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Cross Country Train Travel... Yay or Nay?
Didgeridoo
Flighty DameRegistered User regular
Flighty DameRegistered User regular
Hello H/A forum, I crave your opinions
I will be moving across the country a bit later this year (coast to coast), and find myself faced with the choice between riding the rails or taking the airplane! At the time of the relocation, I have no hard deadline to be there so the difference in the time it takes to travel is not an issue. I don't have many belongings and no large furniture items that will be transported. If I went with Amtrak I would most likely be riding coach, because of the price.
My thoughts currently are thus:
Train: It seems like it would be very interesting to see the country in this way, and would be an experience you couldn't really get using any other method of travel. Amtrak allows three large checked bags and two carry-ons for no extra fee, which would mean I wouldn't have to pack everything so tightly or be so brutal in what I will have to give away or leave behind. Coach travel is also very inexpensive, less than a plane ticket. You can also move about the train as much as you like along with access to power outlets, which is a nice change from an airplane.
However it is a very long trip, and if I'm traveling coach that means I would not have access to a showering facility and would not have a bed, just the reclining seat. One leg of the trip is 49 hours, the other 16. It is possible that at the main change-over I could find a gym or something and pay for a day pass, thus gaining access to a shower before the last leg of the trip. Food might be a concern, as the train food is probably pretty expensive. The train does allow you to bring your own food if you like, but of course it would all have to be non-perishable.
Plane: The plane would be much faster, obviously. No need to worry about not having access to a shower, as it's not an overnight affair. I would be allowed one carry-on for free, but any other bags I want to bring would be subject to a 25-40 dollar fee. That means I would most likely have to leave behind much more than if I took the train. I wouldn't have to worry about food, again because the trip is shorter. So main advantages: short short short. Main disadvantages: Cost, luggage situation
So how about you, H/A? Has anyone ever done a coast-to-coast trip on the train? Is it an interesting experience? Would you recommend it? Am I crazy for even considering this?
I will be moving across the country a bit later this year (coast to coast), and find myself faced with the choice between riding the rails or taking the airplane! At the time of the relocation, I have no hard deadline to be there so the difference in the time it takes to travel is not an issue. I don't have many belongings and no large furniture items that will be transported. If I went with Amtrak I would most likely be riding coach, because of the price.
My thoughts currently are thus:
Train: It seems like it would be very interesting to see the country in this way, and would be an experience you couldn't really get using any other method of travel. Amtrak allows three large checked bags and two carry-ons for no extra fee, which would mean I wouldn't have to pack everything so tightly or be so brutal in what I will have to give away or leave behind. Coach travel is also very inexpensive, less than a plane ticket. You can also move about the train as much as you like along with access to power outlets, which is a nice change from an airplane.
However it is a very long trip, and if I'm traveling coach that means I would not have access to a showering facility and would not have a bed, just the reclining seat. One leg of the trip is 49 hours, the other 16. It is possible that at the main change-over I could find a gym or something and pay for a day pass, thus gaining access to a shower before the last leg of the trip. Food might be a concern, as the train food is probably pretty expensive. The train does allow you to bring your own food if you like, but of course it would all have to be non-perishable.
Plane: The plane would be much faster, obviously. No need to worry about not having access to a shower, as it's not an overnight affair. I would be allowed one carry-on for free, but any other bags I want to bring would be subject to a 25-40 dollar fee. That means I would most likely have to leave behind much more than if I took the train. I wouldn't have to worry about food, again because the trip is shorter. So main advantages: short short short. Main disadvantages: Cost, luggage situation
So how about you, H/A? Has anyone ever done a coast-to-coast trip on the train? Is it an interesting experience? Would you recommend it? Am I crazy for even considering this?
Didgeridoo on
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What airline are you taking that's charging you for anything past a carry-on? How many bags do you need to take?
I have taken a few train rides in my time. Once from Albuquerque, NM to Los Angeles, CA with my mom when I was 13 or so. It was a lot of fun, I got to see a lot of the country and have an awesome experience. It was a 12 hour trip so we shared a sleeping coach but spent most of our time in the viewing car just watching the countryside. The second time was from London, England to Edinburgh, Scotland. A shorter trip and very cool.
This one is tricky because I understand the want to take a train ride, but that is a long trip and I can't offer any insight to sleeping the coach. I mean, a lot of people do it so I can't be all bad, I just haven't done it personally.
I did a little research to see how much it would be to UPS one of your bags across the country and it was in the $250 range for a 40 lb bag, not good at all. You could always see if a company like Mayflower could ship your belongings cheaper if you wanted to fly but not have to leave anything behind. But the coast still would probably be cheaper just to fly with them.
So personally I would fly. I love train rides but 55 hours is a little rough, especially with having to find food and no access to a shower. But I would defiantly re-visit the idea later.
I'd say the Rockies are pretty cool, but yeah. If there is specific stuff you want to see, just take a vacation later on.
Take the plane. Ship your extra clothes via FedEx/UPS if you really need it. Ground shipping will be a tiny bit cheaper than checked bag fees.
For what you have, you may want to either leave all but your bare essentially for a week or so with someone back home and have then ship them for you once you get settled, or have your stuff shipped ahead of you to where you are going. Compare the rates with the airplane, but usually its cheaper to ship than to check them as bags.
The romance of a train is considerable, and if you were in most of the other countries in the world you would have a good time. In the US, though, our rail system isn't interesting or luxurious enough to make it worth it over a flight.
