I live for the Amtrak food -- okay, I'm strange), plus a couple nights on the train, and I get there about 11 PM and leave the next morning at 7 AM. That's pretty cool. Are travelers allowed to stay at the station overnight, or does it not operate all night?

I'm a little confused!

An AGR award "cost" the same for 1 or 2 passengers on the reservation. It includes the room(s), 3 meals a day for 1 or 2 and the rail fare for 1 or 2! So it does not cost any extra points for your husband to join you!

Her husband suffers from a syndrome that causes him to feel motion for up to two weeks after they've returned from a long train trip.

Exactly. My husband loves to ride the train too, and he's willing to do shorter one day trips they don't tend to cause him to feel ill afterwards, that's why I hate to use the points for myself. But he's great in encouraging me to do it if I want to, and I want to. :unsure: I figure for me, with AGR it costs as much to go to ELP as it does to go to CHI, so why not get the most bang for my buck, and getting the roomette I get food and a bed. Not bad.

Thanks for all the recommendations, what I wouldn't give to live on the west coast where the scenery is just well... fantastic. Yeah we've got some pretty scenery on the Card, but nothing like the CZ and CS. I took the CZ from SAC to CHI and the CS from LAX to SEA last year. The CZ scenery isn't all that great this side of Denver. From what I heard from Amtrak this evening there aren't really any sleepers that run north of NYC. They're all coach/business. So it looks like to get the most time on the train, and no buses I'd have to go from CIN to ELP. So that's what I'm gonna shoot for. Now to just decide when...

 

[Anderson]

If you are near Cincinnati I would recommend New Orleans. We are actually doing that trip in April. And we are taking the City of New Orleans and the Cardinal back to Virginia from New Orleans. It is a real nice use of points (two nights/3 days), although for us it is two zones. You are only using one zone.

But I do think El Paso would be the most bang for the buck. Then you have several days on trains (Cardinal to Chicago, TE to ELP). But you are welcome to join us in early April, but unfortunately - I think that the Cardinal leg back home is sold out on our trip. Plenty of rooms on the CONO though. We are taking the Crescent from VA to NOL - and returning via CONO & the Cardinal.

Another idea...

Take the Cardinal to Chicago - and connect to the westbound Empire Builder, and take the Builder to Wolf Point. Then have a pre-purchased ticket in Coach to go on to Essex, Montana. The trip from Wolf Point to Essex is daytime so you only need a coach ticket. Then just sit in the sightseer Lounge and the Diner. The scenery is remarkable form Wolf Point to Essex. And when you get to Essex - just hop off the train and walk over to the Izaak Walton Inn, which is right by the tracks. Spend the night there in the heart of the Rockies and enjoy the snow. The eastbound builder will pick you up in the morning. Again - coach ticket to Wolf Point and then you get your Roomette in Wolf Point (that same afternoon). Just buy time in the diner and the Sightseer Lounge until you get to Wolf Point. When we travel - we always have a roomette, yet it seems like I spend every minute of daylight in the Sightseer (or the diner for meals). So the coach thing is not a big deal. Then you stretch your one zone award into a really nice trip...

Great idea! Maybe you should do this one! The Empire Builder is excellent, and I think you could be able to spend that much money.

The longest trip I can find in the Central Zone that Amtrak.com recognizes is New Orleans - Chicago - Wolf Point, with about 42 hours on train. Unfortunately, then you're in Wolf Point. A more likely trip would be New Orleans - Chicago - San Marcos, about 40 hours on train.

MKE-ELP, about 53 hours on the train.PTH-ELP, about 58.6 hours on the train.

CIN-ELP, about 61 hours on the train.

HMD-ELP, about 70 hours on the train.

Of course, these only work when the Sunset runs, but, still, not counting layovers, it's something like half a minute per point in a roomette.

How does HMD-ELP take such a long time? May I confirm that you mean Hammond - El Paso?

Because of the NOL layover, Amtrak defaults you to going north, to CHI, and then back south to El Paso. It is also possible that this just happens when the stars align with the Sunset not departing NOL on the proper day or somesuch.

 

[abcnews]

As I thought about your situation - if you do indeed plan to travel alone, and it seems a roomette is fine for one (even two is OK), I think the most bang for the buck is to quit thinking "one zone" roomette (15,000 points), and really consider a two zone award (20,000). What is the advantage of trying to stretch out a one zone award - if you can go so much farther with just 5,000 more points. Especially if you are talking Roomette for one.

