poodle13905

My husband and I are moving from New York to California and trying to figure out how to get ourselves across the country. I have this crazy idea that we can take Amtrak from Syracuse to Los Angeles, in about 3 days, for about $750, and with a relatively generous luggage allowance.

We are in our 30s. I had always thought that trains were for old people and those with a fear of flying, but for some reason it is suddenly striking me as romantic and memorable.

Am I NUTS? Has anyone done a cross country train trip like this lately? and what are the trains like (sleeping conditions, food, etc.) With the cost of airfare and driving these days, maybe we are heading for a resurgence of train travel and I'm just ahead of the curve!

traveler24

Recently went from chicago to LA in Coach seat...
Never again....Next time I will get a "roomette" It is small but at least I could lie down and a door to shut out noise.
I think it would add a bit to the regular "coach seat" price..but worth it for me...
your whole trip --Coach to chicago and roomette Chicago to LA would be a little over $1,000
With roomette ,your meals will be included.
I am sure someone will add that Amtrak is always "late' At least out west....
Let me explin "roomette" - large window with two big lounge type chairs face each otrher -which fold down to make a very comfortable single bed. however the other "bed" pulls down and occupant must climb into it and ends up with face about 2 feet from overhead. Bathrom down the hall and shower on lower floor.
I would stiil choose this over coach seat.
Remember this is a view from person over 50..
The scenery is awesome especially from the "vista Dome" and would certainly be memorable

Gardyloo

Just for fun, price out a rental car for one way and add an allowance for hotels and meals, then compare the two.

One problem with Amtrak is they run all night, making the scenery outside somewhat invisible.

It can be romantic and memorable on the train. It can also be a pain.

Dayle

When we were little kids, we would take the train from LA to SLC. They had pullman cars where there were actual bunk beds, 4 to a cabin and a private bath. We thought it was the greatest to climb the ladders and drove our Mom crazy!

Don't they have those anymore? The beds would fold up and back into couches during the day.

gail

In my opinion, you are nuts. While there are some who have reported back here some positives about such a trip, it does not strike me as a good use of your time and money for this purpose.

First choice - drive, either your car or a rental. When one moves there is always stuff that you do not want to or can not put into the moving van. That usually goes into the car. Cost is less than train, perhaps more than flying - but flying has other hidden costs.

Second choice - fly. In this case you will either need to deal with putting more in moving van, ship stuff, pay extra baggage allowance or combination. But if you own a car that is making the trip, you need to pay to ship that. You will then arrive sooner than your moving van, so any money you save on hotels during a drive cross country may be made up by having to stay in hotel upon flight arrival.

I see the train option as having most of the disadvantages and none of the advantages of the other options.

happytrailstoyou

It will be memorable, but not romantic. Two summers ago we had a roomette round-trip between Seattle and Chicago--a cure for fear of flying.

I like he one-way car rental suggestion.

Daniel_Williams

I'm in my 30s and I took Amtrak from DC to San Francisco about 2 years ago. I think I'm in a small minority but I just loved the whole experience. From meeting people in the dining car to the incredible scenery: panoramic views of the Colorado Rockies, Glenwood Canyon, Sierra Nevada to the National Park Services guides, I will treasure this experience always. (Of course, you're on a different train to LA.) I slept well, but not everybody does. Expecting delays on the order of several hours, I was not frustrated about them like some other passengers. For that distance, I couldn't imagine not taking a roomette. The food varied in the dining car, not gourmet but sometimes not bad either, but generally I didn't have issues with it.

I tend to recommend people try a shorter overnight (with a roomette)to get a sense if they would like the train experience (Syracuse--> Chicago for example) before embarking on a 3-day journey. Some like me love it but for others, the experience seems akin to torture the way they talk about it! (Even sometimes people on the same train eating the same food as myself.) As for me, I'm trying the Chicago-Seattle route this month, so clearly something keeps drawing me back...

Good luck whatever you decide.

nytraveler

I think you need to have a look at home much stuff you can really take on the train with you. Those tiny roomettes hold practically nothing.

Plus - based on all the stories of the awful food, long delays and miserable conditions of the toilets you couldn't pay me to do this.

Why not drive and be comfortable, sleeping in real beds, eating decent food - and carrying a lot more than on a train?

happytrailstoyou

Daniel has a good idea, but on a short trip you may not encounter several long delays while your Amtrak train waits for freight trains to pass and you may not have to put up with a cabin attendant who hides out in a vacant sleeping room while you and other passengers fend for yourselves.

