I'm planning to spent the month of Jnauary, trotting round america by train. Now ive seen a lot of ameica over the past couple of years on various trip an had the idea in my head that i would just pick my start destionation and end and see what happends in between once i'm out there. I'm just a bit unsure with regards to having to reserve coach seats in advance and whether this would prevent my 'worlds my osyster' approach. Any ideas what i can get away with?
Cheers
Martin
Posts: 6 | From: North Norfolk, England | Registered: Oct 2007
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First Mr. Billing, even if you choose to travel Coach (a choice about which I would be thinking twice) and are using some kind of "pass" that is sold to foreign nationals, be mindful such is not a "pass" in the sense of that sold for many a European rail service.
Any Amtrak train, save a few select short distance services, is reserved and if I recall properly with some "passes", your itinerary must be booked in its entirety prior to departure. Be pleasantly surprised if such is different, but I think you should best plan your journey with the idea that your itinerary should be established in advance. Besides, outside of the Northeast and Southern California Corridors, the prevailing frequency is "one a day', which hardly means there are the opportunities there are with European travel to walk down to the station, then decide where you want to go.
Finally, think twice about your decision to use Coach. Sleeper travel is considerably more expensive (much more than the surcharge for such in the UK), but indeed "worth it". I've written much on this subject, as have others, at this Forum, and to repeat here would simply be a "broken record".
Posts: 9982 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Although booking is required i'm not required to book my entire trip beofe leaving. I will just have to present my pass in exchange for a ticket when i collect them from the station. I am aware of the of the frequeny (or lack) of Amtraks tarins and wouldnt expect to turn up with no idea, but i wanted to have a flexable approach of booking my first couple of routes and then seeing where i fancy next.
Although sleeper would be idea, i do have a budget. The pass cost under $500 for the month and i dont really fancy paying another $250 for a bed for a couple of nights. I can quite happily sleep where i lie my head.
M
Posts: 6 | From: North Norfolk, England | Registered: Oct 2007
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As an addendum to my earlier post on the Empire Builder thread -
Fortunately the Izak Walton Inn and Henry Clay Inn will not run you into the $250 a night range. Be mindful though that the train stations in Essex and Ashland are 'unmanned'. You would want to have your reservation and 'ticket out' of those two towns arranged before departing for those towns.
One other note - (aside to say that Mr. Norman's advice here is generally sound and respected) - if you do want to splurge for a sleeping accomodation on board a train, the City of New Orleans route generally has the lowest cost sleeping cars of any train in the system. Demand for space on that train is still considerably lower than it was before the hurricane two years ago. (There isn't much scenery to see from that train, however.)
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I'm not sure of the procedure with getting tickets when you have the pass, but I think you will have very little trouble getting coach seats close to the last minute in January, even to Florida or Texas. But you may have weather trouble getting where you want to go--frozen switches, snowstorms, and the like. Still, if you are flexible and figure on a couple of delays, just bring a book and some music and you'll be fine.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that in some of the busier stations with commuters, like Penn Station, Washington DC, Chicago, and Philadelphia, there can be a line at ticket windows, and your transaction will not allow you to use machines. So it would be better to get your tickets beforehand somewhat--for instance, on the day you arrive, not the day you leave.
If you go coach, I recommend a little travel pillow to supplement the one Amtrak gives you. Wear layers and be sure to bring scarf, hat, gloves or mittens in winter. Keep in mind some train cars can be overly heated or some might be cold. Also, comfortable shoes of course. And it's advisable to travel light. On a long trip like yours, you may want to do a laundry somewhere you stop over. See my post above (someone going to Portland) re more on what to bring.
Have fun . . . I think you will . . .
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I know you are on a budget, but be sure and check with the conductor when you board the train about availability of sleeping space. If space is available there is usually a significant savings over the published price.
On a trip from Chicago to LA last January there were quite a few sleeper rooms unoccupied. Don't forget sleeper includes the cost of all meals in the dining car.
While coach space might be ok on superliner trains I would not recommend it on the low level amfleet trains in the south. In the east you have the superliner Capitol Ltd to get you from the east coast to Chicago.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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While I mainly agree with Sojourner's comments on winter traveling, keep in mind the other end of the spectrum. In particular, if there is a bad snowstorm (say between Cleveland and Erie on the Lakeshore Limited) and airports and highways start closing and the train is six hours late but still running, the train will be sold out and you will be unable to make a reservation. Also, frozen equipment may make seating tight, especially on eastern trains that are exposed to more winter weather and have seen more deferred maintenance.
Posts: 391 | From: Schenectady | Registered: Jan 2002
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Sounds like a great trip. How old are you? you sound rather fit seeing how you don't mind about sleep and comfort. Do you have any time constraints? If not what the heck go for it. Could you spend extra nights if you can not get a train on a certain day. Are you thinking of just hopping of at some whistle stops? do you have a itinerary or just seeing which way the tracks take you. And Hey how come us YANKS can't get a rail pass?
