Ever taken a train across country?

Question

What did you think of that?

Answer 1

nope havent considering im only 14 id love to do it im afraid of heights so that works for me :D

Answer 2

I go across the USA every Spring on AMTRAK......"real men ride coach."    Sit back, relax, enjoy the food and the scenery. You will be late but who cares. I recommend taking a  large pillow and a blanket.

Answer 3

no, but I took a train from san diego to seattle.

Lots of stops..and I dont mean at stations..Its like you gotta pull over to let other trains by

The scenery was beautiful. The food was outrageously expensive

Answer 4

I took one way up a mountain, and across a portion of the country (8 hours).  I would make sure to check out the accommodations, especially the bathroom!  Have fun!  It's great at least just for the experience.

Answer 5

It's my favorite way to cross the country.  You didn't say how far, so I assume overnight train.  The first time I took an overnight train, I insisted on getting a sleeper - at the time they had "slumbercoach" for about $50 a night, not anymore.   Then I got over my fear of coach, and it was perfectly fine.  Coach seats are far nicer than anything you've seen in a bus or airplane, unless you fly first class.  They're not rudely decadent like first class, but they're bigger and they recline way back with a shin-rest so you can sleep.

The main thing you need to brace for is the train running late - REALLY late.  On a very long run, there's no recovery time - every little delay adds up.  The old rule of thumb was, take the train's total running time from its origin, and figure on 10% late.  Now, the freight railroads are so overloaded that they can't keep their own trains on time, so double it!  If that is not acceptable to you, lotsa luck flying.  I cross the country on Amtrak about as often as I fly, and my longest travel delay ever was on JetBlue!  

And Amtrak is good at being late - they treat you well and they throw on extra activities, and the cafe is open. (often the diner too.)  You cannot imagine the misery of 6 hours on the Dulles tarmac in cramped airline seats with 100 hungry, thirsty, stressed out people including crew (hey they had somewhere to be, too).

Answer 6

I'm assuming you mean Amtrak.  It's expensive, but to me, it's part of the vacation.

I take Amtrak from Denver to Washington DC every other year and love it.  You MUST spend the extra cash to get a roomette to sleep in.  You have your own window, privacy, and the 5 star meals are free, even brought to you if you wish.

It will cost up to 3 times as much as flying, and take days instead of hours.  But, the scenery and relaxing atmoshpere makes the time fly by.

Answer 7

Yes, I have taken a train across country before. i really enjoyed the trip, a wonderful experience.