And, if your luck is really bad, you may find in the dining car the surly waiter who introduced unnecessary unpleasantness into the Chicago-Seattle leg of our journey a couple years ago.

stokebailey

I like Amtrak travel. Though a sleeping compartment would obviously make it way more comfortable, it's doable to go coach. All your luggage does not need to fit into your roomette. There are racks near the doors.

However, be prepared for inconsiderate cell phone chatters in the middle of the night, the occasional crying babies. I took ear plugs, eyeshade mask, benadryl last time we took an overnight coach. I'd be more assertive next time and politely ask people to be quiet at night. Apparently there is nowhere else for people to hang out who want to say up all night (budget issues probably, no staff to monitor to lounge car?)

suze

Does that $750 cover two people and a private sleeper cabin?

sheri_lp

It may sound like a nice idea BUT I did 21-hr train trip once and it was memorable but not for the reasons you think (motion sickness, closed-in with all kinds of people for that long...too much). Hire a moving company to take out your stuff and take a plane and you'll be there in a few hours, and then later if you decide to take a train trip you can do a short one from LA to Santa Barbara for that romantic feeling.

dfr4848

poodle - I don't think you're nuts, but like Dan, I'm probably in the minority. I think it depends on your likes/dislikes, prioirities and how much time you have.

If you're under time constraints, train probably isn't good idea. They are often late thanks to freight companies delays/priorities. If you want a relaxing trip and see some beautiful parts of the US, the train is a great way to do it. Both the routes to SF and LA have some great scenery. We've always enjoyed it and don't commit to a schedule when we've elected to take the train; we have always found the bedrooms comfortable, very relaxing, great way to meet people, and food quite good.

I agree with Gardyloo - price it out and see if there's a significant difference.

From at least Chicago, I'd definitely consider roomette/bedroom, which includes all meals. Right now, I'm having trouble accessing Amtrak's web site, but will get back with further comments when I can.

jannyo

We crossed the U.S. by train a couple of years ago. Both of us used to love to fly, but now find it a big hassle. We left from Salt Lake City then went north across the Rockies (spectacular) to Chicago, NY City and then on down the coast to West Palm Beach, FL. We had a wonderful time, however, we did have a private pullman w/bath. I would not do a long trip any other way. The meals were good, but the selection was small, and did not change from train to train. We got very tired of salmon. On a train, you see the worst of the cities and miss a lot of scenery traveling at night. Since that time we have driven from WA state to FL three times. We prefer the drive. I would take the train again if it wasn't so expensive, and if I could get off along the way, staying at my choice of places for a couple of days along the way.

FainaAgain

2 years ago I did Chicago - San Francisco. No fond memories, sorry, Amtrak!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34874548

Yes, there was some scenery on the way, but it was not worth it to take the whole trip.

As for "romantic"... depends on how much you want to pay. I was by myself in a "roomette", and it was not enough. With the door closed, I couldn't even stand. And I mean stand without moving.

Of course, it's up to you to decide, but I wouldn't do that trip again!

Nevisian

Amtrak Cross country trains are not for the Speedy Alka-seltzer generation. It is a wonderful experience if you can sit back and relax and remember that you get off the train when the train gets to your destination. So the train gets you in to LA five hours late - I've sat on the airport tarmac in Chicago for as long. We travel by train all the time. From NYC and the Hudson Valley you should take the Lakeshore limited to Chicago. Then take the Southwest Chief to LA. Do not take the Texas Eagle/ Sunset combo. Get a roomette at the least. Meals are included with the first class accommodations. They serve more than salmon in the dining cars. There is a set menu (you're on a moving train not in a restaurant) that has one chicken, one meat, one fish, one vegetarian and a blue plate special (Chicken fried steak anyone) on the dinner menu. Luncheon salads, burgers, pot pies... on the lunch menu. Check out sample menus at Amtrak.com. There is also a snack car in the Viewliner lounge. If you can afford a bedroom: splurge. It is worth the cost for a cross country trip. You have your own bathroom and shower and room to stretch out (a bit). You may check luggage and it will travel in the baggage car. Take a pullman on board with you (they call them Pullmans because they were designed for the train decades ago) and your make-up/medicine bag. You don't need all your clothes with you in the train. We also take our computer, movies, ipods and a few games in a small bag. We are headed for a resurgence of train travel and Amtrak is doing the best it can on freight lines owned by private companies. The gov't doesn't help. It will take you four days and three nights to cross the country on Amtrak. We drove from S.F. to Chicago once and did 700 miles a day - pushing it - and it took three days. Chicago to NYC took us two days - stopping around Toledo. As for scenery: The train does travel at night but the cross country trains (especially the S.F. Zephyr and the Southwest Chief) go through the boring areas of the country (Hutchinson Kansas; Lincoln, Nebraska..) at night and the scenic areas during the day. You owe it to yourself to give it a try.

stokebailey

I used to take the train all the time between KC MO and Lamy NM when I was in school. Going west, I always seemed to wake up in Dodge City KS. It was fun to watch for the first sign of the Rockies rising out of the plains.

