Just T
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,812
Jun 26, 2014 1:20:09 GMT
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Post by Just T on May 9, 2023 2:26:36 GMT
Dumb question, I'm sure many of you have. I'm stupidly excited. Tomorrow, I am going to Chicago (from St. Louis) for a work trip, and I am taking Amtrak. It was so much cheaper than gas would be to drive (my ticket was less than $70 round trip!), and I figure I can sit and read or crochet and listen to an audio book for 5-6 hours there and back. I am also stupidly excited that I am packed for this 2 1/2 day trip with only a BACKPACK! LOL That is huge for me because I am terrible at overpacking wayyyyy more than I will ever need when I travel. But I think I am going to walk from the Amtrak station to the hotel I am staying at (it's about 2 miles I've been told). If I change my mind, I will take a bus, but still, I don't want to be schlepping around a suitcase. I have always wanted to take a trip on Amtrak. I am meeting up with some colleagues I don't see often, so that is part of the fun. But I can't wait to ride the train.
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samantha25
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,074
Jun 27, 2014 19:06:19 GMT
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Post by samantha25 on May 9, 2023 2:33:32 GMT
I took the Amtrak from Denver to Chicago, then onto St. Louis in 1998. Unfortunately, I was sick. But it will be a quick trip from Chicago to St. Louis. You can move around and go up to the top level. Have fun! I'm glad I did a trip on Amtrak.
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Just T
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,812
Jun 26, 2014 1:20:09 GMT
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Post by Just T on May 9, 2023 2:37:22 GMT
But it will be a quick trip from Chicago to St. Louis. You can move around and go up to the top level. Have fun! I'm glad I did a trip on Amtrak. It's 5 hours, which is pretty much what it would take me to drive there. I would rather sit and relax on a train than drive. I'm trying to not think about how it's only about a 50 minute flight. LOL My budget is small...
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Post by Crack-a-lackin on May 9, 2023 2:45:05 GMT
I’ve taken Amtrak many times and I really like it, for the same reasons you’ve listed. I can read, nap, eat, walk around. It’s so much more enjoyable than driving. And a plane ride might only be 50 minutes but when you add in arriving early and going through security it’s much longer.
Have fun!
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Post by cmpeter on May 9, 2023 2:55:49 GMT
That sounds fun. We tried once but our trip was canceled.
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Post by cindytred on May 9, 2023 3:04:22 GMT
I went on the Eurostar from London to Paris, and then again from London to Scotland. I love the train! It is so relaxing! Have a wonderful time.
Cindy
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Post by callmenutz on May 9, 2023 3:09:57 GMT
I haven’t but I would love to!
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,692
Location: Ohio
Jul 5, 2014 1:53:49 GMT
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Post by StephDRebel on May 9, 2023 3:14:27 GMT
I've only done a teain once, it was a 17 hour ride by myself with 2 year old twins and a 3 month old. I give it zero stars. Your trip sounds much more fun!
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samantha25
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,074
Jun 27, 2014 19:06:19 GMT
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Post by samantha25 on May 9, 2023 4:35:40 GMT
It was also "cool" to hang out in the train station in Denver, with the old benches, waiting for the train to load. I don't remember details at the station in Chicago, except that my pickup person was lacking in their ability to be on time and location.
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Post by gorgeouskid on May 9, 2023 5:43:16 GMT
DS and I took an Amtrak from LA to Portland to visit my father who lived in eastern Oregon. It was amazing, but I totally would not have booked the return trip. DS was bored out of his skull and wouldn't be assed for anything else. I'd recommend one way only.
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Post by buddysmom on May 9, 2023 7:33:59 GMT
I will never forget my last trip on Amtrak-2004 ish. We left several hours late. Went to NYC and was supposed to get there about 4pm, got there at 11 pm. Missed our show.
It was freezing on the train, toilets not working, ran out of food. Awfull!! Hopefully the ones since have been better.
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Post by littlemama on May 9, 2023 10:08:55 GMT
Not Amtrak, but we took a train to Toronto twice- once the year before we got married and once for our honeymoon. We liked it.
