Amtrak auto train - update (pics removed to accommodate site
Sept 4, 2019 0:13:22 GMT
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jenjie likes this
Post by sassyangel on Sept 4, 2019 0:13:22 GMT
We took Amtrak from Minot, ND to Whitefish, MT the other week, it was a full day trip there - leaving at 9am and arriving at 9pm with one time zone change. We learned a lot on the way there to make the trip home better. Although it was much better than we expected.
Seats have much more leg room than a plane, although I’m with the person who found them uncomfortable after a few hours.
We ate in the dining car for lunch, and found the food bland and expensive. So we stocked up on bringing food to eat on the way back.
I didn’t have to use the bathroom on the trip either way, so I can’t speak to the cleanliness of them.
The train (Empire Builder) had no WiFi despite it being advertised, although having read how next to useless Amtrak WiFi is, I’m not sure that’s much of a loss. Cell coverage is pretty spotty and bad in the northern half of Montana, so bad WiFi might’ve been better than nothing. 😂
The observation car was constantly filled all day by people with sleepers, which was mildly annoying. Normally, they enforce the no camping out there all day rule to allow everyone to get a turn, but they didn’t on ours.
Overall, it was fun for a change. We were going to Whitefish to Glacier National Park for a few days and it’s stunningly beautiful, although crowded. And it was nice not to have to drive there, although train travel is tiring in its own way. I’m not sure I’d want to go longer than 12 hours on it. The people who already been on it 24 hours by the time we got in, looked a bit rough.
Interesting observation, the train both ways had a lot of Mennonites traveling on it in groups. They were having a great old time playing canasta and stuff. We were wondering if was because they weren’t supposed to fly, or if train travel was just more cost effective or convenient for them.
Seats have much more leg room than a plane, although I’m with the person who found them uncomfortable after a few hours.
We ate in the dining car for lunch, and found the food bland and expensive. So we stocked up on bringing food to eat on the way back.
I didn’t have to use the bathroom on the trip either way, so I can’t speak to the cleanliness of them.
The train (Empire Builder) had no WiFi despite it being advertised, although having read how next to useless Amtrak WiFi is, I’m not sure that’s much of a loss. Cell coverage is pretty spotty and bad in the northern half of Montana, so bad WiFi might’ve been better than nothing. 😂
The observation car was constantly filled all day by people with sleepers, which was mildly annoying. Normally, they enforce the no camping out there all day rule to allow everyone to get a turn, but they didn’t on ours.
Overall, it was fun for a change. We were going to Whitefish to Glacier National Park for a few days and it’s stunningly beautiful, although crowded. And it was nice not to have to drive there, although train travel is tiring in its own way. I’m not sure I’d want to go longer than 12 hours on it. The people who already been on it 24 hours by the time we got in, looked a bit rough.
Interesting observation, the train both ways had a lot of Mennonites traveling on it in groups. They were having a great old time playing canasta and stuff. We were wondering if was because they weren’t supposed to fly, or if train travel was just more cost effective or convenient for them.