AMtrak always in danger of being starved out by Congress it seems, hat in hand every year. Vicious cycle ensues. For instance, if insomniacs could go sit in an attended lounge all night as they used to be able to, they wouldn't be annoying sleep-craving people.

Roundtrip

Amtrak is neither romantic nor memorable, at least it wasn't for my mother and me when we traveled from Los Angeles to San Antonio, Texas last November. We traveled on the "Texas Eagle" in a private sleeper coach, with private bath/shower combo and upper and lower berths. All meals were included. The coast was approximately $1,000 for the both of us.

The "Texas Eagle" was supposed to be some sort of premium class, but it was just one (the last) car on a long, old train. The room was small, poorly appointed, and old. The shower/toilet combo functioned, but it was old and very cramped. YOu litterally had to sit on the toilet to wash.

There were no entertainment features to speak of. The attendant told us that the built-in radio had broken years ago and never been repaired. The already samll room was made more cramped by the fact that we had to keep all our luggage in the room as we were uncomfortable with leaving them unattended on the lower level. racks.

Food was palatable, but we were forced to share a tiny booth with others as there was only one dining car. After a while we got tired of re-introducing ourselves and making small talk to complete strangers and began to just eat quietly and go. (Once, when we sat and lingered over morning coffee we were basically pushed out by staff and "encouraged" to sit in the sole, and overcrowded, observation lounge.) Worst of all, in order to get to the dining car we had to walk through 3-4 "coach" cars, where passengers were crammed in airline style seats for two days. The stench from the many toilets was sickening. After we disembarked in San Antontio we were told that the "Texas Eagle" car would be repositioned next to the dining car for the continuing journey to Chicago--thanks, Amtrak!

As for the views, there were none as we passed through desert and scrub brush the entire time. Other routes may, of course, have prettier scenery, but our train's route did end in Chicago.

Our trip was one-way only and we returned to LA via air. The short flight was a blessing compared to the train. The only reason I would take the train again would be if I had made large purchases, such as furniture, and needed to transport something home and I could keep it in my compartment.

Nevisian

Roundtrip. Your trip must have been 20 years ago. The toilet in the room ("you literally had to sit on the toilet to wash") was a configuration that was phased out in the 1980's. As for having to walk through a line of cars: It's a train! The Texas Eagle is a Chicago to San Antonio train that is hooked up overnight to the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and LA. The consist has to change in order to combine the two trains into one or make one train into two (eastbound). Dining cars are the same now as they have always been. Community seating has always been practiced on trains. As for the scenery: you were going through Texas along the boarder with Mexico. What you see is where you are. If you had asked a Fodorite first you may have been directed to the Southwest Chief for an L.A. to Chicago route. If you were uncomfortable leaving your luggage in the downstairs luggage rack; that was your decision and you can't blame Amtrak for your luggage cramped quarters. Yet you state " The only reason I would take the train again would be if I had made large purchases, such as furniture, and needed to transport something home and I could keep it in my compartment." WHAT?!?! When you walked through the coach cars to get to the dining room you were upstairs in the double decker cars. You would not have gone near the toilets, which are downstairs in these cars. It's too bad that you had a bad experience but don't embellish.

escargot

My son recently traveled by Amtrak from Boston to Vancouver - and back -

he made stops in many places for a night or two including nyc, chicago, seattle, portland, Los Angeles,
and more -

he loved it - he had a bed for the overhaul nights -
but the best part for him was the return from
British Columbia to Toronto -and then home to Boston via Albany -

that train is incredible - he said he had a great sleeping area/ shower/bath and his ticket included 3 meals a day with a non alcoholic drink included - and they were nice meals in a sit down dining car - and a 24 hour scenic observatory area on top - they showed movies at night, etc -

he said that was amazing - he met interesting people of all ages - he was as a college sr the youngest, but met people from ages 30-80 , esp during meals - and they made specific scenic stops all along the way where you could get off and have photo opportunties at particularly gorgeous spots -

so crazy sounding - but would you consider doing the reverse and going from NYC to BC and then taking the train from there to LA? Just a thought -

he said the scenery out west was gorgeous - but mostly when he was off the train -

and that he would be late sometimes ( but not bad, 30 minutes off at most, that type of thing ) b/c they share the track (US owned) with the freight trains, so Amtrak has to stop and let them through, they are low on that list