Amtrak experience-do tell your train travel
 

Thinking of hopping an Amtrak from Chicago to Dallas for the xmas season. What has been your experience with train travel and can you share some insider secrets of train travel. I know the rooms are small etc.

Would love to hear about your experiences on trains.

Let's just say I'll never do it again!

Traveled from Chicago to LA and we couldn't afford a room. Just too seats, right at the door to the smoking car. God. It was awful. By the end of the trek I smelled like the worst stale cigarette ( I don't smoke and really get sick at the smell), the bathrooms were either flooded with feces/urine or vomit or both and the woman next to us with her babies gave up and let them sleep in the aisle.

It was, by far, the worst trip I've every taken in my life. The highlight? Well, there were 2. 1. At a stop, I jumped out and snuck into one of the sleeping cars and took a shower. (No showers on the other cars) And #2 - somewhere between Colorado and LA - as the train is in the middle of no where - there is this kid - about 9 or so with his pants down around his ankles, bare ass to the train pointing at his bum. My friend saw him, the boyfriend did not. And to this day I get tears in my eyes laughing about that kid mooning the train in the middle of no where.

No video games needed for that kid! :)

But that STILL doesn't make up for a horrible trip.

Get a sleeping car or don't go. Period.

Denise

We had sleeping car accommodations for the leg of the trip from Oakland, CA, to Eugene, OR, and I'd still say it was an experience I'd rather not repeat (but I would in a pinch). The worst of it was not being able to open a window for fresh air while sleeping and it felt cramped even for little 5'2" me. Although I liked the movement of the train, the frequent changes in speed woke me up all night. Maybe this is something one gets used to on longer trips? In the morning we went to the dining car and I thought, "Ah, isn't this lovely." It wasn't. We were seated at a table with a very strange fellow who kept staring at me and then covering his face. This was not Amtrak's fault but it wasn't the relaxing breakfast I had anticipated.

From Eugene to Seattle was a daytime trip so we sat in business class. I thought it was funny that they put business class at the front of the train because the whistle blows constantly at every road crossing. It was much quieter further back on the train.

Booking the trip was a pleasant experience though as were all our dealings with Amtrak personnel.

I took Amtrak from Eugene, OR, to SF and back, sitting in a coach seat, the cabins were sold out. Actually, I enjoyed it, although much of the trip was in darkness because it was winter. The way down was a little aggravating because there was an IDIOT sitting in front of me spinning all kinds of garbage to some girl he was trying to impress (telling her, for example, that Salem, OR, was 4,000 feet above sea level. And that he'd been a top ranked marksman for the "Oregon Army." arrghh). Without my music CDs to block out his blether, I probably would have hurled myself off the train after a few hours of that crap.
The way back was surprisingly pleasant, especially as we rode through the Cascades in the snow. I had a pretty good French toast breakfast and the staff were nicer than I'd expected.
I got a GREAT photo leaning out an open half door at the back of one car as the train went around a bend through the mountains in the snow. One of my favorite pictures.

First, find out of that route runs on tracks that Amtrak owns or tracks that is leases from commercial railroads. (On the Northeast corridor, they generally own the tracks)

There have been numerous stories in the Wall Street Journal recently discussing the logjams that are taking place in major rail centers because of an increase rail traffic at a time when several railroads are short trained crews. They highlighted how Amtrak has faced numerous delays in some regions because their trains have been held up to allow for freight trains to pass.

Train travel does have its benefits. But, first I'd find out from Amtrak the on-time record on that route.

BTW, I can spell, I just can't type.

I've done Amtrak sleeper service from: New York to Florida, New York to SC, and Boston to Richmond VA. Have also done coach service Massachusetts to Ohio. I will never do another overnight trip in coach again-- while there was a lot of leg room, I found it uncomfortable and distracting have to be in a seat all night. However, i have always enjoyed my trips in sleeper service. While it is not luxurious, I love it because I'm not sitting in a cramped airline seat with my knees in the seat in front of me. Yes, it takes longer than flying, but I make it part of my trip experience; I love looking out the window as the towns roll by. I feel like I get to see a lot more than if I just got on a plane and flew.

