Current Events > Who here has taken Amtrak before?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Specifically, I'm looking for those who have booked private rooms for round trips. I'm looking at prices now and they seem...exorbitantly expensive. Like, more costly than airfare expensive. Is this right? Amtrak is telling me that fir a private room for the wife and I round trip from Albany to Chicago will cost us something like 3.5-4.5k. That doesn't seem right.

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I'm not surprised. Regular coach tickets can be several hundred dollars. Private cabins would def be a pretty big price up from that I'd think

Price has gone up lately and those rooms have beds in them. I wouldn't pay for it personally. The price is comparable to airfare while taking longer. The main benefit is that it's more comfortable and you can get up and walk around more and buy $15 1/3rd pound Nathan hot dogs that they put in a microwave from the dining cart.

Yes but only from Hartford to NYC

I've taken Amtrak, but never the private rooms. Not really worth it unless it's a very long distance trip, and even then I'd fly instead (but not on a Boeing).

How long is it to go from Albany to Chicago? Can't be that long...
The regular seats are much roomier than ones on a plane and you can get up and walk around, so being in normal seating for several hours isn't that bad. I just booked a 7 hour trip, in fact.

streamofthesky posted...

I've taken Amtrak, but never the private rooms. Not really worth it unless it's a very long distance trip, and even then I'd fly instead (but not on a Boeing).

How long is it to go from Albany to Chicago? Can't be that long...
The regular seats are much roomier than ones on a plane and you can get up and walk around, so being in normal seating for several hours isn't that bad. I just booked a 7 hour trip, in fact.

The ride is just over 16 hours, from what I can tell. I rode coach once from Chicago to Albuquerque when I was younger and remember having issues sleeping, hence why I'm considering doing a private room. Still, the bigger ones are 1.4k a pop, so it looks like only the smaller ones are economically viable...

Xenogears15 posted...

The ride is just over 16 hours, from what I can tell. I rode coach once from Chicago to Albuquerque when I was younger and remember having issues sleeping, hence why I'm considering doing a private room (ride time was roughly the same). Still, the bigger ones are 1.4k a pop, so it looks like only the smaller ones are economically viable...

Wow, you're right.... That's so weird, google maps has the driving time as a little over 12 hours. Would've thought the train could do it in like 10.
Like... my 7 hour train ride would've been almost 9 hours driving.
Wonder why it takes so damn long?

That's only 800 miles each way. I'd drive that before paying $4k.

Ive always wanted to ride on a train like theirs for a vacation but....the tickets are just so damn expansive.

I have. Chicago to Flagstaff.

Had half a sleeper car. Bed folded out. It was a super fun trip. My ticket came with an open bar. This was in 2007 though.

Should say had a sleepr room. It sat four. We had two in it. Had a table. Had like fold out bunk beds.

You strapped yourself in at night so you would not fall out.

You looking at the Southwest Chief? That is what I took. Ticket was like 300 or 400 dollars in 07. One of my all time favorite travel experiences.

streamofthesky posted...

Wow, you're right.... That's so weird, google maps has the driving time as a little over 12 hours. Would've thought the train could do it in like 10.
Like... my 7 hour train ride would've been almost 9 hours driving.
Wonder why it takes so damn long?

Train makes lots of stops along the way. That's why it's slow. It's probably cheaper to drive even if you doubled the current gas prices.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Train makes lots of stops along the way. That's why it's slow. It's probably cheaper to drive even if you doubled the current gas prices.

I hate driving, but... if the choice is a sleep car on the train for 16 hours or get a hotel in an affordable area mid-way and drive 400 miles each day for a 2 day road trip each way... I'd choose that, and it'd be way cheaper, too.