I have never travelled on a train before, but I've been all over the amtrak site. A train trip seems really kewl, but I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to fly into a place and then take a train the rest of the way. Doing the sleeper thing really adds a big cost to the trip. Is it really worth it? Any advice would be appreciated.
Looking for some advice about taking a train trip
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battalion51
Engineer
Well it all depends on where you are going to go. If you are talking about going to Seattle, it's obviously cheaper and quicker to fly. If you are talking about New York, it's probably comperable. If you're talking about Orlando it's generally cheaper. If you could give us destinations that would help us to better answer your question.
Well the train is a wonderful way to travel. It's far more relaxing than a car or a plane. You don't have to be x-rayed from head to toe when you travel on a train. You get to see the countryside at a much more sedate pace. The train also tends to make people friendlier, so you can often have some lively conversations.
The sleeper is without a doubt more expensive than a plane. I personally always travel in a sleeper, as I like the extra space and privacy that it provides. On the other hand there are many people who travel in coach overnight and love it. It really does depend on the person.
Here are a few things about traveling in a sleeper vs. traveling coach. In a sleeper, all of your meals during your journey are included at no extra charge. Other than tipping your waiter/waitress, you don't pay. You also have access to free sodas, juice, and coffee in the sleeper, unlike coach. You of course get a bed as opposed to sleeping in a reclining seat. Plus you will have access to a shower, something that you also don't get in coach.
By the way though, Amtrak's seats are bigger than the typical airline seat and they recline much further than the half an inch that the airlines give you.
So I hope that helps some. Also if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.
The sleeper is without a doubt more expensive than a plane. I personally always travel in a sleeper, as I like the extra space and privacy that it provides. On the other hand there are many people who travel in coach overnight and love it. It really does depend on the person.
Here are a few things about traveling in a sleeper vs. traveling coach. In a sleeper, all of your meals during your journey are included at no extra charge. Other than tipping your waiter/waitress, you don't pay. You also have access to free sodas, juice, and coffee in the sleeper, unlike coach. You of course get a bed as opposed to sleeping in a reclining seat. Plus you will have access to a shower, something that you also don't get in coach.
By the way though, Amtrak's seats are bigger than the typical airline seat and they recline much further than the half an inch that the airlines give you.
So I hope that helps some. Also if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.
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In my opinion, a sleeper for overnight Amtrak travel is nearly essential. Although Amtrak coach seats are spacious, they are not (to me) exceptionally comfortable. Unlike a typical air trip, you can be in that seat for days, not hours. I have found that the privacy and comfort afforded by the sleeper accommodation is really a desirable feature. The actual sleeping aspect is almost secondary (I do not sleep very well on trains anyway).
I would recommend looking at using air in one direction. Amtrak has a tour program with United Airlines called Air/Rail. For one fare, you can take the train one way, and return by air (or the reverse). Upgrades to sleeper accommodations are optional. If you desire a sleeper (and I would), the cost of an Air/Rail tour will be less than an Amtrak round trip with sleepers both ways. You will also hedge against the possibility that long distance rail is not your thing (and it is not everyone’s). If you end up loving train travel, you will have a nice trip and be ready to ride again. If you end up not being enamored with the joys of rail (it happens), then you at least get to fly home.
Air/Rail is a great way to try long distance rail,
Air/Rail is booked through Amtrak’s tour contractor at 877-YES-RAIL (877-937-7245). Here is the web link:
Amtrak Air Rail
I would recommend looking at using air in one direction. Amtrak has a tour program with United Airlines called Air/Rail. For one fare, you can take the train one way, and return by air (or the reverse). Upgrades to sleeper accommodations are optional. If you desire a sleeper (and I would), the cost of an Air/Rail tour will be less than an Amtrak round trip with sleepers both ways. You will also hedge against the possibility that long distance rail is not your thing (and it is not everyone’s). If you end up loving train travel, you will have a nice trip and be ready to ride again. If you end up not being enamored with the joys of rail (it happens), then you at least get to fly home.
