Train vacation!

[Oceanic]

Tonight I'm taking the train to my sister's house, one province over. I'm sooo looking forward to the trip. No stress of winter driving, no airport security crap, just lovely scenery and good food!

My coworkers seem surprised that anybody takes the train anymore - it's "too slow". I bet that there are kindred spirits here who are train lovers.....

So, what is your experience with train travel? Do you do it often? Likes / dislikes?

I'll start:

I've taken the train a few times (Via Rail in Canada) since my sister moved to a little town in Alberta that's on the train line. It is slow, but it's beautiful, and comparable cost-wise to flying (since I would still need to rent a car to drive to her place from the closest airport).

The food is great, and you get to meet interesting people. The only downside is the schedules - the train I need only runs a few times a week, and is often delayed.

[CathyA]

I love trains! At least the old european ones. They were the ones that had compartments on one side, and then an isle on the other side, so you could get up and walk around. I spent a couple summers traveling in Europe long ago, using eurail passes and I loved it. I wish they had more functional trains now in the U.S. They've turned alot of the old rail lines into hiking paths.
Have fun on your train ride!

[ApatheticNoMore]

Pros
- You do meet a lot of interesting people. They tend to be older than I am (retired probably), but it's all good. Trains are a great place to meet people even for a definite introvert like me
- It's not as physically exhausting as driving
- It doesn't put any mileage or deprecation on the car, plus no fear you will crash your car because you are in an unfamiliar place
- no TSA nonsense. No "we want naked pics so you can travel". None of that stupid evil BS rights invasion. Traveling like a person who has freedom of movement!
- no fear of the plane crashing (well hey the train could crash but .....)
- it is without a doubt the greenest mode of travel, no worry "ok my vacation just destroyed the planet"
- sometimes there is nice scenery. It depends on the route. The train up the California coast is SPECTACULAR. It goes right by the coast, miles and miles of waves just lapping on the ocean. And I have often laid down and just stared at them. Oregon was way more boring (no offense to Oregon, which is a beautiful state, but the train just goes through dense trees the whole time, you really can't see anything).
- traveling first class on trains is great. Oh you'll pay more for it for sure. But you'll get free wine tasting, free meals, sometimes a viewing car just for the first class people, etc.. You feel "treated", and though it's not super cheap, neither do you need to be a rich.
- Love those old train based resorts, although Glacier National Park is the only one I can think of. The train goes right there. And then you stay in the lodge, get around by shuttles. Cars, who needs em?
- Far truer picture of the lay of the land than from planes of course. See what your country (or another country) really is.

Cons:
- I've taken Amtrak. The trains never run on time. I used to joke: we have a fascist in the white house and the trains still don't run on time! (maybe that joke is still apropo, but it was created for W :)). The thing is the train schedules are created for an IDEAL schedule, the train would arrive at a certain place at a certain time under ideal conditions. But chances are conditions are NOT ideal. Freight trains have the right of way (also symbolic of everything in this country: business takes priority over people). What this means is that passenger trains are always pulled over (and thus miss their ideal scheduled times) for freight trains. If you can accept that the scheduled time is not the time you will arrive you are golden. Really it takes a kind of zen acceptance: I will arrive when I arrive. I am exactly where I need to be. Be here now (here is stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere for 1/2 hour waiting for a freight train to pass :)). Really this seems the PROPER attitude to have on vacation anyway, you may spend the rest of the year chasing deadlines, but not then.
- Yes it is slower than air travel (I mean duh). I think it takes two overnights to Chicago say (from here). Yes, it's slow.
- if you get a sleeper (which you will want for overnight travel unless you are really into doing without) it is more expensive than flying/driving
- I have gotten sick with colds a few times from trains (from being in that enclosed environment for long periods of time)
- I don't always sleep well in the sleeper

[JaneV2.0]

I ride between Seattle and Portland on a regular basis--mostly business class on the Talgo, where I can sit in a single file seat, alone with my thoughts. It's infinitely more civilized than flying--no porno screens or sardine-can seating, no endless lines... the view is pleasant, and I can have a tasty snack or a drink and leaf through fashion magazines while I watch the scenery roll by.

By the time you find your way to an airport, wait endlessly, and find your way from airport to destination you haven't saved much time by flying such a short route. You've spent more money and endured more hassle. Not worth it.

[Bootsie]

I've taken the train on a few vacations and LOVE IT. It's so much more civilized and comfortable than flying. I have experienced some delays, but nothing as bad as sitting on the tarmac in an airplane for hours. I can't think of one negative thing to say about my train travel experiences here in the USA.

[Gina]

I love train travel. I love the sound and love looking out the windows for hours. I've traveled lots on European trains on several trips with various rail passes and loved the convenience, though it's been a number of years since the last trip. I was also on a Japanese bullet train and that was quite an experience. Whoosh...

My experience with US trains is much more limited, but as a kid we crossed the country a few times. Also been on Pacific Coast trains a bit.

One of the things we always did was to bring our own food such as sandwiches that kept, and nuts and dried fruit, granola bars, etc, to save money. I also would carry a water bottle, but that is almost everywhere.

Have fun!!!

[razz]

I travelled from Niagara, NY to NYC arriving at Penn Station and would never fly. It was a treat the whole way, relaxing and peaceful with time for reading and contemplation. The same time period by air would have had me stuck on a Jetgo flight for many hours until it was safe to fly. No comparison and the fuel consumption is way less which is in line with my principles of leaving the world better for future generations.