An 8000 mile train trip across/thru the US:

http://www.manyhighways.com/riding_a...rica/index.php

His trip is in progress at this time, and he's posting pix when he can.

My own first Amtrak was r/t from Schenectady NY to Orlando, back when NYS trains terminated at Grand Central. The train I was to ride to NYC was 8 hr late, meaning I'd miss my NYC-Orlando trip, and all the station manager would advice me is "call Amtrak". Amtrak told me to take another train to NYC, but that if I missed my connection I'd be on my own for lodging. Well, I made it (by minutes) and took a sleeper compartment. It was one of the old "1-person" compartments -- The bed was very narrow, 28", I think, and being a "sprawler" when I sleep I doubted who well I'd sleep. Well, "like a baby" it turned out. Gentle rocking, the sound of the wheels, the horn, the doppler effect of bells at railroad crossings. I enjoyed the "assigned seating" in the dining car - not only were we "forced" to sit with others, but the attendant would help break the ice by saying things like, "now y'all introduce yourselves, now!"

I've taken the train from Albany area to Williamsburg countless times, usually the overnight, and while I won't pay for a sleeper, I do find the extra $35 or so for "business class" from NYC south is well worth the extra money. The car was not open to regular coach travelers, and had a small cafe car available only to Bus. Class and those in the sleeper.

I write "was" because last year Amtrak ended that train at DC, requiring a transfer to another train for the DC/NewportNews route. I understand the old route has been reinstated - I stopped taking it when they made that change as I refused to make the trip with 3 different trains over 18 hours.

I enjoy train travel (can you tell?) as I find it more relaxing, and other travelers are usually more relaxed & friendly too ... but it's NOT for anyone with a "type-A" personality. You must be willing to "roll with the punches" as far as accepting delays and even cancellations (which usually mean a bus instead of a train).

One of my secrets? I often will board a train 1 stop before a major city, as when many people depart at that city, I can procure a "good" seat before those waiting to board get on.

We went on a sleeper car from Chicago to Boston. Had a great time. Kids had the little room, husband and I the larger room. Train does stop and start; wheels sceech. Take ear plugs and sleeping pills. Also have flexible itinerary at other end. Our train was 5 hours late, due to a major storm. As stated earlier, the trains are sometimes late as freight trains have precedence.

We often take Amtrak between Portland and Seattle. It is convenient, comfortable, inexpensive, and much less stressful than the roads. We send our kids back and forth to visit friends and family, also. We love Amtrak, and so do our kids!

We recently took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago and back. We had a sleeper (which I recommend) but we didn't sleep well because it's a very bumpy ride. The train does not travel on schedule. The equipment is in need of an overhaul and too many Amtrak employees are slackers.

On the trip out we had a surly waiter and bad food; on the way back the food was good and the service was excellent.

I do not recommend this form of travel. It is for people afraid of flying, grandparents entertaining children, and railroad geeks.

My parents took Amtrak from St. Louis to Dallas - ONCE. What you need to know is that passenger trains do not have right of way and there is only one set of tracks, so a lot of time is spent waiting for freight trains to pass. Their train arrived 4 hours late. Apparently that is quite common. They had brought food with them sufficient for the stated length of their journey. But with arriving 4 hours late they had to buy a meal on the train; with its sky high prices, it was almost as expensive as flying. They were really dreading that return trip home!

I travel almost solely by train and enjoy it. I'm not afraid to fly, not close to being a grandparent, and not a railroad geek. I just happen to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. As someone else on the thread said, the train is not good for type A personalities. I'm personally in no hurry when I'm on vacation.