Air/Rail is a great way to try long distance rail,
Air/Rail is booked through Amtrak’s tour contractor at 877-YES-RAIL (877-937-7245). Here is the web link:
Amtrak Air Rail
Minor correction: air passengers are not x-rayed. The metal detectors use magnetic fields. Baggage is x-rayed, not people.AlanB said:
Thanks everyone. Here's the deal. I live in Montgomery Alabama and I want to take a trip to Minot North Dakota around the holidays. Minot being very much north, travel around that time on planes can be dicey. How often do trains get stranded by weather?
Amfleet
Engineer
You will have to take a Thruway Bus from Montgomery, AL to Atlanta, GA; then the Crescent from Atlanta, GA to Washington, DC; then the Capitol Limited from Washington, DC to Chicago, IL; then the Empire Builder from Chicago, IL to Minot, ND.
Train travel can be dicey in the winter also, but usually not as much as plane. Individual situations on this one.
Some other possible route options if you want to incorporate other kinds of travel. Perhaps you might consider flying from Montgomery to Memphis and catch the overnight City of New Orleans in Memphis to Chicago. Or perhaps you could take the bus from Montgomery to Jackson, MS, and catch the City of New Orleans there overnight to Chicago. . Just possibilities.
Actually flying from Montogmery to Memphis just might be terribly expensive since that is not a hugely competitive market(where airlines fares tend to be very low).
The point of my comments is to see if there is any way to get out of going so far out of your way(i.e. Washington, DC).Amtrak is a bit lacking on north-south routes, as is frequently commented on. If only you had a train to Chicago from where you are, that would be make it so much easier.
Some other possible route options if you want to incorporate other kinds of travel. Perhaps you might consider flying from Montgomery to Memphis and catch the overnight City of New Orleans in Memphis to Chicago. Or perhaps you could take the bus from Montgomery to Jackson, MS, and catch the City of New Orleans there overnight to Chicago. . Just possibilities.
Actually flying from Montogmery to Memphis just might be terribly expensive since that is not a hugely competitive market(where airlines fares tend to be very low).
The point of my comments is to see if there is any way to get out of going so far out of your way(i.e. Washington, DC).Amtrak is a bit lacking on north-south routes, as is frequently commented on. If only you had a train to Chicago from where you are, that would be make it so much easier.
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Montgomery, AL to Minot, ND. WOW! Now there is an origin and destination pair that we do not see very often.
Here’s the problem. The best Amtrak route from the deep south to Minot is New Orleans overnight to Chicago, and then Chicago overnight to Minot. The trick is getting from Montgomery to New Orleans by any Amtrak mode.
There is a train three days a week from Mobile to New Orleans, but there is no bus connection from Montgomery (and the train leaves Mobile at 4:25am, ouch). There is a daily train from Birmingham to New Orleans just after noon, but there is also no bus connection from Montgomery, and the train gets to New Orleans after the Chicago train has left. You would have to overnight in New Orleans and take the Chicago train the next day. That would be a three day trip. If you use the Amtrak web site, they will route you via bus from Montgomery to Atlanta, train overnight to Washington, DC, another train overnight to Chicago, and a third train overnight to Minot. That is another three day trip.
A sort-of reasonable Amtrak option is to drive to New Orleans, and then take the two-night Amtrak option New Orleans to Chicago to Minot. But Montgomery to New Orleans is not a short drive, and then you have to stash the car in New Orleans until you return.
My suggestion is this. Drive to Birmingham. Take Southwest Airlines (cheap!) from Birmingham to Chicago, arriving late morning. Trek downtown to Union Station and take Amtrak overnight to Minot. Returning from Minot, Amtrak-it overnight to Chicago, and then take a late Southwest flight back to Birmingham. This will limit your cost, and will also make your travel time reasonable.
Here’s the problem. The best Amtrak route from the deep south to Minot is New Orleans overnight to Chicago, and then Chicago overnight to Minot. The trick is getting from Montgomery to New Orleans by any Amtrak mode.
