5 Tips for Long-Haul U.S. Train Travel

Photo: Robert Couse-Baker

Adam Polonski shares what he schooled during a month riding a Amtrak rails.

AMTRAK IS NOTORIOUS for high prices, consistent delays, bad service, as great as limited routes. For a nation built upon rail, maligners say, a United States has depressed far.

But for all its problems, a small genuine as great as others imagined, Amtrak is still a great approach to see America. Its routes cranky through a small of a countrys many remote as great as pleasing regions, many of which have been tough to reach any alternative way. (Check out a unofficial Amtrak map mashup to see all a routes.)

More than any alternative form of transport, a rails give a sense of Americas story as great as immense size. Here have been a small ideas for making a many of a experience.

Photo: Tony a Misfit

1. Get a Rail Pass

EU rail passes have been a obvious as great as often-tapped apparatus for budget-conscious travelers. Amtrak has a pass too, although its not great advertised.

The USA Rail Pass comes in 3 varieties: short (good for 8 trips over fifteen days; $389), middle (12 trips over 30 days; $579), as great as prolonged (18 trips over 45 days; $749).

The prices might look steep, though a passes have been almost cheaper than shopping particular tickets for each route.

Also, a separate California rail pass (good for 7 days of transport in a 21-day period; $159) provides a similar service for routes in a Golden State.

Beware: The Rail Pass is a bit complicated. Its not a ticket; instead, it effectively entitles we to a certain number of giveaway tickets. In addition to shopping a pass, travelers contingency call Amtrak as great as reserve each leg of their cha! nnel dur ing least 24 hours in advance.

2. Get a window seat

Sitting upon a sight for 3 days only to stare down a aisle whilst a majestic Rocky Mountains hurl by a conflicting windows sucks. Get to a station early to avoid this bummer.

Ask a automobile attendant which side is better to lay on. On a small trips, like a Coast Starlight (Seattle-Los Angeles), it creates a disproportion between a window-ful of unenlightened shrubbery as great as a single of a Pacific Ocean.

Photo: striatic

Sometimes a single side offers some-more legroom than a other, as well. Of course, which isnt regularly a side with a best view, so goal for for tough choices.

3. Get comfortable
(or get a sleeping car)

Unlike Amtraks commuter trains, like Acela, Pacific Surfliner, as great as Empire Service, a overnighters have large reclining seats with substantial legroom. Theyre a distance of business-class airline chairs, as great as great thing if youre in coach, youll be sleeping in them, possibly for days during a time. Its bearable, though positively not luxurious.

For travelers in groups, a sleeping cars have been marginally better. Along with a extra jot of privacy, a seats go fully horizontal, a automobile has a shower, as great as all meals in a dining automobile have been free. But expect to compensate multiform hundred dollars for a privilege.

Regardless, move a obvious necessities toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes, a H2O bottle, as great as lots of snacks. Amtrak will give we a pillow, though its not very large as great as youll want another.

And a sight gets very cold during night, even in summer be certain to move a blanket. On my cross-country trip, my sweeping was a consistent source of possessiveness from alternative passengers.

Photo: Rennett Stowe

4. Get to a loll car

All of Amtraks long-distance trains have loll cars. On a longest routes west of Chicago, such as a Empire Builder as great as a Texas Eagle, a lounges have been double-deckers with floor-to-ceiling windows, a caf, as great as gentle seating.

But they have many some-more to offer than a view. In a summer, volunteers from a Park Services Trails & Rails Program plead a story of a sight as great as its track from Indian reservations to Western forts, from a Pecos River to a Rocky Mountains.

Sometimes, local musicians board a sight for an accordion session. Dont skip out.

But a lounges genuine prominence is a great pleasure of long-distance Amtrak transport in general: a people. Since a sight outing costs a same as a flight as great as takes 10 times as long, Amtrak attracts an surprising as great as different mix, many of whom have been very talkative as great as will gladly start a conversation with anyone wholl listen.

When we traveled, we met an 86-year-old Minnesotan farmer a World War II maestro who lectured me about a bad fertility of Montana soil, a cost of a large industrial tractor (over $500,000!), as great as how many longer grass-fed beef takes to cook compared to corn-fed beef.

I played cards with Texas hipsters for hours.

And, in a single of a some-more ungainly conversations of my life, a male introduced himself as a part of of a Aryan Brotherhood, told me about his childhood flourishing up in remote rural Alaska, how many he liked Ron Paul, as great as how small he cared for a blacks as great as Jews who rule a world. Awkward.

Like we said. Interesting people float a train. So get to a loll as great as speak to them, as great as goal they arent Neo-Nazis, though just nice old ladies who spent a summer in Antarctica.

Photo: Rennett Stowe

5. Get dinner

The dining automobile might be expensive, though its worth a cost during least once.

Amtrak doesnt offer meals upon formal china anymore, except upon a Coast Starlight. And when we ordered ice thickk cream for dessert, my waiter literally threw me a pint of Haagen Daz from across a car.

Not a finest service. But examination a object set over a Mississippi during cooking upon a initial night of a westbound Empire Builder, Amtraks flagship line which runs from Chicago to Seattle, is an elegant as great as pleasing reminder of a days gone by when trains ruled a transport world.

Community Connection

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