Try this board. These people are admitted railfans, but they are upfront and honest about their Amtrak experiences. They don't gloss over the bad experiences, but they don't focus on them either.

http://www.railforum.com/cgi-bin/for...amp;LastLogin=

I rode Amtrak from Orlando to New York City and to say I hated the experience is putting it mildly. There weren't any sleeper cars available so we rode in coach. I remember having to choose a dining time and I remember having a choice of brown food or beige food. As the evening wore on the toilet became smellier and dirtier. I found it difficult to fall asleep so I watched the others in the car. Many were snoring loudly and or drooling. Would it be impolite of me to mention the other sound effects during the night? It was a good people watching experience though. There was a car that was packed all night with people smoking and playing cards. This was a period in my life when I didn't want to fly and I drove a car to Florida to leave at my condo. I remember thinking about 2 hours into the ride when we were still in Florida that had we flown home we would be approaching Newark! Twenty two more hours to go! My kids loved it though.

Here are a couple more links:

http://www.trainweb.org/travelogues/

http://www.accentontravelusa.com/tstriprep.html

The second link is particularly useful, as it is a page full of travelogues from a couple who travel Amtrak long distances several times per year. Also, the reviews range a span from a few months ago to as far as 4 years ago, so it's multiple experiences instead of one good trip or one bad trip.

In the 1990's, I was taking the Coast Starlight on its Oakland to Salinas leg regularly (about 4 times a year). Caught a bus shuttle from San Francisco over the Bay Bridge to the Oakland rail station. The train was NEVER and I mean never even once, on time in either direction. Ever spent four hours in the railway waiting room in Salinas? Not to be missed, ha ha. Compare this to a recent experience in Germany where I missed my train to Luxembourg - my day was not ruined, because unlike Amtrak, there was more than one train a day - what a concept! - on this route. Settled in with a book and some coffee and an hour and 15 minutes later I was on my way on the correct train.

The one good memory about going to Salinas on the morning run was that it seems the only place I ever seemed to see grits and eggs on the menu was in the Amtrak dining car. Looking at the Leslie Co. salt flats int the South Bay whilst breaking the yolk of my eggs was a pretty regular thing for a while...

I had to use Amtrak for few years battling my fear of flights... so let me put it this way: using Amtrak helped me A LOT to overcome my fears!

Just had to weigh in on this one.

Love (!) jimsheps' sweeping generalization: "do not recommend this form of travel. It is for people afraid of flying, grandparents entertaining children, and railroad geeks."

Um, not so, jimshep. We are none of the above. A few years back DH and I wanted to go cross country to see more of the USA. Driving would take too long, so we took trains from coast to coast, a 3-week trip. (DC - Chicago - Flagstaff AZ - LA - SF - Seattle - Whitefish, MT) We saw so much, have great memories. And sure, it wasn't all perfect (is any trip, ever?) But we met interesting people from many countries and all parts of the US, and saw the country as you never will on a plane, or even driving the interstate.

We did spring for a sleeping car which included all meals while on the train (and showers), and were glad we made that decision. Our ticket allowed stopovers at Grand Canyon/Sedona, San Francisco/Yosemite, Seattle. We ended the rail journey in Montana, drove thru Glacier NP and Yellowstone, then flew home from Billings.

And one more thing: <get out the soapbox> The reason Amtrak is continually challenged to provide decent service is that our fine elected representatives expect passenger rail in the US to be a profitable undertaking. Sorry, that's just not going to happen. Witness the UK rail problems since they privatized. Euro governments heavily subsidize their railways for many reasons, not least that good train service provides a travel alternative that reduces dependence on imported oil. </get out the soapbox>

Redshoe, check Amazon for good books on planning trips via Amtrak. We hope we will be able to do a trip like this again.

"not least that good train service provides a travel alternative that reduces dependence on imported oil."

Can you state that for certain? If you increase the frequency of train travel, aren't you simply substituting gasoline for disel fuel. As both are made from a barrel of oil, wouldn't you need to look at the relative burn rate for aircraft versus trains then factor in things like increased waiting time for cars now stuck at crossings.

Assuming the trains are electric and not diesel, wouldn't you need to generate more power?

Not tyring to put you on the spot, but merely suggesting that the answers are usually more complex than a simple "we'll use less oil."

