I want to take the wifey on a train ride. I think it would be fun. I havent been on an Amtrak since I was a kid. Cool way to see some countryside.

Im thinking of Texas to Chicago, or maybe out west to Arizona or California.

My question is, does anyone do this for fun anymore, or is it just people trying to get across the country cheaper than with a plane ticket?

In other words, is it the same crowd that would be on a Greyhound bus? If so, I dont think Im interested.

Any other Train carriers in America or is Amtrak pretty much it?

Any other tips or insight?

Thanks

I think you need to look at how long this is going to take you and then think again about how much fun it would be stuck on a train.

I've only done the NE Corridor and Portland to Seattle. They both were short (under three hours), and fine. Cross country is supposedly a real crap shot. I know that the one time my mother did the Houston-New Orleans trip it was dirty and 14 hours late. I have heard that it depends on which route you take.

Freight trains get priority on all tracks around here. Your trip can easily take 2-3 times longer than scheduled due to that. Unless you're in the NE or out of country passenger rail is pretty pointless.

maybe you should consider the old train that runs out of palestine.

You can do it - it runs on a fairly normal schedule and usually keeps the time somewhat consistent to what they predict. The only issue is that it takes a LONG time to get anywhere. People do ride it for fun - actually, quite a few people do it, just dont expect anything special.

We did this with the kids summer before last and everyone loved it. Very scenic ride.

http://www.cumbresandtoltec.com/

Fly up to Albuquerque, drive is about 3 hours to Chama, NM. We stayed in Chama and did the Antanito to Chama all day ride with lunch in the middle (they bus you up that morning).

Hit Sante Fe on the front side or back side of the trip.

I love Amtrak.

Two years ago I moved my step-daughter from California back to Texas and we took the train.

It was an awesome trip. My kids went from Houston to New Orleans, spent the night and then got back on a train and met me in Memphis. They had a blast.

We have done some short hops around Texas.

I would suggest the Houston or San Antonio to El Paso trip. The train track is off the beaten path and you will see some beautiful country only accessible by Amtrak.

My next trip will be from Houston to New Orleans. I can't wait.

Passengers are not bus type folks. Most of them are just Amtrak lovers.

When you pick a route, look at the time you board. We did not see any of Arizona or New Mexico because we traveled through at night. We left El Paso at 8 am and got to San Antonio after 10 pm. It was a whole day passing through West Texas. It was really awesome.

I would also suggest getting a cabin if you are going over night. Every train I have traveled on is really clean. And the Amtrak people are super nice and relaxed. Not like airport personnel.

The best one I think is the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle. Was given a refresh a few years ago. This is only based on what I have read.

Love Amtrak. I have taken the San Diego to Fort Worth(had to change at 2 AM in KS), and the DFW to Chi. Disclosure....both were years ago. If you have a room, it is really a blast if you are not in a hurry. I remember sitting in the dining car having breakfast as we rolled into St Louis, past the arch and the old Busch Stadium.

Ditto on checking schedule to see where you will be after dark. You will also see some really seedy areas of towns (the other side of the tracks?). If riders are riding to save money, they will not have rooms (first class).

I've taken Dallas to LA (with my parents) and Dallas to Chicago (alone).

The former was nice, but as others mentioned freight gets priority. Expect to run late. The passengers, at least on this trip, were a nice mix of people looking for a cheap route and Amtrak/public transportation lovers. Met a few Europeans and other interesting folks.

The latter was boring. Nothing to see and the passengers weren't as nice and willing to meet new people. Being underage may have had something to do with it.

If you get the chance, take Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle (Empire Builder as others mentioned) and Northeast Corridor from DC to Boston. Wikitravel has some good info on both.

[This message has been edited by Jowy Atreides (edited 5/25/2011 6:50p).]

One of the more relaxing, scenic type trips is the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. It runs along the coast quite a bit of the way. You get a combination of business people and travelers who want to avoid the freeway traffic in So Cal. Its not cross country but you can connect with some outher routes to Seattle which gives you a pretty long trip.

I have two brothers in San Diego and a sister in LA so I will fly to San Diego and take the train up the coast to LA.

Not a very long trip but a good time with a some good sights.

I assume it's probably the same train as the San Diego to San Luis Obispo trip that a poster above mentioned.

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The best one I think is the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle.

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I'd love to take this one. I will someday.

I'd recommend the California Zephyr if you really want some nice scenery... you go right through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada range. The route is Chicago-San Francisco, but we got on in Denver when I rode it as a kid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Zephyr

Some discussion on the Empire Builder mentioned above vs. the Zephyr:

http://www.railforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/11/3663.html

[This message has been edited by akaggie05 (edited 6/1/2012 4:16p).]

I took amtrak last summer from East Texas to East Lansing, MI. Never. Again. It took about 24 hours and wasn't enjoyable at all.

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maybe you should consider the old train that runs out of palestine.

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Doesn't this just run from Palestine to Rusk? It's not like it is anything like these long trips posted above. I remember doing this as a kid. One car had an ice cream bar in it. Another you could eat other food in (I think?). It was a good time. When our little boy gets older, we will have to run him up there!

Here's a link to a thread I made about

Scenic/steam train rides in Colorado

I have looked into doing this many times with my wife but always end up talking myself out of it. It always ends up being too expensive compared to what I flight would be, the hours are screwbally and never sync with our schedule, and I can't justify the time it takes when I could do a flight and get an extra day or two at our destination. Sucks because I really would like to do a train trip. Maybe we should go to Europe to do it right.

http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_US/