They're now divorced.
Not because of the train trip, but I'm sure it didn't help.
for 70... freaking... hours.
Fly. Trust me.
Take the flight.
Really, take the flight. I've done multi-day bus and train trips; the misery is worth it if you're saving a lot of money. Since you're not going to be saving any money, why would you put yourself through it?
Except that a train does not follow an optimal path, and has things like layovers. It is not at all a speedy way to travel a distance that great.
However, I can say as someone with experience in both a train and a bus ride this long, it can be an absolute blast. You will see some cool sites, meet some cool people, and have a ton of time to read and write. There will be terrible bouts of ennui, but for me anyway, it's something I would do in a heartbeat.
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But would you do it carying all of your suitcases worth of possessions you are moving?
Train adventures can be fun, but only when you travel light and don't care about reaching a destination quickly. Being able to hop off and explore a town is part of the benefit, but a cross country ride with a ton of stuff is not going to be fun and you will be worrying about your shit everywhere you go.
I explored England and Scottland by rail, and had a blast. Difference is that there are a great many rail lines that have regular trips wherever you are going and I only had a single large backpack to look over.
Done both, wouldn't recommend the second.
@Didgeridoo - I see in your OP you say that the train is less expensive than flying? Would you mind posting your destinations? That is the exact opposite of what I would expect. For instance, a flight from Seattle to NYC costs $160, lasts 8 hours, and has one layover; the cheapest AmTrak fare for the same destination and date costs $212 and lasts 65 hours (not counting delays)!
Not all hubs have cheap Jet Blue flights like that. I'm assuming that's the carrier? It depends largely on where you're going to and coming from. Portland, OR to Providence, RI was almost $700 one way for me.
Seattle, WA - NYC 04/26/12 - One way
$160 - Delta
$179 - Delta
$180 - American
$190 - Sun Country
$190 - Delta
$202 - American
$215 - American
Vs. Amtrak
$212 - $420 for a coach seat
Etc.
It's obviously going to depend on the specific parameters, which is why I asked!
Take the plane!
I've done seattle to montana and yeah. Coach on a train is better than coach on a plane, hands down. But not "want to spend 10x as long there" better.
Yeah, for short trips (between DC and New York, for example), coach by train can be very nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for longer trips. I've taken the train from Los Angeles to New York before. It was actually pretty awesome, to tell you the truth, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1. I was working and didn't have to pay for my ticket or meals in the dining car.
2. I didn't have a choice; the nature of the job ruled out air travel.
3. I had a sleeper compartment. I don't know who sleeper cars were designed for, but they *aren't* designed for a 6'4" 205 lb man. It definitely beat the shit out of coach, though. If I hadn't had the compartment, I would probably have managed one night in coach, but I would have shot myself on the second evening.
And yeah, it gets boring as hell between Colorado and Pennsylvania. Indiana is no more interesting from ground level than it is from 35,000 feet.
It's still kind of a cool experience if you have something to do during the train ride, if you have the time to kill and the money to spare, and if you're willing to spring for a sleeper compartment. If you can think of literally anything else you'd rather be doing with that spare day in either your old home or your new home, though, I'd say take an airplane.
And I'd rather not post my precise location, but yes it is cheaper to take the train. This is because both my departure and destination cities are a bit out-of-the-way, and are not major airport hubs like NYC or Seattle.
Thanks for the advice, everyone!
United! Don't all the airlines charge for baggage now? And I would like to take as many bags as possible, but if I'm being charged I'll likely be limiting it to two.
They charge for two bags generally, but not one...
And Didge, if you've set your sights on train travel I would suggest you look outside of the US for a pleasant experience--Amtrak is pretty awful all around
Amtrak is great for shorter distances and much more preferable to say...Greyhound. I've used it from Portland to Seattle a bunch of times and even down to California here and there, but for cross-country? Definitely not. Especially not in a moving situation.
Train can be fun and relaxing under the right circumstances. For example PAX train last Thursday, about 8 and a half hours in coach, was an absolute blast. Yeah, I could have made the flight in an hour, but I had a lot of fun, and will be doing the same thing again next year. 50+ hours in the train with a crap ton of luggage to look after, by yourself, in coach, with no shower or anything..... take the plane, no contest.
Multi-state Trips:
Plane >>> Car >>>>>>>> Amtrak >>>>>>>>>>> Grayhound >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Megabus
In-state Trips:
Car >>>> Amtrak/Metra >>>>> Plane >>>>>>>>> Grayhound
Whether you're moving to the other side of the country or the other side of the world, this is the cheapest and easiest way to move as long as you're not trying to bring furniture with you.
I probably wouldn't do that again. Though it helps now that I could probably actually afford movers and stuff.
But, yeah, moving is pretty stressful without a 50 hour train ride (with no shower) and if you don't have to move a car or furniture, check some bags with your flight and ship anything else you might want. Note that you may want to pack what you want into boxes or bags first and then weigh them - flying domestically each bag can be up to 50 pounds, and it will be more expensive to ship a 50 pound bag than it will be to check it. You don't want to check more than two bags though, as fees go through the roof at for the 3rd bag and beyond.
Cars are slightly different because at any time you can say fuck it, pull over and do whatever you want.
Satans..... hints.....
cheap, decent, and doesn't charge for two checked bags. They're the biggest airline in the US for a reason IMO, but if you're not coming from an airport they serve that doesn't help I guess