Ryan
Don't know the fuel stats. I do know that Americans often forget the cost of road maintenance when discounting the value of mass transit. I-5 between Seattle and Portland (and all the way through California, I hear) is just falling apart. The bridges are poor, the roadway buckling. The traffic is far heavier than when the road was built. Accidents are frequent, delays can be long. Amtrak between the two cities, is almost always on time and takes about the same amount of time as driving. The trains are comfortable. There is lots of legroom. Many trains have movies on little screens, like on airplanes. Tickets aren't expensive and parking for drop-off and pick-up is free (even though, as of 2 years ago, you are supposed to pay in Portland, the machines were always broken so we never paid). Our kids' friends can come to visit and vice versa without their parents having to drive. We've taken it many times for many years.

Some of the people here must have ridden before Amtrak had nonsmoking cars. Many trains have been upgraded. For overnight, we used sleeper cars, which included meals. The room my husband and I rode on had a shower in it. We had priority seating and free meals as part of the cost. Our service was excellent on the run we took between Chicago and Boston.
All that said, we did do it for the experience, and I would only do it again on an overnight trip if I had time, as it cost as much as flying.

I think the idea of going to the train forum web sites is really good. Each train is different.

PS Sorry for the typos etc. I edit and don't check...

Don't worry, neither did I.

In terms of Amtrak, I don't doubt that some routes make more sense and that some routes can be profitable. The problem is that many of them are not. (Otherwise, Amtrak would be making money.)

I took an elective class in college called the Economics of Politics and Public Finance. We spent a great deal of time discussing the concept of cost benefit analysis and the relative value of projects. As we learned, the reality is that many times claims of "we'll save oil with x over y" or "if you recycle you save this" generally isn't that cut and dry. For example, the cost of road repair I-5 may or may not use less resources overall than if you run trains and factor in things like the steel to build more railcars, the cost to transport the steel rails, etc.

As with every economics course, we learned how to answer a question but always be able to say "on the otherhand...".

To start with, I've never taken an overnighter on a train. And I doubt I ever will, sleeper or no.

The longest afternoon/evening and biggest vacation blunder of my entire life was taking the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Houston. The trip was supposed to last 9 hours (noon till 9pm), so didn't think a sleeper was even necessary. Train left right on time out of New Orleans. However, there is a huge freight yard just outside of NOLA, and we were stopped for half an hour waiting for clearance.

Once we got going again, we had to stop for every single freight train, because, as stated above, freight has the right of way in the US. And some of those freight trains are wwwaaaaaayyyy long!

We did decide to eat in the dining car, and though expensive, was worth it. Took the early seating (by the time signup reached us, it was either first seating or something like 7pm), and got the beauty of a sunset. Plus the company of a very nice couple who had just boarded the train and provided some interesting and fun conversation.

Then....boredom. Absolute, complete, overwhelming, suicide inducing B O R E D O M! I tried to read, but with the jostling of the train (the engineer knew he was late into Houston so every chance he could, he was pushing the train as fast as possible) and other passengers attempting to walk down the aisles, I gave up. I tried to write in my journal, but the train was swaying so badly I couldn't write one line. I finally dug out my cell phone and played the games on it until I wore down the battery. And we were STILL 3 hours out of Houston....maybe...could be...can't tell for sure.

Train travellers (in coach, anyway) travel very differently than what I'm used to. Sleeping bags, pillows, coolers - just about everything they own, and sprawled out everywhere. The bathrooms were horrid. I happened into one where some one had been extremely ill and could not get to another one. The stench still lives on though it's been over a year ago.

If the train I travel on is on the East Coast, I'll do it and gladly. East Coast trains are terrific! The long haul? No, thanks. I'll go by plane or take a long road trip.

Oh, and the amazing thing was this. I took the train out of NOLA on Wednesday afternoon, spent an entire day Thursday in Houston, spent the night in Houston, caught an early morning flight to SF and then into Orange county Friday, which is home. Spent the night in my own bed on Friday and was out and about doing errands on Saturday, when - WOW! - I was stopped at a railroad crossing for the Sunset Limited! All I could think was - "Those poor saps!"

