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> I regularly take the Amtrak Crescent overnight to visit family down south. With two people (my wife and I), a roomette has been about on par with air travel

by tivert 3y ago

> I regularly take the Amtrak Crescent overnight to visit family down south. With two people (my wife and I), a roomette has been about on par with air travel pricewise the last couple of times we've traveled. Total privacy, comfy accomodations, internet access, meals and snacks included. I'd really like to travel by train sleeper car, but I just can't justify it as transportation (rather than as "an experience") given the prices. In the US, either air travel needs to get a lot more expensive, or they need to pump subsidies into trains, or it'll stay an impracticable niche thing.

VyseofArcadia 3y ago
> I'd really like to travel by train sleeper car, but I just can't justify it as transportation What an odd comment. It gets you where you're going, the same as any other form of transportation. For a long time it was the default way people took long distance trips. I don't take it repeatedly for the "experience". I take it because it's a more pleasant way to travel at roughly the same price point. Do you also consider road trips or long bus rides to be not transportation? > given the prices. Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it.
- soulofmischief 3y ago
  > Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it. What rates are you finding? Because in my experience just earlier this year, while moving cross country, I found that an Amtrak across the US costed exorbitantly more than an airplane ticket, and comes with a dozen times as many transfers. It was cheaper still to just say screw it and rent a uHaul the entire way.
- tivert 3y ago
  >> I'd really like to travel by train sleeper car, but I just can't justify it as transportation > What an odd comment. It gets you where you're going, the same as any other form of transportation. For a long time it was the default way people took long distance trips. But far slower than air travel, which I imagine is a big reason why air travel displaced it. > Do you also consider road trips or long bus rides to be not transportation? I don't take the bus, but when I drive, it's cheaper than flying (or flying + car rental). >> given the prices. > Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it. But it's slower, so the time-cost is higher.

by tivert 3y ago

VyseofArcadia 3y ago

> I'd really like to travel by train sleeper car, but I just can't justify it as transportation What an odd comment. It gets you where you're going, the same as any other form of transportation. For a long time it was the default way people took long distance trips. I don't take it repeatedly for the "experience". I take it because it's a more pleasant way to travel at roughly the same price point. Do you also consider road trips or long bus rides to be not transportation? > given the prices. Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it.

soulofmischief 3y ago
> Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it. What rates are you finding? Because in my experience just earlier this year, while moving cross country, I found that an Amtrak across the US costed exorbitantly more than an airplane ticket, and comes with a dozen times as many transfers. It was cheaper still to just say screw it and rent a uHaul the entire way.
tivert 3y ago
>> I'd really like to travel by train sleeper car, but I just can't justify it as transportation > What an odd comment. It gets you where you're going, the same as any other form of transportation. For a long time it was the default way people took long distance trips. But far slower than air travel, which I imagine is a big reason why air travel displaced it. > Do you also consider road trips or long bus rides to be not transportation? I don't take the bus, but when I drive, it's cheaper than flying (or flying + car rental). >> given the prices. > Again, with two people, it's been about the same price the last few times we've done it. But it's slower, so the time-cost is higher.