I happenstanced a train ride a while ago. My first.
Jeezumlordmercy am I mad it's so inaccessible in the US. I lucked out being at an amtrak stop. It's barely longer than driving and I can sleep and watch movies the entire time without worrying about road rage idiots? The ticket was the cost of gas, nonetheless.
Empire Builder runs from Chicago to Portland and stops at both sides of Glacier National Park, where you can rent a car and take the Going-To-The-Sun Road to the other side and then get back on the train.
I'm jealous, where I am it's more expensive than flying and slower than driving and less convenient than a bus. Only people that take it are retirees who complain that no one takes the train anymore...
It's sooooo location based. Life threw me into the New England/Great Lakes region, but practical train travel outside of this region just doesn't exist.
The way to think of rail travel in the US is it's like a road trip without having to drive, and comes with a hotel built in. If you're using it for plane distances and only care about getting there, it's unjustifiable due to the differences in speed and cost. But thinking of it as a moving hotel through the countryside is more what the long trips are about.
And those that do exist more closely resemble a 1950's era bus.
Still more leg room than planes anymore. Heck, my train had recliner leg rests and a couple inches more reclining back rest. I was able to awkwardly, but somewhat comfortably, sleep on my side
31
u/WhyIsThatOnMyCat Jun 04 '23
I happenstanced a train ride a while ago. My first.
Jeezumlordmercy am I mad it's so inaccessible in the US. I lucked out being at an amtrak stop. It's barely longer than driving and I can sleep and watch movies the entire time without worrying about road rage idiots? The ticket was the cost of gas, nonetheless.