Example... Cincinnati to Seattle and back - no need for a hotel.. Great trip, 6 nights plus a short day in Seattle or Portland. Take a ferry ride in Seattle to one of the islands... Then hop back on the same train - back to Chicago.

Cincinnati to LA or even connecting to the Coast Starlight - and go a short distance up the Pacific Coast on the CS... Then stop - get off and turn around - return to Cincinnati.

But back to the topic - One zone trips from Cincinnati.... A nice one zone trip to consider is Cincinnati to Miami. The Cardinal scenery is wonderful, but the Meteor would only be daylight south of Savannah, GA. But you see palm trees. Two negatives though... Bad departure time from Cincinnati and a not so bad bus ride between Charlottesville and Richmond to catch the Meteor. Actually that bus is nice, and it takes I-64 which is a very smooth route through some decent scenery. Not a miserable trip - but certainly no train ride either...

 

[Anderson]

For maximum stretch on a two-zone, El Paso to Miami jumps to mind as a logical extension of the Dallas-to-Deland trip I seriously looked at last spring. It's 93 hours and change if you use the Cardinal for your connection east out of Chicago, and your redemption value is over $.06/point (which is very good).

 

[rile42]

Take the Cardinal to Chicago - and connect to the westbound Empire Builder, and take the Builder to Wolf Point. Then have a pre-purchased ticket in Coach to go on to Essex, Montana. The trip from Wolf Point to Essex is daytime so you only need a coach ticket. Then just sit in the sightseer Lounge and the Diner. The scenery is remarkable form Wolf Point to Essex. And when you get to Essex - just hop off the train and walk over to the Izaak Walton Inn, which is right by the tracks. Spend the night there in the heart of the Rockies and enjoy the snow. The eastbound builder will pick you up in the morning. Again - coach ticket to Wolf Point and then you get your Roomette in Wolf Point (that same afternoon). Just buy time in the diner and the Sightseer Lounge until you get to Wolf Point. When we travel - we always have a roomette, yet it seems like I spend every minute of daylight in the Sightseer (or the diner for meals). So the coach thing is not a big deal. Then you stretch your one zone award into a really nice trip...

I'm not up on everything related to redeeming points, but wouldn't the trip mentioned above require two redemptions....one going out and one coming back?

 

[the_traveler]

Yes, but OP stated she would be paying one way!

 

[Linda T]

Yes, but OP stated she would be paying one way!

No, I'll be using AGR both ways. It looks like I can't do ELP as it would require a weeks stay to time the Eagle with the Cardinal. Amtrak.com keeps changing my departure dates both to and from ELP to Thursday. Eagle only runs 3 days a week, as does the Card. They only meet on Thursdays, so I'll have to just accept SAS.

CHI to SAS = 32 hours

CHI to Wolf Point = 22.5 hours

CHI to Denver = 21 hours

CHI to NO = 18.5 hours

One thing I really enjoy about travelling by train is being able to sit and talk during meals with other passengers, so that rules out traveling by coach, as I don't want to actually pay for my meals. Not only is the food great, but I get to meet people that I otherwise wouldn't, and I've always found my meal company to be interesting. I get a lot more meals going to SAS than I do going to any of the other locations, that's well worth the points.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If I were going stick to a one zone award SAS-CHI would be fine because I enjoy hanging out in Chicago. I'm not so sure I'd want to do the reverse though. :lol: If I could pick any one zone at all I'd probably go with the Coast Starlight. If I had to do the Eastern zone I'd probably go with the Star. However, I strongly agree with those who feel it's a much better value to go with a two-zone award if at all possible. So far as I can tell three zones offer no additional benefit over a 2+1 zone with a stopover in a dual-zone city; leaving two zones as the true sweet spot. As an example, SAS-SPI-GBB-SAC-SEA is four days of train time including plenty of time on two of the highest rated routes for only 20,000 points!

For maximum stretch on a two-zone, El Paso to Miami jumps to mind as a logical extension of the Dallas-to-Deland trip I seriously looked at last spring. It's 93 hours and change if you use the Cardinal for your connection east out of Chicago, and your redemption value is over $.06/point (which is very good).

Now that's what I'm talking about!