Truthfully? There are people who enjoy train travel and those who don't. I don't consider myself a "Type A" personality, and if I have patience and love long road trips, then that certainly isn't it. For me, it was being cooped up in a confined space with absolutely nothing to do. (Not to worry, I got the same feeling at the end of a 19 hour plane flight as well) I can sleep under almost any circumstances, but for some reasons this train thing just bugged. If some one hasn't done it, I think they should try it. But keep in mind that it's an individual kind of thing.

Ryan, I take your point: I'm not a wonk, I'm just opinionated ;) So no, I don't have any hard figures (though I bet someone does). Just seems common sense to me that you can move a lot more people between cities on one train than in a whole passel of cars.

I'm with Orcas on this one.

Never again, and I only went from Toledo to Chicago.

Like many of the other posters, I have experienced long delays. I have not had the experience of the terrible bathrooms that others have described. When I get on a train (and I do, often), I get on with the expectation it will be late and I am rarely "disappinted".

I still love train travel. One of the huge benefits is meeting a variety of great people from widely varying backgrounds. Another is the sightseeing along the way. Some AMTRAK routes are awesome and you can enjoy them as you never could if you were driving.

Having said all that, I still prefer VIARail in Canada to AMTRAK. They, too, are often late but their employees seem to have a committment to service that is rarely seen on AMTRAK. They also have rolling stock (train cars) with some character as opposed to the sterile AMTRAK cars.

To put my money where my mouth is, I have a double cross-country trip already planned for the fall. I'll be taking AMTRAK all the way across the country and VIARail all the way across Canada, plus some side trips, and I can hardly wait.

My husband and I made a cross country Amtrak trip a few years ago. At that time, you could choose from any route and make three stops for a period of up to 90 days. We got a sleeper, and the price included meals.

We went from Chicago on a central route through Colorado to California and up the coast. The stopping points we chose were Portland, Seattle, and Glacier National Park; and we traveled home on a northern route that went along the Canadian border through North Dakota and Wisconsin and back to Chicago.

We had not been to the Pacific Northwest and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I spent much of my time on board reading, while my people-loving husband spent most of his in the observation car chatting and playing cards. We enjoyed the scenery, the food was pretty good, and the service was quite satisfactory.

The only thing we would have changed, with hindsight, is to have flown home from Glacier. On the way out, everything was new and the scenery got steadily better. On the way back, it was old stuff and the scenery got more boring. It's not something we would do regularly, but we did meet people on the train who do.

It's been a few years since I took my overnight train journey: Portland, OR to Whitefish, MO, then, 5 days later, Whitefish to Wash, DC. A few things stand out in my mind: wonderful sleeping from the motion of the train (yes, I got a sleeper). A family in the sleeper next to mine and the one across from that--parents and two kids, who kept shifting beds all night. Thinking that having the compartment for one was fine, but two would have been awfully claustrophobic with the upper bunk brought down. A funny combined toilet and shower. Breakfast table mate with bad body odor. Mediocre food. Caught up on lots of reading.

redshoe-

I've taken Amtrak from Boston->Houston roundtrip in 1991, when I was in college. I did it just for the fun of it. The 1st leg was Boston->Chicago, then 2nd leg was Chicago->Houston (via Dallas). Amtrak has since got rid of the Dallas->Houston route. I was in a coach seat for both trips. I can tell you, I would never do it again. It was fun for a college person, for one leg, but I was dreading the return trip just because it was so darn long and boring.
I had made photocopies of a state by state map, and followed it along which made it somewhat more interesting. The train also stopped for a little while in St. Louis, enough time for me to get on the platform and take a look at the Arch.

Anyhow, if you decide to do it, I hope you're only doing it one-way, because the return trip is really boring as the novelty has worn off.

I love train travel in Europe (did an overnighter just this summer), but sad to say, Amtrak doesn't measure up.

Pluses & minuses:
Plus:
The scenery, depending on where you go (we did the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle and back). Incredible
Some of the compartments: we couldn't get the family room (BIG) or the big compartments, but lucked out with the disabled room, since no one had booked it, and it was big and included a toilet.
Good wine & cheese tastings
Interesting entertainment (including a magician).
Don't have to fly or drive (both stressful).
Decent food
Showers and toilets, for the compartments, were nice and clean.

