I can't get it why my father always wants to go by car. I know the train does not go everywhere,but I tell him you can see places you can't see by ca. After every car trip he feels so tired,but on the train someone else is doing the driving so why should it matter if the train is running 3 hours late? 3 hours more=more relaxition and more time in the sleeper car or lounge car. Another benefit is the meals are good and reasonbly priced.

And also you don't have jetlag to deal with. Going by air although faster requires so much of one's time. You check in ,and then wait at the gate,and you have to sit in cramped seats for hours with no room to move. You cannot congregate in the aisle. Traveling by train is like taking a cruise.

We took many trains in Europe that were high speed and went without a hitch. Now I know Europe is lightyears ahead of the US but if one is on vacations can't you expect delays?

Also I will never go on a cross-country car trip because I despise motels. By the time you spend $40 dollars here $40 dolalrs here$300 on gas etc you can take the train in luxury. With my family I will take the train cross country, not my car. I mean even if the rooms are small on the train you can get up at anytime and sit in the lounge car. I find it fun relaxing late at night in the lounge car listening to music.

What is this "we're going cross country and we're going by car business?" Have you heard of rental cars? And If I am going to Disneyworld from Washington DC, I will take the Amtrak Silver Meteor down to Sanford only 30 minutes by car and take a Limo to the stations. Why hassle having a car in a big city . If I want to go to town I 'll take a taxi or bus.

Well If you could think of ways to get my father into chaging his attitude would be great? I tried now I need the experts at trainweb.com. If you can do it that would be great.

I am a die-hard railfan who enjoys walking to train stations in any city just to see the trains go by. I am willing to put up with any late trains on vacation. You see some people think of a late train as"Oh no I'll be home at midnight" But I on the other hand side with Steve Grande and most of the staff at Trainweb a late train just adds to my vacation. With cellphones this is not a problem I just call the person picking me up and voilla it works like clockwork.

And I love it because at the San Jose CA station one can driopp the person off and walk right out to the track in less that 20 seconds!!!

At Union Station it's only a 2-3 minute walk to the tracks from the car. Can airports boast this? I think not. With the security lines,people yelling at you to take your shoes off that's not my kind of travel unless I'm going somewhere and can only stay for a few days or am going to Europe or Hawaii.

I love waiting at LA Union Station or at the San Jose Train Station very relaxing,not too crowded. Man those chairs at Union Station are sooo comfortable,I can hookup my laptop and work or take a snooze.

And while I despise of the buses I'll take it if that's the only option. I am like Steve on this issue too,I would rather go by train.

It is not clear from your post if you are of the age when you freely travel on your own, or if you are still under your father's thumb, so to speak. If the former, I suggest you just go without him, and let him find his own way. If the latter, you have fewer options.

While I share your love of train travel, I can also sympathize with your father's position. There's a lot to be said for the freedom of the open road, for I enjoy that as well. I might suggest that, rather than convince him that train travel is better, you should find out why your father prefers driving.

It may be he likes the freedom, the ability to take unplanned side trips, or to stop and take pictures at will. He may just like feeling in control of his destiny, or perhaps he is afraid of not being in control (a common affliction among middle aged and older males). Maybe he likes to sample roadside diners.

Another tack you might take is to compare the cost of a road trip, motels, food, etc, to a sleeper fare. I think you'll find that it can be much cheaper to take a sleeper than to drive if an overnight stay is required. Plus you save time not having to stop and sleep. Our trip from Emeryville to Denver a few years ago cost a mere 32 cents per mile for two people, or 16 cents per person. That trip required only one night on a train, but would have required two nights in motels if we had driven. Father's can often be persuaded by looking at the financial side of things, but you need cold hard numbers.

Likely, the word "relax' is not in his lexicon; although likely both your Mother and yourself use it around him constantly.

Welcome to my world; you would not have wanted to be around my Father on a 1963 (42 years ago; pre-Amtrak) California Zephyr trip. "When, just when, is this thing going to get there????". "Gil, do you realize just how much money I could have earned if I were not stuck on this thing????"

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Originally posted by travelplus:
We took many trains in Europe that were high speed and went without a hitch.

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If your dad still hates trains after traveling by rail through Europe, you're not going to change his mind.

Several friends of mine rave about the glories of coast-to-coast travel by Greyhound and Trailways bus (it's cheap, you meet interesting / weird people, whatever). But whenever I take a long-distance bus anywhere, I reach my "I'm gonna go berserk" breaking point at about the 2.5 hour mark.

Clearly, my brain isn't wired to appreciate bus travel, and will never be. Your dad feels the same about trains. Don't bug him.

As for taking Amtrak across America versus going by car. . .

There's a lot to be said in favor of both modes of transportation. If you avoid the Interstates, driving can be as amazing as taking the train. Try doing both someday. You'll see.