Do you have any experience with Train travel (longer distance) in Latin America ? good,bad ,etc ?

Question

Do you have any experience with Train travel (longer distance) in Latin America ? good,bad ,etc ?

Answer 1

I rode a passenger train from Nuevo Laredo to Mexico City back in 1975 and had a good time.  The trip took one night and one day each way and featured beautiful mountain and desert scenery.  Our train had coaches, a diner, sleeping cars, and a lounge.  The train was old but reasonably clean and well-maintained.  The food was OK but not as good as most of the restaurants where I ate on the same trip. I have not been able to determine the present state of passenger rail in Mexico today, but I understand that there have been major cutbacks in service in most areas.  I do see Copper Canyon trips advertised in various train magazines.  Considering the drug wars and guerrilla warfare in some areas, be very careful where you plan to go.