The minuses:
Very expensive
Boring (especially if you do it both ways)
Very long (2 days)
Never on time (much worse than Italian trains, which are sometimes on time)

Don't worry about the smoking -- no longer allowed (and the same now goes for Italy, surprise, surprise -- although it's not really enforced on the IR trains)

Back when I was really little, we used to take the SuperChief from L.A. to Chicago, then another train to Washington D.C., and those trains (pre-Amtrak) were fabulous; rooms larger and comfy and nice friendly porters and attendants. I only wish they'd go back to the old ways.

You certainly have gotten enough replies, but I decided to add our experience. We took the Empire Builder from St. Paul, MN to East Glacier, got off for 4 days, then back on to Seattle. It was wonderful for so many reasons. It was less than wonderful for some other reasons. We got a sleeper with bath/shower. The only sleepers with bath/shower are two and one half bunks so we had two in each bunk. Very tight. I really didn't sleep but I liked being able to go to the bathroom in our private quarters. I especially liked it when my daughter (then 8) had to use the bathroom when we were out and about and used the train's public bathroom. It was disgusting with feces, etc.

The food was worse than mediocre. When you are in the sleeping cars you receive free meals in the dining car. The scenery in the dining car was wonderful when we went from Glacier heading to Seattle.

Our sleeping room was extremely tight. My husband made the comment that having big feet (size 13 poor guy!) was not conducive to train travel, but I replied "having feet is not conducive to train travel."

It was nice that we could play card games, etc. while looking at beautiful and sometimes breathtaking scenery. My kids absoulutely loved it. My daughter wanted to have lemonade stands for the whole summer to pay for another train trip.

I am picky. Super picky. Would I do it again? Maybe. There is something about train travel.......Good luck! I just think that Amtrak could make it so much better. Oh, I haven't any idea how anyone could take a shower. The shower is in the toilet area which when you shut the door....well it is probably as big if not smaller than an airplane's bathroom, so you would be showering over the toilet, everything. None of us ever took a shower. At least if we go again, I will know what to expect which really is important. Unrealized expectations are what ruins a vacation. Let us know what you decide.

I'm sorry, but if travel includes spending a night on the train it just isn't very pleasant even if you have a sleeping room. Also, most trains are old and ill-kept and too many of the staff are slackers. One is paying a big price in a sleeping car, and the service and class just isn't there. Maybe it's a different story for coach on a short trip.

Jimshep, Not to sound like a broken record, but our experiences were not as yours. The Chicago Boston run we took about 5 yrs ago was a new train and the attendant in the car we were in was no slacker. He was an amazing fellow who kept our kids entertained and delighted all with his smiles.
For the NW run between Seattle and Portland, Amtrak bought several "Talgos" from Italy. (I think that is what they are called.) These cars are roomy and comfortable.

As to the person complaining about the showers, we did take showers, no problem, even though the shower stall included the toilet. The head was removable, like in Europe. It was like being on a yacht, with every square inch being used.

We didn't consider jamming all four of us in one car. The kids had a less expensive sleeper with single bunks. We had the space with the 2 1/2 beds. My husband is tall, so he had the bottom double part of the bunk bed.

We had a tv with movies, space for reading, tables for cards, and the incredibly friendly car attendant mentioned above. We had long meals. We had an interesting time.

One must check out each train and each run. One should make one's decisions on research, not the anecdotal reports of others. Apparently there are variations in quality and also what people find acceptable.

Well, the train from Chicago to Dallas would be the Texas Eagle- I believe one person so far has ridden that train.

Wow- I have lots to think about- Maybe I should just do a one way-be sure to get a sleeper and hope for the best. If I go via train I'll be traveling with my 14 month old- which I'm hoping will be easier on him than air travel (and easier on fellow passengers) But I'm trying to weigh the travel times.

Thanks for all the "secrets"- sounds as if our train travels sure could use some improvements.

