4 ms·

Most don't know this but the US still has passenger trains and it appears it could be the cheapest way to travel across the US in 2022. https://www.amtrak.com/

Most don't know this but the US still has passenger trains and it appears it could be the cheapest way to travel across the US in 2022. https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure.html https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure.html

SoftTalker 4y ago
Nobody who wants to get across the country in a reasonable amount of time and on schedule should contemplate Amtrak. If you want a sightseeing tour, that's another matter, it's great for that.
- 0xffff2 4y ago
  It was indeed great for seeing the country when I was a teenager. These days, the idea of living out of something similar to a first class airline seat does not appeal and sleepers are outrageously expensive.
- nickd2001 4y ago
  As a Brit, I'm used to rail journeys taking an extra hour or two due to delays or cancellations. When working and living in the US, I dropped off a friend at Denver station on my way to fly home for Christmas. Upon returning , I didn't know whether to be amused or horrified when he revealed that his train to LA had been delayed by ..... a day and a half !! What?!!! He said he spent a very long happy time, basically a whole day, in the bookstore though, and didn't seem to have any complaints about it, said it wasn't unusual to be that delayed. ;)
HeXetic 4y ago
> it could be the cheapest way to travel Inter-city buses are the cheapest way to travel if you don't own a car. For example a train ticket NYC->Washington DC is over $100. A bus ticket for the same trip is $30. The train will be more comfortable and possibly faster, though.
- pengaru 4y ago
  I traveled coach from CHI(IL) to SAC(CA) with a mountain bike in tow on the Zephyr for $120 at the end of October. Not aware of anything comparable cost-wise, especially bringing a fully assembled ready to ride mtb along. Annoyingly however, even a Greyhound bus does the trip faster than the Zephyr. Such is the sad state of passenger rail in the US.
  - woodruffw 4y ago
    For what it's worth, it's possible to get a NY -> DC ticket (or vice versa) on the NE regional for about $30. You just need to book sufficiently far in advance (IME, around two months). Usually not a weird time either -- I paid $64 for a round-trip weekend ticket during normal hours (early afternoon both ways). Source: I've taken that train at least 150 times at this point.
kjs3 4y ago
Depends on how you define 'cost'. Much as I really wish I could travel by train, 1) there's relatively limited number of places you can go on Amtrack unless you're in the Northeast. 2) Even when served, the path between A and B is often 'non-optimal'. For example, to get from Atlanta to Denver, I have to either go hundreds of miles out of the way looping through New Jersey and Chicago, or South through New Orleans only to have to get on a bus north in El Paso, which means 3) every trip takes far longer than the alternatives. Even if A and B are on the same line. For example, Atlanta to New Orleans is more than 12 hours by train, but I can drive there in less than 8 and fly there in 1. Amtrak is ok for a leisurely vacation stroll across the country; it's not an alternative for regular business travel.

SoftTalker 4y ago

Nobody who wants to get across the country in a reasonable amount of time and on schedule should contemplate Amtrak. If you want a sightseeing tour, that's another matter, it's great for that.

0xffff2 4y ago
It was indeed great for seeing the country when I was a teenager. These days, the idea of living out of something similar to a first class airline seat does not appeal and sleepers are outrageously expensive.
nickd2001 4y ago
As a Brit, I'm used to rail journeys taking an extra hour or two due to delays or cancellations. When working and living in the US, I dropped off a friend at Denver station on my way to fly home for Christmas. Upon returning , I didn't know whether to be amused or horrified when he revealed that his train to LA had been delayed by ..... a day and a half !! What?!!! He said he spent a very long happy time, basically a whole day, in the bookstore though, and didn't seem to have any complaints about it, said it wasn't unusual to be that delayed. ;)

HeXetic 4y ago

> it could be the cheapest way to travel Inter-city buses are the cheapest way to travel if you don't own a car. For example a train ticket NYC->Washington DC is over $100. A bus ticket for the same trip is $30. The train will be more comfortable and possibly faster, though.

pengaru 4y ago
I traveled coach from CHI(IL) to SAC(CA) with a mountain bike in tow on the Zephyr for $120 at the end of October. Not aware of anything comparable cost-wise, especially bringing a fully assembled ready to ride mtb along. Annoyingly however, even a Greyhound bus does the trip faster than the Zephyr. Such is the sad state of passenger rail in the US.
- woodruffw 4y ago
  For what it's worth, it's possible to get a NY -> DC ticket (or vice versa) on the NE regional for about $30. You just need to book sufficiently far in advance (IME, around two months). Usually not a weird time either -- I paid $64 for a round-trip weekend ticket during normal hours (early afternoon both ways). Source: I've taken that train at least 150 times at this point.

kjs3 4y ago

Depends on how you define 'cost'. Much as I really wish I could travel by train, 1) there's relatively limited number of places you can go on Amtrack unless you're in the Northeast. 2) Even when served, the path between A and B is often 'non-optimal'. For example, to get from Atlanta to Denver, I have to either go hundreds of miles out of the way looping through New Jersey and Chicago, or South through New Orleans only to have to get on a bus north in El Paso, which means 3) every trip takes far longer than the alternatives. Even if A and B are on the same line. For example, Atlanta to New Orleans is more than 12 hours by train, but I can drive there in less than 8 and fly there in 1. Amtrak is ok for a leisurely vacation stroll across the country; it's not an alternative for regular business travel.