Passenger Train (Dallas, San Antonio, Austin: to rent, school, prices)

[1StarRanch]

Ok ya'll family and I typically go to Yuma, Az to visit the folks during Christmas (Yes, I said it and Yes I'm thinking months in advance). We were figuring gas prices and at this point it looks like it's gonna run us close to 500.00 for gas alone. Anyone know of passenger train in the area, I've never bothered to look because we just drove but now it's time to look into other options. TIA

[sapphire]

Try the Texas Eagle.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle train - welcome aboard!

You can get to LA in under 24 hours, IIRC. Not that you're going that far, but just sayin'....

[sapphire]

I played around with it a little bit--3 people round trip to LA and back for under $700. That's not bad. I'd like to go just to go! I like the train......

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by sapphire

I played around with it a little bit--3 people round trip to LA and back for under $700. That's not bad. I'd like to go just to go! I like the train......

I LOVE train rides....
I have been looking at the amtrak site off & on since I moved back to Texas in 2006. Figured I'm halfway to either side of the country. But Southwest Airlines actually does me MUCH better... I mean WAY better....

Most of the time, if you book on the web, you can get a NON STOP flight for $89, from SAT to BWI. I'm guessing will be pretty close to the same from san antonio to calif, but I haven't checked......
wowza......

[majormadmax]

I recently checked out Amtrak to go to Jacksonville, Florida and all the routes went via Chicago! There are rails that go directly east from San Antonio; but I could not get it to give me a direct route. Despite preferring a train (we take them all the time in Europe), flying is quicker and cheaper.

Cheers! M2

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I recently checked out Amtrak to go to Jacksonville, Florida and all the routes went via Chicago! There are rails that go directly east from San Antonio; but I could not get it to give me a direct route. Despite preferring a train (we take them all the time in Europe), flying is quicker and cheaper.

Cheers! M2

Since Katrina the Sunset Limited stops at New Orleans. It used to go all the way to Florida, but I think there are still rail infrastructure issues in Louisiana and Mississippi. Basically if you are not going somewhere on the Direct line from New Orleans to Los Angeles, or San Antonio to Chicago Amtrack will be very out of the way.

[sinsativ]

yep, airfare is cheaper still than trains most time

[fierce_flawless]

When I checked prices for taking the train from here to Niagara Falls (Canada side) for 5 of us (3 kids) it was about the same as flying... and we figured way more interesting so we were planning it. It would have been $1600 round trip for us all (but no sleeper car or anything)... we just wanted the "train experience" which I had when I was a baby, but that's it. Oh and one year when my kids' school had a field trip train ride to Austin (a grandparent at the school was a train engineer)...

We can't go (long story) but in some cases it's about the same as flying. But to Arizona? Probably cheaper to fly.

[Chaka]

I really like the idea of the train, but typically it's not cheaper and takes soooooo much longer. So choose Amtrak if you want the experience (although my experience on Amtrak in the midwest has left a lot to be desired), but it's not likely to save a lot of $. And figure any trip will take 10-50% longer than scheduled.

Our friends were going to take Amtrak from SA to Dallas last weekend, but all trains were cancelled and they were busing people!

[1StarRanch]

Figured it's gonna cost me 700.00 and still we need to rent a van when we get there which will be another 300.00, plus about 100.00 for gas. I'm thinking Southwest may be our best bet this year.

Just not cost effective to take the train