There are NO redeeming qualities to traveling by AMTRAK. NONE! I have had some of my worst travel experiences on AMTRAK. In fact, I strongly suggest you avoid any AMTRAK train on which I am a passenger as there is bound to be some type of problem.

Highlights would include:
1. AMTRAK train blows through the BWI station stop on way from DC to NYC. Operator realizes error further up the line and spends 1/2 hour backing up the train to get to the station. Train delayed almost an hour.
2. No A/C in summer or too much heat in winter. This seems to be the norm. On one particularly bad trip, I had to go between cars every 15 minutes to avoid frying.
3. Standing room only. Again, seems to be the norm on Friday afternoons on Northeast corridor trains. Worth it to pay for a seat on a Metroliner.
4. And last, but certainly not least...12 hours from DC to NYC in January 1996 after the big blizzard. Problem was not due to the snow, but several broken down trains we got stuck behind and electrical problems on several portions of track. Dead stop for over an hour at one point in NJ. No food left, no water, nothing.

I now avoid AMTRAK at all costs unless it is an absolute emergency and no other option is available.

Please read our recent train experience that I posted on this forum under "Amtrak Itinerary Critque with 85 yo." You can find this by posting Amtrak and reviews will come up. We were seasoned Amtrak travelers and had traveled all over the USA in the eighties and early ninties. Our recent experience was a nightmare. Our last long trip was with VIA rail in Canada and it was a pleasant experienc. Also suggest you go on Yahoo search engine and type in Amtrak Complaints. You will be surprised.

Redshoe, I think your idea of going 1 way by train (other by flying?) is excellent. As you can see, there has been a variety of opinions about Amtrak. If you like it, you can always go again. If you DON'T like it, maybe you'll give it another try in the future (or not). That way, even if you find you greatly dislike it, you won't be stuck on a return trip you hate.

Keep in mind that around Christmas & NewYears are VERY heavy Amtrak travel times ... you may wish to avoid the days the closest to the two holidays.

I think this goes to show you that people have different experiences on Amtark. Suggestion: If you've never exposed yourself to Amtrak before, take a really short trip first and, if you pay big bucks for a sleeping room, don't expect to sleep well or get great service. Here is a place where First Class means something other than what it means elsewhere.

Follow-up post for our readers(!):
The NY Sunday Times travel section yesterday covered 3 different train journeys (Coast Starlight, Moscow to St Petersburg, and train to Machu Picchu.

See <http://travel.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html> -- you may need to register, but it's free.

If I were you, I would strongly consider flying instead. We took Amtrak from Durham, NC to NYC and back with a 4-yr old. The ride up was fine, although long. The ride back was much more crowded, and some of the people were so unpleasant with their infants (practically beating them) that we reported them to train staff, and I actually thought hard about notifying a police officer at one of the long stops. I wouldn't expect your experience to duplicate mine, but consider the length of the trip. Our 4-yr. old did exceptionally well, but she is not 14 months old, and she loves to travel. I would not consider such a long journey with our 1-yr. old. I am guessing that you would also end up on crowded trains if traveling during the Christmas season. We returned home on the Friday before Easter, which definitely increased the crowding. We would do it again in certain situations for the cost alone, but flying saves so much time.

I think this thread has also shown you that people's experiences are also tied to their expectations of service and if someone gets crappy service on Amtrak, especially if they've paid a good bit of money, then they have a valid reason to be dissatisfied. However, that doesn't mean that Amtrak's service is uniformly bad. Just like restaurants, it depends on the staff. Some Amtrak attendants are surly and unhelpful and some go above and beyond the call of duty. Amtrak has hundreds of runs per day and there's no way that they're all bad.

As for boredom, that's also an individual thing. I've never been bored on a train. I take my music, games, puzzle books, and reading. Maybe I'm more easily entertained than others.

I've also never had trouble sleeping on a train. I sleep like a log and I'm a person who wakes up several times during the night at home.

Personally, I wouldn't take Amtrak during the holiday season. The holiday crowds are quite taxing on an underfunded system. However, if you decide to do it and it's a bad experience, I would hope that you wouldn't write off Amtrak after one bad trip.