Has anyone taken Amtrak to So. Carolina from NJ?

Question

I'm going to attend my girlfriends wedding in So. Carolina & was curious about a train instead of car.

Answer 1

I took one to Florida. It took a while which I'm sure S. Carolina won't take as long. It was pretty expensive my g/f at the time was and I'm sure still is afraid of 'dying' on an airplane. We split a sleeping car so we had privacy for a 16hr ride...

Answer 2

I haven't.

Answer 3

Either plan to get their early or travel another way. AMTRAK can not keep a schedule.

Now it is not really their fault. When Amtrak was formed, a railroad in the Northeast had just went bankrupt. The government purchased the railroad in bankruptcy court and turned it over to AMTRAK. So in the Northeast, they had cars, engines, and track, and were ready to go.

But for the rest of the country, they could either 1) build their own railroad track; or 2) lease the right to use other railroad's track.

Building track would mean that AMTRAK controlled it, but it would also mean that the ticket prices would be high (to pay for the construction) and it would be a long time before AMTRAK was a national railroad. Leasing the track (which is what they decided to do) had a better price, but the other railroads still had the right of first passage. If an AMTRAK train and a company train wanted to use the same section of track, AMTRAK had to wait.

So you'll be in your AMTRAK train, rolling along, when suddenly it will just slow down and stop. You'll sit there for 5 or 10 minutes (sometimes 15 or 20!) and then the train will start moving again. The time doesn't seem like much, but it adds up as you travel... and suddenly you're 3 hours behind schedule.

So if you have plenty of time, take the train! It's a great way to travel! But if you are in a hurry, or you plan to arrive an hour before the event, it would be better to drive, fly, or catch a bus.

Answer 4

I took the train from Virginia to Orlando, and it was actually not bad at all. You safe money and can get some rest. I would recommend to have an MP3 or portable DVD player and food of course. It can get really cold too, so bring a sweater or blanket. I hope you have fun on your trip!!!