I have long wanted to travel coast to coast via rail. Getting off the train a night to sleep in a hotel (maybe sightsee in the area for a day or two) and then get on a train again to continue the journey. Has anyone done this? Is it expensive? Is it just a dream? P.S. I don't want to use a sleeper car because I don't want to miss any scenery. Thank to all who respond.

Traveled AMTRAK from LA to Florida, Florida to
Wash DC, Wash DC to Chi, Chi to Seattle in '95.
Paid for sleeper car and it was well worth it, no
significant scenery was missed. Travel at night
was thru less scenic areas. Included meals,
privacy and comfort were well worth the cost.
AMTRAK regularly offers zone fares that are very
reasonable, check with the agent. Be sure to
pick up book which details stops and sights on
all the routes - like having a tour guide as you
travel. I would definitely do this again.

Hi, PJ. We had a totally opposite experience than T when we traveled from Memphis to Chicago in 1996. We found Amtrak to be HORRIBLE! Let me say it again, IT WAS HORRIBLE! The personnel could not have been more unaccomodating. That is, while we were making our reservations and once we got on the train, we saw our porter once and never again. The trash in our sleeper had not been emptied. We were short on linens. The food was yuk. The ride was rough. The sleeper car cost only $85 more for the two of us. The sleeper is 3-1/2 by 6 and is bunk beds. Some are larger but the price really jumps up with the size. The fare was definitely cheap. $124 each plus $85 added to one fare for the sleeper. The rails were so rough on this route we were praying for the trip to be over. We have talked with others who have told us that this is not the case if you travel out west. In nutshell, we concluded the route we took was worse than other routes but still I can see how the rails might be better but I would be surprised to find that bad attitude is not company-wide. Unfortuntely, it was apparent that this is a business that is in big trouble financially. By the way, we are EXTREMELY adventuresome. Good luck.

I've done this trip a number of times on many different routes and couldn't possibly recommend it more highly. It sounds to me like the previous poster had a particularly unfortunate experience which, I can assure you, is not the Amtrak norm. I love to sleep on the train, but if this is not your cup of tea you have lots of great options. If you choose the Northern route, make sure to stop in Essex MT at the Izaak Walton Inn -- literally trackside. It is cozy, rustic, great food, sauna, and the nicest people you ever met. They can rent you a car to get out and see Glacier National Park. Early Fall and Summer are the best -- winter is great if you like to X-country ski.

If you're doing a Southern route, you can't go wrong by staying over in New Orleans. Tucson is also lovely -- stay at the Arizona Inn; pricey, but beautiful and restful.

If you take the Zephyr, try stopping off at Glenwood Springs.

Feel free to e-mail me back with any specific questions about Amtrak. I've traveled almost all of their routes and have loved every minute of it. Have a great trip!

Sarah, just out of curiosity, have you tried Amtrak for the Chicago/Memphis route? My guess is, you have not. I would love to agree with your evaluation (and many other people who say the same as you) but either it takes more to make us happy or else that Chicago/Memphis route is something different from the rest. It was truly the pits! We had heard so many great things about Amtrak before our trip and that may be why we were totally surprised and disappointed at what some people call luxury. Regardless of the route, the reservation agents were the rudest I have ever found anywhere. You are certainly entitled to your evaluation but I don't want my experience put off as just a unique, bad experience because I am firmly convinced that is not the case on this particular route.

Have not traveled Amtrak in a sleeper car, so I cannot speak to that. I have traveled the route between Savannah Ga and Wash DC...daylight hours...and found it most uncomfortable and unclean. I ask you...how few bathroom trips do you think you can make in a 14 hour time period...or how long can you hold your nose while you heed nature's call in a urine-soaked, toilet-paper strewn toilet? Passenger seats are close together...much like airplane coach, maybe slightly more generous...conversations from nearby passengers become entertainment, not eavesdropping. I'll be desperate before I do it again!

I took Amtrak from Seattle to Sacramento, and from Sacramento to San Francisco. I had a great time! The people were friendly, the seating was great, with plenty of room, and the scenery was nice. It was a 14 hour trip, and I did sleep in my seat, so I did miss some scenery at night, but I really enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend Amtrak to anyone. By the way, the trip to SF from Sacramento was very interesting to someone who drives it all the time; a different route made it fascinating.