posted
I would like comments on a plan for a one-person one-way rail 'escape' from Phoenix, AZ to Providence, RI. I am very familar with the Northeast corrior service, but am very unfamilar with the midwest area and need some advice.
Peliminary questions I have are which routes I should I take, and how I can minimize the fare/rail costs. (estimate of cost?) My thoughts include switching to coach once I hit the last leg of the journey (DC? NY?)
Also, I'm I just nuts or would this really be cool? The longest rail trip I have done so far is the Night Owl (now called the "Twilight Shoreliner") and I loved every moment of it. It would only be one-way (I'm not that sadistic) and I've never seen the midwest/southwest by ground.
posted
As a train lover who takes cross country trips once a year, you are definately not nuts!
Do you want a round trip? Suggested route Eastbound...you ll have to take a thruway connection bus from Pheonix to Tucson..then get on the Texas Eagle to Chicago(great rate on the sleeper) Once in Chicago,for a scenic ride through some beautiful country,try the Cardinal. The Texas eagle and the Cardinal only run three days a wee,s you'll need a little planning here. The Cardinal goes to washington DC. Overnight it there and then head on of themany Northeast Directs to Providence.
If you have the time,on the return take the Lake shore Limited from Boston(a short ride from Providence(,then transfer to the City of New Orleans in Chicago(another inexpensive sleeper) take the City of NO to New Orleans,overnight it there and head back on the Westbound Sunset Limited to tucson and te bus back to Pheonix. You ll only be repeating the San antonio-Pheonix portion,but it will be daylight most of that trip. Coming out you were in darkness(if the train was on time) from East of elPaso to San Antonio.
There are other ways to do this,but if you have the time,I think you'll find this itineary interesting.
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I also certainly don't think you're "nuts!" This would be a great idea; I wish I had the opportunity to take a long journey by train.
First of all, some other suggestions for route: the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, Crescent to NYC and then a local train to Providence.
Or get yourself up to Flagstaff by bus and take the Southwest Chief to Chicago, then the Three Rivers to NYC (it's much better than the Lake Shore Limited in my opinion) and a local to Providence.
Or use the Capitol Limited from Chicago to DC: it's faster than the Cardinal so you don't have to overnight in DC, costs less, runs daily, but is just as scenic if not more.
My point is, you could do LOTS of different journeys to get to Providence, and you'll have to decide on something. Good luck!
As for cost, I know it will prohibitively expensive in sleeper unless you are rich. Unfortunately, I think you'll have to go coach all the way; that expensiveness is one of things I dislike most about Amtrak. But it's actually not as bad as it sounds; the seats are comfy and recline a LOT.
posted
Thanks for your replies - I'm surprise you are recommending a round trip - I figured it would be too much in such a short period of time (within a week or so to return.) Are there any pricing advantages for a round trip?
Looking at the timetables, planning such a trip might be difficult. There could be significant layovers between such long lines. A question - What happens if a train "very late", causing me to miss a connection? As I head east, the frequency of the trains increases, but coming back could be dreadful...
I heard they are prototyping the new high speed service finally. A few years ago I used to live in Kingston, RI (about a 5 minute walk from the station - I'd hear the trains at night) They had put the eletric towers when I was still a student at URI there. I know that they have not put the new engines into service yet, but I was wondering if you know if the electric engines that serve the DC/NY area can now use them to travel the whole NE corrider? One (sometimes significant) delay I used to have was the switch from diesel to electric and back to diesel when traveling that line.
quote: Thanks for your replies - I'm surprise you are recommending a round trip - I figured it would be too much in such a short period of time (within a week or so to return.) Are there any pricing advantages for a round trip?
I don't think that there are any special deals that make the round trip cheaper, but a USA Rail Pass might save money in general. You can find more info on this at Amtrak.com.
quote:Looking at the timetables, planning such a trip might be difficult. There could be significant layovers between such long lines.
Well, you do have a lot of options for route; you could just find one that doesn't have extraordinarly long waits.
quote:A question - What happens if a train "very late", causing me to miss a connection? As I head east, the frequency of the trains increases, but coming back could be dreadful...
Amtrak will "guarantee" some connections by busing you to catch up with the train, but others with less connecting time are not guaranteed. Try to avoid connections this close in general, because if something goes wrong, it is not fun...
quote:I heard they are prototyping the new high speed service finally. A few years ago I used to live in Kingston, RI (about a 5 minute walk from the station - I'd hear the trains at night) They had put the eletric towers when I was still a student at URI there. I know that they have not put the new engines into service yet, but I was wondering if you know if the electric engines that serve the DC/NY area can now use them to travel the whole NE corrider? One (sometimes significant) delay I used to have was the switch from diesel to electric and back to diesel when traveling that line.
Yes, there is now electric service on the entire NEC from DC to Boston--it took long enough! However, as of now there are only two or three all electric runs in each direction each day because of an engine shortage.
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