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I'm going to spend that amount of time getting there I'd personally take my motorcycle along the coast. Grueling trip but a lot more fun than either the train or plane.
In my misspent youth, we'd do a car-train/sleeper combo to get through Germany. Put the motorcycles on a train at 7:30 PM, share a bottle of champagne in a sleeper compartment, stretch out and sleep as we were whisked though Germany and wake up in Switzerland, right by the Alps and a single mountain pass away from Northern Italy. Sure beat spending 10 hours on the Autobahn.
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Although it may have been mentioned, rail travel is fine when you are going from city/city where subways/mass transit exist such as the NEC. For business travelers there is no reasonable connection to their meeting locations, who wants to take a cab or a public bus for twenty miles? Unlike years ago business districts are not centralized in the city anymore and most likely are 20+ miles out of town in a suburban office park, so how can one get to their meeting?
When you fly all the airports have car rental places and most travelers get a car for the day or longer and attend their meetings, why not have a rental Kiosk at the train station? Make it a short term rental so a traveler can come in on the morning train and leave that afternoon.
Though it may be unusual, since it's often easier for someone in NYC to take the train to get out of the metro area and then rent a car, together with the large population without cars. Even in Europe, those taking the train sometimes want a rental. SNCF (French railroad company) has a link to rental car deals on their main site.
Though it may be unusual, since it's often easier for someone in NYC to take the train to get out of the metro area and then rent a car, together with the large population without cars. Even in Europe, those taking the train sometimes want a rental. SNCF (French railroad company) has a link to rental car deals on their main site.
Though it may be unusual, since it's often easier for someone in NYC to take the train to get out of the metro area and then rent a car, together with the large population without cars. Even in Europe, those taking the train sometimes want a rental. SNCF (French railroad company) has a link to rental car deals on their main site.
That's another thing I hate about Amtrak. The car rental places (at non-airport locations) always seem to close around 5pm (maybe 6 if you're lucky). If your train arrives at your destination after 5 or 6pm and you need to rent a car, you're screwed. On weekends a lot of them close even sooner.
Chicago has rental kiosks at its Union Station. There are also other alternatives for transportation from the train station, as a lot of downtowns have car-sharing sites like Zipcar, letting you get a car online or via smartphone.
Chicago has rental kiosks at its Union Station. There are also other alternatives for transportation from the train station, as a lot of downtowns have car-sharing sites like Zipcar, letting you get a car online or via smartphone.
Hmm I'm surprised that a big city train station would have space for a car rental. I assume the cars kept a bit away? Or maybe in a nearby parking garage.
Actually, Manhattan's Penn Station has an Avis rental kiosk adjacent. But what would be the point of that? It defeats half the purpose of the train to have deal with driving in the city. Would make more sense to get off at a suburban station and rent, like that Poughkeepsie Station. But that SNCF link offered car rentals for both Paris and Lyon, so the idea has appeal even in rather car-unfriendly cities.
Operating costs are about break even, they're not highly subsidized. Infrastructure costs are subsidized for all transportation.
Its not subsidized by a user tax like roads are. Quite a difference and its not by just a tax break either; its actual funding. Its not even a public owned company and where breaking even is doing good on fares .Its the highest subsidized transport by passenger. $100 dollars per passenger isn't cheap by any means. Look it up; easy to find.
I wonder why sleeper train services are obsolete in the US. On busy routes, why doesn't Amtrak run overnight sleeper trains to ferry people. For example, wouldn't it be nice if one could board Amtrak in the evening, enjoy a comfortable night sleep, and arrive at my destination the next day morning. These service could be used in routes like Boston-DC, NYC-Montreal, Raleigh-Atlanta, San Fransisco-LA, or any other pair of cities within 400 miles of each other which people frequently travel between. Why has Amtrak decided not to start any new sleeper train services in recent times, when it has the potential to improve ridership on busy routes and increase revenue.
They still have these on the West Coast, up and down the coast.
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