anyone ever traveled across the US by train?

[brianmanahan]

i am playing paper mario where they take a 3 day train ride, and the thought occurred to me:

i could take a train ride across the united states!

for some reason the thought seems appealing. has anyone done this before? is it a good experience, or am i deluding myself?

 

[SheHateMe]

Yes, unfortunately. The first leg of the trip, I sat next to a guy that snored like a fucking Hippo or something when he slept and I couldn't use my arm rest because it would make his seat too small.

Hmm..let see, it was FREEZING on the train at night. Food sucked, my Electrical socket didn't work.

When we got off for a layover, I went to the teller to see if I could upgrade my seat. I would have given my kidney for it at that point. Luckily there was something open and I took it.

Rest of the trip was just playing Picross on my DS, watching some youtube videos, a few movies, and being asleep. I probably wouldn't do it again. Too boring.

 

[brianmanahan]

what company did you go with?

 

[TallBill]

Its been a long time but yes.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

I'd love to!

 

[deadlyapp]

effin double post

 

[deadlyapp]

I've gone north/south from LA to Seattle, only about 1000 miles but similar - I've done it about 4 times. Its really hit or miss. I've had a couple trips where I've met some awesome people and the time has gone by really quickly, and I've had some trips where we were constantly delayed by all sorts of stuff.

The trip is rated something like 30 hours or so. One of my last trips we had the following happen:
-tracks out in the catskills, waited a couple hours for them to get checked out, conductors hit their 8 hour mark and can't work any more, have to wait for new ones to be bussed in
-hit a guy in portland

Trip ended up being around 42 hours. Miserable.

 

[Imp]

Nope... would love to though. Pretty expensive, but at least you're on the ground and you can take in the scenery 24/7 without having to worry about going off-roading.

 

[randomrogue]

East West No. North South yes. It was stupid. Like the guy above it had problems and was delayed. The time it took was absurd.

Fly. It's better in every way. If you want to take a train ride do it in another part of the world where the train is actually faster than driving or has more to see.

 

[OCGuy]

No I thought about it but then realized I had money.


On a serious note, the only reason to be on a train is if you are going somewhere that does not have road access (Denali in AK, etc).

Part of travelling is seeing some hole-in-the wall place in podunk, USA, and stopping in whenever you want.

A train or airplane is just a means to get to a destination. Real travel through the US is by car, when you can make your own way.

 

[mmntech]

I traveled from Halifax to Toronto by train. I enjoyed it. Got my own private cabin, food on board in the dining car was fantastic. If you're going to cross the country, spend the money and get a sleeper unit. That way you don't have to sit with anybody. One of my bucket list items is to cross Canada by train. Unfortunately, it's very expensive.

 

[Markbnj]

A long time ago I took Amtrack from Chicago to Philly. I've taken a few other shorter trips since. It's not how I would choose to cross the country, but I'm sure it would be an interesting experience. Most of the named routes with the observation deck cars are pretty pricey, if I recall correctly.

 

[Xonoahbin]

I've done Amtrak from Denver to Illinois. About a 16 hour ride. It's really boring during the day, but at night it's pretty neat. You end up sleeping for half of that ride so it doesn't seem too awful. It can be cheaper than flying but isn't always. I did the meal car once, but it's fairly expensive for what you get (nothing special really). Kind of hard to eat with the train swaying back and forth too. Best to grab some Subway sandwiches and keep them in a bag. Not a problem to do that, not like they say anything either.

The only way I'd do a long train ride would be traveling with someone. On my own, probably not. Also, a sleeper car would be better for overnight travel. The regular seats are a little uncomfortable.

 

[lxskllr]

Never done it, but I'd love to. I like looking out the train window, and time's nothing. The only reason I'd take a plane for anything is time constraints.

 

[Svnla]

Do they still have trains running across the whole US? I do not think Amtrak is still running in the East TX/North LA area.

 

[SheHateMe]

what company did you go with?

Amtrak.

Best to grab some Subway sandwiches and keep them in a bag. Not a problem to do that, not like they say anything either.

I've always thought about how incredibly easy it is to bring food and other things on the train that you wouldn't dream of getting away with on a plane. Thats why I like taking the train, because if I leave from Detroit, my Grandmother can pack me some meals. I'd take her food over train food anyday. Beans, Cornbread, Chicken or some type of beef, with some Rice and a few cans of Diet Coke. Something like that. Thats what she packed last time. I took it right on the train, nobody checked me or anything.

If I did that at the airport I would probably get cavity searched lol

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Do they still have trains running across the whole US? I do not think Amtrak is still running in the East TX/North LA area.

Just go to amtrak.com and put in a start and end point and find out.

PDX to Chicago in 48 hours, which isn't bad. It took me 2 1/2 days driving.

 

[Childs]

I've done the Coast Starlight (Vancouver, BC to Oakland, CA), and it took over 24 hours. I couldnt imagine taking it across the US unless I had a room where you could sleep in. Riding coach was fairly uncomfortable. Lots of nice scenery, but I think the West Coast would be better scenery than a trip than across the US.

 

[Svnla]

Just go to amtrak.com and put in a start and end point and find out.

PDX to Chicago in 48 hours, which isn't bad. It took me 2 1/2 days driving.

I be darn. So from East TX (Longview) --> St. Louis --> Kansas --> LA for $224 (1 way) and 3 days!!!! Yike.

 

[dawp]

what company did you go with?

It's not like the airlines, there is only one, Amtrak.

 

[JimmiG]

Sounds like it would take way too long considering how far behind the US is when it comes to high speed rail. My mum went on the Trans-Siberian in the early 1980's, which I imagine would have been similar to a train ride in the USA. Sounds adventurous and exciting, but in reality being stuck on the same train for days would just be very boring.

 

[jersiq]

I've done Oceanside, CA to Springfield MA twice on Amtrak. Now, this was during the mid to late 90's so things may have changed.
-I didn't have a sleeper car. 3 nights in the "coach" seats sucked hard.
-For those four days, I had three choices. Go to the scenery car. Go to the informal Dining car (which was incredibly expensive) or go to the smoking car. After four days, I had a bit of cabin fever.
-I was pulled out and frisked by the DEA in Arizona because I looked like a drug dealer.
-As above the dining car was super expensive. The stops we weren't allowed to get off, and even if you did there was no time to get food off the train.
-Not a single interesting person aboard those trains I was on.

The only reason I did it twice was cost. It was actually cheaper to buy a one-way train and a return plane than a round trip plane. I was in the military on leave, so I had to get back to Oceanside.

 

[Uppsala9496]

I have always wanted to take Chicago to Seattle. Very expensive though.

I will be doing Chicago to Detroit in March. Furthest I have ever done on Amtrak was Normal, IL to Chicago (2 hour trip).

Longest train trip I've done is Copenhagen to Umeå, Sweden. That was a fun trip. From Stockholm to Umeå I had some weird guy in my cabin that was just released from prison because he was an alcoholic. He was taking some medication that should make him nauseous from alcohol. Had no effect on him whatsoever. He was kind enough to give me a few beers.
Really was a funny experience - when I was asleep (slept on my bag because I didn't trust the guy) the guy got off at his stop and forgot his shoes in the cabin.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Did Philly to Chicago once.

Get a sleeper.

 

[Thebobo]

On a serious note, the only reason to be on a train is if you are going somewhere that does not have road access (Denali in AK, etc).
.

Denali has road access. I have driven there but I have taken the train from Anchorage to Denali as well think we stopped of at Telketna (sic?) where there was a blue grass fesitval going on.

Also took the train from DC to just past Cleveland. I would do it again epescialy out west with one of the dome cars.