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Post by jeremysgirl on May 9, 2023 10:33:22 GMT
When I was a student at the University of Chicago, I took Amtrak back and forth home to Michigan. In my experience, trains are never on time. It always takes longer than you think.
Once, I was on a train and a person threw themselves in front of it. We had to sit on the tracks for hours while they investigated the suicide. It was terrible. I was kind of in shock.
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,741
Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on May 9, 2023 12:31:07 GMT
I've taking the Amtrak Downeaster from MA to Maine and back (in a day). I don't mind the train, I can read, nap, listen to a podcast. DS loves trains so I never have to worry about him being bored. I'd love to go on a sightseeing train ride some day. I think DS would love it.
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Post by epeanymous on May 9, 2023 12:47:29 GMT
I used to take it all the time when I lived in the northeast--I didn't have a car, and it was a pretty convenient way to get up and down the coast.
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Post by guzismom on May 9, 2023 12:50:48 GMT
I use amtrak between NYC and DC all the time. The wifi can be slow; but otherwise, a comfortable ride.
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Post by auntkelly on May 9, 2023 12:54:46 GMT
I’m riding Amtrak from Oklahoma City to Ft. Worth and back next week with about twenty friends. It’s a surprise party for one of our friends who is turning 60. We leave at 8 am and we’re bringing snacks and drinks. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun on the trip to Ft. Worth. Once we arrive at Ft. Worth, we’ll have lunch at one of the restaurants in Sundance Square and shop at the boutiques.
I’m sure the ride home will be a lot quieter than the ride down.
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naby64
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,221
Jun 25, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
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Post by naby64 on May 9, 2023 13:36:29 GMT
When our YDS graduated from Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, IL. we took the train from Little Rock to Chicago. We were taking a GF and our family and we didn't really want to drive. That would have been 10 hours. Now, don't get me wrong the train was a longer ride but we were able to enjoy the scenery, get up and move around when we wanted, my DD could go to the bathroom whenever she needed. We did an overnight ride and it was pretty cool to eat on the train at breakfast.
Not gonna lie, we were delayed for some reason during the day. But there was nothing on our travel day that we were having to be there at a particular time. I think we might do something like that again if we were not under time constraints and just wanted to go with the flow.
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Post by Tamhugh on May 9, 2023 13:38:15 GMT
We took AMTRAK from Philly to FL once. It was horrible. The toilets were backed up and it smelled. I couldn’t sleep because the seats were nit very comfortable and my little one wanted to sleep on me. The food was not good. We swore we would never do it again. However, my parents used to do it with a sleeper compartment and loved it.
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cjinmo
Junior Member
Posts: 56
Aug 1, 2022 18:32:57 GMT
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Post by cjinmo on May 9, 2023 13:52:36 GMT
I traveled to Kansas City from St Louis twice, once while in junior high, and once from Chicago to St. Louis.(actually the Alton station) rather than leaving my car at the downtown STL station. Glad I did that as the day we traveled home there were Ferguson protests shutting down the highways in the area. Had no problems getting home from Alton. It was an enjoyable trip.
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,276
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:46 GMT
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Post by iowgirl on May 9, 2023 14:30:46 GMT
I've done AMTRAK trips many times! East coast trains are WAY different than the ones that go west. On the east coast, AMTRAK is generally very 'on time' and efficient. On the rest of the system, you are are the mercy of freight train traffic. They own the track, and AMTRAK goes when they say it can go, so you can run in to a lot of lateness. Crews can only work so many hours, so if a crew 'times out', then the train waits again for a new crew to be delivered to it. Do you know which train your riding? I think you have 2 or 3 options on that route. Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle, and maybe Missouri Runner? I hope it is a fun experience!! We leave at 8 am and we’re bringing snacks and drinks. Make sure your group knows they can only bring/consume their own alcohol in private rooms (sleepers). You can't bring your own alcohol on and consume it in any coach seats or in the cafe car. Only in your own private sleeper room (I don't think the Heartland Flyer has sleepers on the consist). Snacks and non-alcohol drinks are fine though! Sounds like such a fun time!!
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Post by khaleesi on May 9, 2023 14:39:36 GMT
I've taken the train from west Michigan to Chicago many times and enjoy it even though I think we only got into Chicago on time maybe once? It wasn't a big deal because we weren't on a time schedule. It's a nice way to relax and read or listen to podcasts or audio books.