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Well the pass is now booked so there is no turning back. The plan is as follows. New York - Boston- Portland - Buffalo - Chicago - Devener - Scaramento - Portland - Seattle - Chicago - Alberquerque - Williams junction - Grand Canyon - Las Vegas - LA - San Francisco.
Now that’s not to say that I won’t change it over the next few weeks. Still open to any suggestions. I'm going to plan to book the first weeks tickets before leaving the UK then book the rest a week in advance still giving me the option to change route while i'm out there. Aiming to pack as little as possible.
Tanner929 - I’m 22. Spent last January camping round Arizona, Utah and California so hoping i can stick sleeping on the train. I wont turn down any cheap sleepers though that do turn up.
Posts: 6 | From: North Norfolk, England | Registered: Oct 2007
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O K . . . 22. At 22 I could sleep on rocks and do fine. At 62 I probably could still sleep on rocks but after doing it would not be able to get up without help.
Posts: 2810 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Sounds lovely. I gather at the start that you are flying to NYC, taking the NE Corridor Regional train from there to Boston, staying there, then going to Portland Maine and staying there. Is there any particular reason for Portland Maine?
Anyway, I'm assuming that then you are going back to Boston in the morning to catch the Lakeshore Ltd west to Buffalo (via Albany), is that right? Keep in mind in Boston that you have to go from one terminal to another when you change from the Downeaster to other trains there.
May I ask, for what reason are you stopping over in Buffalo? I have never stopped/stayed there, but from what I hear and have glimpsed, I would not consider it in the first tier of American cities to visit, especially in January (Buffalo gets a lot of "lake effect snow"). Are you going there to see friends or in order to visit Niagara Falls? I don't know what the latter would be like in January.
Unless Buffalo is a must-stop place for you, what I'd suggest is that, on your way from the east to Chicago, you instead try to get to Washington DC (and maybe even Philadelphia). If you don't want to repeat your route, what you can do is catch an early Downeaster back to Boston, go to the other terminal in time to get the Boston spur of the Lakeshore Ltd that you planned on taking, but take it just as far west as Albany, and then catch a southbound train from Albany to NYC. This would have you do the 2 1/2 hours down the Hudson River (sit on the right side facing forward), much much nicer than going through western NY in winter, and something you are missing on your current itinerary. Unless you can do this trip on a Sunday, they will probably schedule you to catch the Maple Leaf in Albany, southbound from Toronto to NYC--and always late--but if you get into Albany and find out that you can switch to another southbound train (for instance, a late Lakeshore Ltd to NYC) by all means do so. At any rate, you would get into NYC latish, and I suppose have to incur the cost of another night there--but not necessarily. If you are adventurous, you can catch a night train to Philadelphia or Washington DC, or crash in Penn Station and catch one in the very early morning. Whether or not you stop for a night in Philadelphia (and there is a lot to see there, of historical interest perhaps to someone from Britain), I would definitely try to see something of Washington DC. The hotels are pricey but you should be able to find something--AND the museums are free. And if you caught a night train, you wouldn't even have to stay over (though you would be tired!) because whenever you are ready to leave DC, you would catch the Capital Ltd to Chicago, which leaves around 4PM (giving you almost a whole day there). The Capital Ltd hooks up with the same Lakeshore Ltd line in Cleveland and (theoretically at least) gets in to Chicago earlier than on the LSL.
I have heard that January can also be tricky for the Grand Canyon although as far as I know, the south part (the one you go to from Williams) is rarely if ever closed. However, if something happens and you have to adjust itineraries there, I do want to mention additional SW Chief possible stopovers Lamy for Santa FE NM (there's a little bus shuttle from Lamy into Santa Fe) though I'm not sure what it's like in January, and Flagstaff, Arizona, a college town where you can overnight cheaply. However, both those towns can have snow because of their elevation.
But, especially if you have weather trouble elsewhere, what you may want to consider is a little jaunt down to San Diego overnight from LA when you get there (and back). This should be better weather. Or a stop in Santa Barbara on the way up from LA to San Francisco.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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hey thanks for all that, it's great that you can give me so much advice. Was planning on meeting friends at buffalo who live just over the boarder. I was hoping on trying to get down to washington DC but didnt know if i could fit it in but think i should be able to. Been looking more into the Grand Canyon and i might give it a miss this time cause ive been twice before and its worth looking at something new. Been to Santa Fe, Great town, would be worth a 2nd look. Portland Maine was just somewhere which looked worth checking out. Wanted to have a look round Cape Cod but it didnt look to accessable with out a car?
Posts: 6 | From: North Norfolk, England | Registered: Oct 2007
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