taking a train

watson · Sep 29, 2016

Heading out west for a wedding and thinking of taking the Amtrak. Anyone ever done it? Any tips or hints? Time wise is close to the same as driving and so is cost.

Wild and Free · Sep 29, 2016

How far west are you going/
Wife and i did it round trip to Portland a couple years ago and was not bad. Lots of leg room unlike planes you can pack your own food and beverages on board and they do have a car with food and drinks too. One can just walk around to keep moving. The views from the glass roof car is really nice going through Glacier park. There are a lot more small town stops going through Montana than i would have guessed too.

BrokenBackJack · Sep 29, 2016

We would like to do this sometime too. What are the prices going to the west coast approx?

Bfishn · Sep 29, 2016

I've taken it to Whitefish a few times in the winter. That's about as long as I would want to be on it. There are some interesting people that's for sure. Think of it as one step above the greyhound, but two steps below a plane.

svnmag · Sep 29, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cABZfkRcQ6A

riverview · Sep 29, 2016

Used to ride Amtrak all the time to whitefish mt years ago, then in the height of the oil rush we thought it would be fun to take Amtrak again. Big mistake train was full, bathrooms looked like a porta potty at a over packed concert. train was 18 hours late due to pulling over for oil train. on the way back the train was 36 hours late to pick us up. it took 10 hours extra to get home, wife was sick with the flue. We see the grand forks airport and get ready to get off the train WRONG it stop for 1 hour a couple miles away from the train depot. never again might be better now but not for me.

svnmag · Sep 29, 2016

It's a toss-up. Check out the profit of AmTracK. I'd choose air or driving with the safety record...at least one can/should be in control of demise.

KDM · Sep 29, 2016

Drive. Having the freedom to go wherever and whenever you want is a big plus if they are the same price. Car rentals are expensive and cabs are worse. JMHO though.

NodakBuckeye · Sep 29, 2016

Have taken it back east twice, 2nd time last year was pretty easy, no real delays. Sick of flying and fees and restrictions. More interesting on the train, more room and can take food and drinks. Rentals can be found pretty damn cheap if you pay attention and you are putting wear and tear on their vehicle.

Wild and Free · Sep 30, 2016

Wife and I did it to try something different, neither of us had ever traveled by Amtrak train before, I would not want to go any further as the train get pretty funky by the time you get to Portland or Oregon as it runs from Chicago with no cleanings, they turn em around and clean and replenish out west and in Chicago, It was an experience getting on for the last half headed west and noticing the aroma of un-showered folks for 2 days and then the difference of a clean train getting on out west for the trip back on the first half.
Probably would not do it again but was worth the experience of it.
Was a drag ass trip back due to high temps in Montana, if the ambient temps are over 90* the train can only travel at top speed of 25 mph due to the tracks warping or something along those lines and the train can't speed up until ambient temps are below 85+- for a couple hours, made for a long boring trip across eastern Montana @ 25 mph for many hours plus all the stops.
But I had my hand held GPS with and di witness speeds of 85+ mph a few times.

NDwalleyes · Sep 30, 2016

NodakBuckeye said:
Have taken it back east twice, 2nd time last year was pretty easy, no real delays. Sick of flying and fees and restrictions. More interesting on the train, more room and can take food and drinks. Rentals can be found pretty damn cheap if you pay attention and you are putting wear and tear on their vehicle.

This. Particularly if you are traveling during the week. If you can find a rental for a couple hundred with unlimited miles it's well worth it.

johnr · Sep 30, 2016

You can get hammered and leave the driving to Casey jones

Up Y'oars · Sep 30, 2016

Car - you drive where you want, when you want, as fast as you want. Complications can come with snow in the mountain passes.

Airline - you get there fast, but have no transportation once there. Delays are only an hour and you can get rerouted with other airlines when storms cause cancellations.

Train - When delayed they can be delayed by many hours/days. When one train derails between A & B, you'll be on the west coast for three weeks! Beautiful scenery and mobility inside the train when they run properly.

tikkalover · Sep 30, 2016

^^^^^^^ I thought you were fishing this morning??

johnr · Sep 30, 2016

I am, but have too drop the youngens off at school at 8 mountain

SDMF · Sep 30, 2016

johnr said:
You can get hammered and leave the driving to Casey jones

I thought Casey Jones had a locker in the ocean?????

johnr · Sep 30, 2016

SDMF said:
I thought Casey Jones had a locker in the ocean?????

Nope he was driving that train, high on cocaine

tikkalover · Sep 30, 2016

So your going to be mad the rest of the day because of that one mom that cant drive her bus of a Suburban? ;:;badidea

Bowhunter_24 · Sep 30, 2016

johnr said:
You can get hammered and leave the driving to Casey jones

I think this is an obvious advantage over driving. Also I hate driving in winter. If I was in a train buzzed off whiskey and it was a blizzard I would be smiling from ear to ear.

Lycanthrope · Sep 30, 2016

So train would be bad to send a 15yo girl on alone? Trying to figure out how to get my daughter from bismarck to great falls and back without breaking the bank or having to drive 2 days...

taking a train

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