[kally]

I also like VIA rail, but thought it was quite pricey. Is this costing you more than flying. My family took the train across Canada and back when I was a child and it was lovely.

[jennipurrr]

I've only taken the train in the US once and I enjoyed it...DH on the other hand, not so much. The train was delayed by about 2 hours, which wasn't horrible because we live 10 minutes from the train station and the automated system told us when it was scheduled. One crappy thing about our train station is that it is not in a particularly safe area to leave a car (no secure parking), so we had to have someone drop us off and pick us up. So then we get going and get delayed a bit more due to freight trains...we get into New Orleans about 4 hours late and were worrying a bit about checking into the hotel, but all was well. That is something that could have been a mess though. I liked the ride, watching the scenery and the towns, and then coming into New Orleans at the time (2007) you could really get a good view of the devastation from the hurricane. We met some really interesting people, among them, a group of Mennonites going to help the storm victims. One great thing about taking the train to New Orleans is no parking. Parking is about $30/day...so for us a train ticket cost less, especially when you factor in gas.

We are going back in a couple weeks and I was up for the train but DH wanted to take the car :( We are going to check out some different parts of the city and decided to have a car this time, but I definitely want to do the train again.

[mira]

I use trains all the time. They're my preferred method travel. More expensive than flying, but well worth it since it means you get to avoid all that extra airport hassle. But then again, everyone uses trains here.

When I worked at the tourist information here, a Texan enquired as to how he could get to a golf tournament. I told him to take the train then change onto a special shuttle bus. He looked at me wide-eyed and said in his best Texan accent "The TRAIN?! Now THAT'LL be interesting!"

I love how our cultures are worlds apart sometimes!

[IshbelRobertson]

I'm iwth you,Mira - I use trains a lot - and much prefer it. I can work at the table, have a great lunch/dinner on the train - even take the sleeper for an early morning meeting, if required. Oh, and the scenery is second to none!

[Gina]

The UK train system is really great. I've had a UK train pass a couple times and it's a really good value for getting about to far-flung places. Once I planned a 5-6 day trip on your trains from my home in California. I found the schedules online and was able to fit many wonderful places into the plan. The timing required relative precision so we were able to efficiently go from one end of the land to the other.... and be back in time to queue for Wimbledon the first day. ;)

And, yes, the scenery is just wonderful!

[dado potato]

I've ridden trains in UK, Netherlands (the cleanest), Canada, and USA. I agree with the observation that they can be pricey ... especially if you want privacy and comfort. A little while ago I watched a DVD about the Ghan train in Australia, and it rebooted my urge to be "en voiture"!

When I have the money...

[bicyclist]

I have not only taken trains in the U.S. but Canada. I took VIA from Montreal to Monction New Brunswick and a bus to Prince Edward Island and back. It was a great trip! I met the usual retirees but there were people commuting once per week from Nova Scotia to Montreal and back.

People from Cape Breton told jokes about people from New Foundland and vice versa. It was fun despite the length of the trip about 1,000 miles.

I have also taken the Adirondack from New York to Montreal and back. A very scenic ride through the Adirondacks and by the shores of Lake Champlain. It took about 10 hours each way but I felt it was worth the time.

Sicnerely, Bicyclist

[screamingflea]

I did most of my train riding as a child in Japan. Now they REALLY have their train act together - they leave on time right down to the second, the seating is wide open and comfortable, many with rotating seats so groups can sit at wide tables, and all the major stations have HUGE carryout meals of Real Food. Train travel there was party time once you got on board - people drank like fish and generally caroused until they stumbled out at their destination.

Here in the states, I rode Amtrak during my college years a lot. Much more staid (sigh ...) What I liked most about it was that even in cattle class you can walk around freely from car to car and get some exercise. You can still buy food, and the "scenery" car is nice with 180-degree glass for great views. I remember they sometimes showed movies on those cars too.

It's been a long time since I took the train, but now that I've sold my car I'll probably do it again. Under the circumstances I flatly refuse to fly. Now that I live in the PNW I understand that train travel is much more accessible and efficient. We'll see how it goes.

[sbagirl]

I’ve only taken one “real” train trip, and it was a roundtrip on Amtrak from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg, to pick up a rental car and drive to Kingston, PA – just to get a free breakfast! There’s a long story behind that trip, but suffice it to say that it was well worth every minute of travel and every penny it cost.

We went through the infamous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, where you can see the front and back of the train at the same time. On the way out to Harrisburg, we had a very funny “coach attendant” (or whatever she was called), who pointed out numerous things we should see. In addition to the aforementioned Horseshoe Curve, there was a small replica of the Statue of Liberty in a lake and several other things which I’ve forgotten.

[mira]

The best train journey I have been on was from Lisbon in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I did it over the course of 3 or 4 days and it only cost me 30€. Amazing value. I wish trains here were so inexpensive!

[Delaney]

I took trains all over Africa during and after my Peace Corps tour in Africa. I went to Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Dar Es Salaam and a few other places by train---always in sleeper compartments. The trains are slow, but beautiful and cheap. Even today, it is just $10 US for a first class sleeper compartment to Victoria Falls. http://www.seat61.com/Zimbabwe.htm