Slow down: take the train
I’ve been a big fan of trains for a long time now. (I’d say I’d always been a big fan, but that’s not entirely true – in the early ’90s there was a VIA Rail incident involving a breakdown, several hours spent in -30 degree cold, and me thinking my young life was going to end in a dark train compartment. But I got over that eventually.)
As I was saying: I love taking the train. It’s spacious, comfortable, generally affordable, and you can’t beat the views – train tracks are usually a world away from the sea of pavement most major highways have become. But taking the train is something I associate most strongly with travel in Europe, or maybe India. North America isn’t exactly known for its rail network.
Still, this summer I’m going to give Amtrak a chance: I’ll be making my way from New Orleans to San Francisco and back over several weeks, mostly using the train. Sure, it’s slow at the best of times, and prone to major delays and technical difficulties at worst. But that’s why it’s perfect for a trip like this one: I’m in no huge rush, I don’t have a set itinerary, and I’d like to take my time and see what I can along the way. What better way to meander slowly through the South West than on a train?
(Yeah, yeah – I know it’s classic roadtrip country. But I’m not going to spend six weeks alone in a rental car. My bank account – and the planet – would never forgive me.)
Anyway, for anyone else who might be thinking of giving Amtrak a chance, here’s a great, no-nonsense article from The Traveler’s Notebook: 21 Trains That Are Cheaper Than Flying.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:43 am
I read about the train as a suggested alternative often, lately, and I’m down with it – in theory. However, every time I look at what it costs to take the train, I’m sort of stunned. If you don’t want a sleeper (I do) and/or you can plan your trip so can stop with friends on each leg, that would totally work – the seat alone option is not pricey. I looked at Seattle to SF recently, and also, at Fla >Seattle. No go. Prohibitively expensive. I think it would actually be cheaper to drive and camp or sleep in the car. And yes, I understand that meals and a place to sleep are part of the equation – and since I’m not quite a 20something sleep anywhere anymore, I do need those things, though I will compromise a lot on what they are.
I’d really like you to prove me wrong. Admitted – a rental car is another story.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
With Amtrak, there’s a huge price incentive for short trips where you don’t need a sleeper, much less of an incentive for long hauls. That’s partly because of demand–few people are willing to slow down for the long hauls. Maybe that will change now that the economics are changing. My family just did 12 days using public transportation in the northwest and it was great. Here’s the story:
https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25624627
July 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
What was the point of Rolf asking others to post on Vagablogging if they don’t post any original content? All the posts are just links to posts on Vagabondish, Brave New Traveler, etc. Anyone who reads Vagablogging probably browses those sites as well.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:49 am
@Pam – It’s funny, I’m always amazed by how low Amtrak prices seem to me! Maybe that’s because both train and plane prices are much higher in Canada… I can take a return trip from Montreal to NYC by train (10 hours, during the day) for $120 all in. I’d be lucky to get the equivalent flight for $500. Of course, as far as comparisons to driving go, it does change things a lot if you already own a car.
Agreed with both you and Tim, though – unless you’re willing to sit in a coach seat for 2+ days, the really long hauls aren’t so hot. This summer I’ll be doing several legs to break it up.
@Craig – I’m not sure how long you’ve been following the blog, but we tend to post a mixture of our own advice, personal experiences, and links to good content on other sites. You’ll note that only one sentence of this post is about the Notebook piece – the rest is all me. Glad to hear you’re keeping up with all these great travel blogs, though!