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I did ride Amtrak way back in 1980 from Atlanta on up to Charlotte but then not again until we celebrated our mutual retirement in the fall of 2017 with an extension of our California trip via an Amtrak leg from LA Union Station up to the east bay Emeryville station.
We LOVED IT, what with the bird's eye view we had of much of the coast line!
The staff was super considerate & our accommodations for the day trip were pleasant & comfortable & the meals were just fine.
The only downer was that one station shy of our overnight destination in the Bay area, a car died on the tracks and we were delayed for well over an hour in downtown Oakland until it was removed from the tracks.
I'd do that route again in a heartbeat but we figure that we really should branch out and try more travel destinations and Amtrak routes.
Under the Amtrak link for that route is another link with a short vid for that particular route.
Yes:
Empire Builder St. Paul > Glacier National Park
Empire Builder St. Paul > Chicago (many times)
Lakeshore Limited Chicago > Rochester
Blue Water Chicago > Kalamazoo
Love the train. Met interesting people on every trip. The roomettes are expensive but fun.
In 2017, I took the Coast Starlight from Oakland up to Portland. Amazing experience. Not nearly as fast as a car of course, but so relaxing and scenic.
I remember when the Acela first came out I took it down to DC a few times. I used to take the Northeast Direct quite often back in my college years between NYC Penn or Newark Penn and DC Union Station. Used to make some stopovers in Philly, Wilmington or Baltimore to visit friends.
One time I took an overnight Amtrak from Penn Station (NYC) up to northern Vermont skiing. That was a little too long.
In 2017, I took the Coast Starlight from Oakland up to Portland. Amazing experience. Not nearly as fast as a car of course, but so relaxing and scenic.
Agreed! I took Amtrak from Seattle to LA in a sleeper and loved it. Don't do it if you're in a hurry, but I didn't want the trip to end.
A number of times between D.C. and Philly and New York, but not since the pandemic. I'd hesitate to ride it outside the NE corridor though. A lot of the distances and travel times are just too long to not fly. I know some folks rides like Chicago - San Francisco which take like 3 days, but I couldn't. It's a 3 hour flight and then you can go about your life again rather than being stuck in the world's crappiest hotel room for 72 hours.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Lots of times! (I don't fly)
--I just did Raleigh to Orlando 3 weeks ago. I did that trip one other time right before the pandemic.
--DC to South Florida a few times
--Auto train (Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL) at least half a dozen times
--DC to Chicago and back one time
--Los Angeles to New Orleans then New Orleans up to DC. This was my longest train trip in the US
Yes, although it has been many years. One of my best trips ever was moving from Michigan to California, which I did by train. It was a fabulous trip over the great part of the country, including the wonderful sierra Nevada range. I wish I could do it again now. I also told it several times from Boston to NYC/DC. It wasn't as fabulous as the trains in the UK, but I wish it was more popular an accessible because it is a wonderful form of transport.
Prior to Covid I took Amtrak at least twice a week between NYC, PHL, DC, BOS. Of course other regions have/utilize Amtrak, but nothing comes close to the Northeast Corridor usage.
I am glad the Acela trains have assigned seats now, less of a disaster when the track is called.
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