Last year we took the train from Chicago to Seattle on Amtrak's Empire Builder and had a bedroom. We found it a very relaxing way to travel for long distance and since we were in a bedroom all of our meals were included in the dining car. We would do it again with no hesitation as long as we had a bedroom.
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Post by scrapmaven on May 9, 2023 15:06:43 GMT
My family used to take both Amtrak and Canadian trains to get to destinations. We'd rent a sleeper and enjoy the ride. I just love the scenery and something about the train is fun. Enjoy your trip.
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Post by Linda on May 9, 2023 15:15:29 GMT
I took Amtrak from Florida to Virginia (and back) last fall - I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat and in fact we're probably sending DD16 by herself this summer (also FL - VA and back).
For us it's an overnight trip - I'm cheap and didn't get a sleeper, just coach, and I didn't sleep (and napped when I arrived at my destination) but it was fine. I read (Kindle) most of the way. There wasn't much scenery until shortly before arrival on the way back because going up our train was delayed and it was already getting dark when we boarded and not yet sunrise at arrival - on the return we boarded late evening (9 something) and arrival was around 8 or in the morning.
No issues with the bathrooms - they were a little less than pristine by the end of the trip but still 100% usable and better than many gas stations/Walmart. Seats were comfortable - so much more space than on airlines. Much more generous luggage allowance - 2 checked, 2 carry-on, and 2 personal...they did refuse one of my checked (a camp cot in drawstring bag) but I was able to carry it on and they overlooked that I then had 5 items (the lady checking me in said about one of them "that's just your lunch right?" and didn't count it.
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Post by giatocj on May 9, 2023 15:38:50 GMT
We did an amazing Amtrak trip from Chicago to Grand Canyon and back. It was run by a company called America by Rail who, unfortunately, didn't survive the pandemic. They were a really great company and the tour was so well organized with lots of fun stops and activities. We would have loved to have done more trips with them. My husband and I added a roomette to the trip so it included all the meals while we were on the train, too.
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,687
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
Jul 22, 2017 4:59:41 GMT
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Post by luckyjune on May 9, 2023 15:41:45 GMT
When we went on a cruise to Alaska, the boat took out of Vancouver, BC. We took Amtrak from a town north of Seattle to Vancouver. From the station we walked to the elevated train, which took us right to the terminal. Did the same thing coming back. It was pretty slick!
I also took the train to the other Vancouver (SW WA) to meet DH for a weekend in Portland after he was at a conference. It was a gorgeous ride, right along Puget Sound.
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Post by Katie on May 9, 2023 16:12:12 GMT
Bring snacks — I have had 2 people tell me there was no snack bar or meal service on their journey. Other than that, it sounds lovely!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 3:17:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2023 16:23:50 GMT
When I was a student at the University of Chicago, I took Amtrak back and forth home to Michigan. In my experience, trains are never on time. It always takes longer than you think. Once, I was on a train and a person threw themselves in front of it. We had to sit on the tracks for hours while they investigated the suicide. It was terrible. I was kind of in shock. This is why I'll never take the train. The train between Chicago and Michigan is cursed. Both of my kids had been stranded in Chicago after their flight from there to Michigan were cancelled so both decided to get on the train since there's a stop in my city. A three hour trip took 8 hours for one because of two separate incidents and the other took 5 hours because of a track delay. I could've drove to the airport and back in that time.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on May 9, 2023 19:53:57 GMT
Before we moved in together, I did the Amtrak from SW PA to DC to visit DH, and we've talked about doing it from DC to NYC one day.
My grandma, god love her, took her 5 daughters (ranging in age from my basically newborn mom to her oldest sister - I think they're 8-ish years apart? I don't know.) from Pittsburgh to visit her own mother in Texas. No thank you!
A colleague of mine did it from DC to LA - another no thanks!
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Post by librarylady on May 9, 2023 19:55:47 GMT
By law, passenger trains must give right of way, or get on sidings, for freight trains. That is the reason for some delays.
I would love to try an American train ride.
I have ridden trains in Europe and in Canada, but never in the USA.
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