Getting There is Half the Fun
Written: Aug 19 '05
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There’s something romantic about traveling by train. I love it myself; more than flying, more than driving. It’s a more relaxed, more casual atmosphere I think, and you can just wile away your time on the train doing whatever you like: reading, listening to music while watching the miles go by, seeing a movie (bring your own player), computing, even sleeping.
Flying is such a hassle these days. Long waits at the airport, security checks, increasing costs. To be sure, with all of that, it’s still a much more expeditious form of travel than taking the train. But you don’t see as much of the countryside, and to me, getting there is half the fun. And to begin your trip, you’re only a mouse click away from wherever you want to go at Amtrak.com.
The Online Experience
I found getting my tickets to be a breeze at Amtrak’s website. As soon as you arrive, you’ll be presented with a scheduling tool, much the same as nay airline page. Here you can select type of travel (one way, round trip), departure and destination locations, and dates of travel.
Once you plug in the required data, you’ll receive the schedules for routes serving your area, as well as pricing information. You can then choose to pay by credit card and reserve your ticket, which you can pick up at the station on your day of departure. Prices are reasonable; somewhat less than a plane ticket will cost you. I got a last-minute, one way fare to Providence, Rhode Island from Atlanta, Georgia on the Crescent route for $160. Airfare was more than twice that.
Booking ahead on Amtrak.com can save you more. Looking ahead to Christmas, Mom wants to come back to Atlanta for a visit but hates to fly. With her senior discount, a round trip fare would be about $200-not bad at all.
The Amtrak website offers more information for you, including multi-city trips, ways to save on fares, and much more. It’s true wealth of information about this mode of travel, if you’re interested.
A Caveat
If you’re in a hurry, I need to re-iterate: taking the train is not for you. If you’re on a long haul, it’s probably not a good idea, either. It took me about 22 hours to get to Rhode Island (about 1000 mile trip). I drove home a little faster than that. Delays seem common. My train was about 45 minutes late arriving. They made that time up on the way to New York, where I caught another train to Providence (which left on time but was delayed along the way).
The Trip
The thing I enjoy about the trip itself is the time to gives me to just relax. The coach seats are comfortable and spacious, much more so than those in an airplane. This is by necessity, however, since the trip is longer.
But that gives you an opportunity, an opportunity to see the countryside in a way you can’t while driving or flying. Our trip along the Connecticut coastline was especially captivating. I also took advantage of the time to read and snooze. It was very relaxing.
Food is important, too, and the dining car offers some decent, if not exciting, fare, though the prices are somewhat high. It’s not a bad place to socialize with newly-made friends, however, and enjoy a beer, mixed drink, or glass of wine while enjoying the scenery.
A snack bar is also available, if equally over priced. Microwaved breakfast and lunch sandwiches run $5 to $7, a can of soda $2, a bag of chips about the same. You can, of course, bring your own snacks aboard. A bottle of Sam Adams is about $5.
Luggage is limited to two pieces of carry on and three checked bags, with a maximum weight of fifty pounds each. You can check three more bags for $10 each. That isn’t too bad if you have a lot of stuff to bring with you.
Security is nothing like it is at an airport. None of my bags were checked. Of course, the conductors are constantly roaming the aisles, and you are encouraged to report any suspicious activity immediately.
Upgrades are available from coach, with sleeper cars and cabins available for an additional price. These, of course, will put your cost over that of an airline ticket (though meals are included with first class rail fare). If you buy a coach ticket, you may get a call from Amtrak with an offer to upgrade at a reduced price (I did).
Downsides would be expense of meals, of course, and travel time for some. Limitations on routes are another factor, of course. If you want to go to, say, Denver from Atlanta, your trip will take you almost three days, since you have to go from Atlanta to New York to Chicago to Denver.
Overall
If time is not an issue and you want to see the country (or perhaps you just don’t like to fly), Amtrak may just be for you. To be sure, it’s not for everybody. But you should give the train a try, at least once. You may enjoy it as much as I did, and find that getting there can be half the fun.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Atlanta to Providence
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About the Author
Member: John Staradumsky
Location: Canton, Georgia.
Reviews written: 2345
Trusted by: 896 members
About Me: Back from vacation, products adds will resume.
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