There is a train three days a week from Mobile to New Orleans, but there is no bus connection from Montgomery (and the train leaves Mobile at 4:25am, ouch). There is a daily train from Birmingham to New Orleans just after noon, but there is also no bus connection from Montgomery, and the train gets to New Orleans after the Chicago train has left. You would have to overnight in New Orleans and take the Chicago train the next day. That would be a three day trip. If you use the Amtrak web site, they will route you via bus from Montgomery to Atlanta, train overnight to Washington, DC, another train overnight to Chicago, and a third train overnight to Minot. That is another three day trip.
A sort-of reasonable Amtrak option is to drive to New Orleans, and then take the two-night Amtrak option New Orleans to Chicago to Minot. But Montgomery to New Orleans is not a short drive, and then you have to stash the car in New Orleans until you return.
My suggestion is this. Drive to Birmingham. Take Southwest Airlines (cheap!) from Birmingham to Chicago, arriving late morning. Trek downtown to Union Station and take Amtrak overnight to Minot. Returning from Minot, Amtrak-it overnight to Chicago, and then take a late Southwest flight back to Birmingham. This will limit your cost, and will also make your travel time reasonable.
Amfleet
Engineer
There is a 4:15am Greyhound bus from Montgomery, AL arriving in New Orleans, LA at 11:45am. Since both Amtrak and Greyhound share the same terminal (I think) you could then connect with Amtrak's City of New Orleans from New Orleans, LA to Chicago, IL; then take the Empire Builder from Chicago, IL to Minot, ND. This will ease up how many connections you have to make and is a more direct route than the one I gave you above.
That is a good solution, and Amfleet is correct when he thinks the Greyhound and Amtrak share the same terminal in New Orleans---they do, indeed. That sounds like a good plan.
As to whether you go a coach or sleeper, you might consider going coach on one train and sleeper on the other, to really give you a feel for things. I
highly advise that, just for the comparative experience.
If the trip is worth taking, its worth learning the most from it that you can....so you will know how you take to train travel (and whether to go coach or sleeper) for future journeys.
As to whether you go a coach or sleeper, you might consider going coach on one train and sleeper on the other, to really give you a feel for things. I
highly advise that, just for the comparative experience.
If the trip is worth taking, its worth learning the most from it that you can....so you will know how you take to train travel (and whether to go coach or sleeper) for future journeys.
coachseats
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If cost is a concern, be sure to check out all the options for getting cheap Amtrak tickets, such as the rail sale part of Amtrak.com, the specials section of Amtrak.com, and ebay.com, where you go to the Amtrak Auctions store or type in Amtrak tickets. Maybe if you got a good deal one way on the train, you could use the savings to fly back.
Also, as far as the train being reliably on time and not as affected by weather vs. planes this can be true to a point. The train from New Orleans to Chicago isn't known as being super-prompt but isn't super late often either. The Empire Builder from CHI to Minot is consistently the best Amtrak long distance train as far as being on time. (And has great service too!) Snow dosen't have much affect on trains, but ice can as it freezes up switches. Good luck and have a great trip!
-Coachseats
www.geocities.com/coachseats
Also, as far as the train being reliably on time and not as affected by weather vs. planes this can be true to a point. The train from New Orleans to Chicago isn't known as being super-prompt but isn't super late often either. The Empire Builder from CHI to Minot is consistently the best Amtrak long distance train as far as being on time. (And has great service too!) Snow dosen't have much affect on trains, but ice can as it freezes up switches. Good luck and have a great trip!
-Coachseats
www.geocities.com/coachseats
Amfleet
Engineer
The Empire Builder has also been known to have good prices on sleepers than other trains. The early you book though, the better the price all around.
Amfleet
Engineer
Just checked Amtrak's on-line reservation system for travel on December 11, 2003 (just to get a basic idea). Going from New Orleans, LA to Minot, ND via Chicago, IL one-way in a Standard Bedroom is $289. Greyhound from Montgomery, AL to New Orleans, LA is $68 one-way. Obviously, round trip will be a bit more.
Thanks everybody... in between work, I spent most of the day at Amtrak and expedia viewing a bunch of different options. R/T to New Orleans/Minot with a sleeper both ways, $621 bucks... the big kicker is R/T plane from MGM to NO $127. Its 6 hours by car to NO from here. I have a pig of a truck that gets horrid gas mileage, I'd have to spend about $75 just in gas money for the R/T, plus drive for 12 hours. Then on top of that I'd have to pay to store my truck while there. I will be gone almost 3 weeks, so I figure 60 bucks minimum, I'm already over the cost of the ticket. Plus factor for the train is I don't have to drive. A plane ticket MGM to MOT is sitting at about this same price as the train and plane issue, so I do have a choice. The question is am I willing to spend 4 days on a train/plane? I can get a ticket from Atlanta to Minneapolis for $254, but then I have to get from MGM to ATL (2 1/2 hours drive one way) and Minn to MOT, ($75 for the train) and again pay to store my truck in ATL. I won't have my daughter drive to Minn to pick me up, not in the winter, 8 hour drive one way, plus have to add in 2 nites in hotel in Minn. Me thinks, train is winning. Plus great adventure at the holidays. Your thoughts?
Amtrak also auctions off some tickets on ebay. New Orleans to Seattle, or any two stops in between has a starting bid of $149 for 1 fare round trip non-upgradeable coach. But there is a time limit on when the tickets are good so todays tickets wouldn't be valid in 2 months.
Amfleet
Engineer
Again, check out Greyhounds sight for travel from MGM to NOL. $68 one-way, better deal than $75 for gas and $60 for parking! B)
wow, I never thought of that.... I guess I could go ahead and get the plane ticket so I know I'm in NO to make the train and then watch ebay to see if someone has a new orleans to minot ticket.... or can I get one that goes past minot and get off and one there..... does that make sense? can you modify a ticket like that... only use the parts you want without paying a penalty?
AMTRAK-P42
Conductor
That is a great point. Just recently I traveled from ATL-New Orleans for $10 dollars.whistler said:
No bus.... nope not at all.... I'll pay for the plane before I'd ride a bus to NO.... but that is a nice idea.... plus like I said, I've never done the train thing before and reading about it at amtrak, and someone I work with told me he took his kids to NYC from here, and they still talk about that great adventure. So since time travel isn't an issue or the cost..... will I have fun? What is there really to do on a train besides look out the window or read books? B)
Amfleet
Engineer
Well if your in a sleeper, all your meals are included in the ticket price, plus your car attendant should have coffee and soda avalible all day (no extra charge). Movies and cartoons are shown in the lounge, which is the social center of the train. The Lounge has huge wrap around windows that stretch from the floor and wrap around the roof of the car and there is plenty of seating. You can mingle with other passengers and get drinks and other items at the snack bar on the lower level (at an additonal cost however).
what kinds of meals do they serve? I'm really picky... I'm a non vegetarian... meat and potatoes girl..... how long does the lounge stay open? a really dumb question...... is there a bar there? you know in case I want to get a nite cap? what is there to do when you pull into a station for the wash and refeul thing? you know when the train stops for 4 or 5 hours... can you get off the train? can you leave the station? when I transfer trains do I have to get my luggage and recheck it or will they do it for me.... I'm sorry for all the dumb questions......
I believe the lounge is open til midnight... alcohol is available but is not included with any accommodation in any car. Others would have to fill you in on the newer standardized menus and their "cycles", but traditionally, beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian meals are available. Depending on the station stop, you may be able to hop off for a few minutes for some fresh air - even go into the station to grab a newspaper - but don't wander too far off. Trains don't wait for passengers :unsure:USAFLady said:what kinds of meals do they serve? I'm really picky... I'm a non vegetarian... meat and potatoes girl..... how long does the lounge stay open? a really dumb question...... is there a bar there? you know in case I want to get a nite cap? what is there to do when you pull into a station for the wash and refeul thing? you know when the train stops for 4 or 5 hours... can you get off the train? can you leave the station? when I transfer trains do I have to get my luggage and recheck it or will they do it for me.... I'm sorry for all the dumb questions......
You can check your bags all the way through like the airlines.
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