<p>DD is graduating from college in CA and we offered her the option of taking the train from CA to CT. She’ll be leaving from the bay area. Anyone here have any info on this. She has looked into the trip…Somewhere near San Fran (Oakland maybe) to Chicago. Then Chicago to somewhere…Albany? Boston? Somewhere? </p>
<p>Anyway…i get all of my good info here…anyone have any ideas.</p>
<p>You can take the train from california (emeryville?) --the zephyr–to chicago. Once you get to chicago you can take the lakeshore limited to NYC, or the capitol limited to DC</p>
<p>Thumper,
How far are you from Penn Station NYC?</p>
<p>We’re about two hours north of Penn Station…but she could take the shuttle to Grand Central and take the train to Bridgeport from NYC.</p>
<p>Would you consider sending her up to Canada and letting her go across there, and then down from Montreal?</p>
<p>I’ve heard the trains across Canada are much nice than the ones across the US.</p>
<p>Have also heard that, on either, once you get east of the Rocky’s it’s not such an interesting ride…</p>
<p>Sounds like a nice adventure, though, for someone in their early 20’s…</p>
<p>Just curious - why? Is she planning to make stops along the way? If not how long will it take?</p>
<p>She just doesn’t want to fly this time…thought she would take a bunch of books and enjoy the scenery. It’s a three day trip. She is near the bay area…not Canada…that is not a choice.</p>
<p>Still curious - what’s the cost differential - including meals?</p>
<p>Cost will be about double what the plane ticket would cost…but it’s an adventure for a college graduate.</p>
<p>I’ve taken the train from Boston to Chicago quite a few times (although not in recent years) and from Chicago to Flagstaff, AZ, but not on the same trip.</p>
<p>Everything goes through Chicago. If your train gets in late, there can be a very long wait in the station; it is one big potential down-side to the proposed trip.</p>
<p>The sleeper cars, even the economy sleepers, are better than sleeping in the coach section, but I’ve done that also.</p>
<p>It is true that the western part of the trip will be more scenic. The dome cars are fun, and parts of the western trips sometimes include guest speaker giving presentations about the culture and geography of the area the train is passing through.</p>
<p>Unless things have changed, there are no dome cars east of Chicago.</p>
<p>I happen to like trains, and I take the train from MO to Chicago sometimes because it is more relaxing than driving. However, American trains are substandard in both service and facilities to most of the European trains I have ridden. It can be hit or miss.</p>
<p>I will say I am very glad they are finally enforcing the no-smoking rule. For years after no-smoking cars were instituted, some of the porters refused to enforce it. I once had to leave my purchased, reserved seat in a no-smoking car and go find another place to sit because my seat mate was a chain smoker and the porter would not ask him to stop. That is what I mean by sub-standard service. Recent experience has been better, though.</p>
<p>Thumper, DH once had to take the train from CT to FL, due to a raging ear infection (so he couldn’t fly). He did not enjoy the trip – boring, didn’t feel comfortable with a lot of the passengers. He brought lots of books to read, but it was definitely not the preferred way to travel.</p>
<p>I’m wondering whether you should just fly her home and give her a wonderful vacation in a place like Cancun or Paris instead.</p>
<p>Some trains that go to New England leave from Penn Station; check into the Amtrak East Coast schedules–I know when I’ve been at Penn Station (whcih I am pretty often) I’ve heard announcements for trains going to Boston and to Rutland (Vt). So if you D takes the rtain from Chicago to NY, she may not have to go to Grand Central at all.</p>
<p>Thumper,
Here are some interesting NYT articles from a yr ago about riding the train from CA to NY [Finding</a> the Charm of Cross-Country Rail Travel - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/travel/08amtrak.html]Finding”>http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/travel/08amtrak.html) [Cross-Country</a> by Amtrak - In Transit Blog - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/cross-country-by-amtrak/]Cross-Country”>Cross-Country by Amtrak - The New York Times) and a link to the amtrak schedule. Good luck, and happy trails! [Amtrak</a> Vacations](<a href=“http://www.amtrakvacations.com/index.php?id=580]Amtrak”>http://www.amtrakvacations.com/index.php?id=580)</p>
<p>I was just going to post a link to that first NYT article. I cut it out as something H & I would enjoy once we got to be empty-nesters. Now we are, and we still plan to do this – but we’ll start in Chicago and go to CA. From all reports, the NY to Chicago part is plenty boring/unscenic.</p>
<p>Amtrak goes through New Haven on the way to Boston – wouldn’t that be closer than Bridgeport?</p>
<p>The regional amtrak northeast corridor trains also stop in bridgeport and leave from penn station.</p>
<p>Sounds like fun.</p>
<p>I think it sounds like fun, too. It’s a good chance to slow down and enjoy some solitude and reflection after a hectic graduation time–and a nice segue into the rest of her life, when there’s far to much rushing. She’s young. She’ll deal with the discomfort, if there is any.</p>
<p>I just looked at the Zephyr route. Can I come, too?</p>
<p>Thumper, this may strike you as a silly warning, but if your daughter is like me, she will find the trains rather cold (temperature-wise). I always have socks, a sweater, and if it can be managed, a small blanket if sleeping in the coach seats. (They used to sell Amtrak blankets in the snack car, but I don’t know if that is still the case.)</p>
<p>Oh, and don’t try to play penny poker. My mother was told to put her pennies away when she and her grandsons were playing cards in the snack car and they were traveling through a no-gambling state!</p>
<p>T1, DD did it the past winter break. Them students all have a discount for trains. Their train was late so she missed the one from Chi. Somehow they managed to get her back on track.</p>
<p>It is a long trip and it could be fun.</p>
<p>I much prefer to travel by train when possible. Back in the day, air travel was glamorous, exciting, and comfortable, but now the lines and security are a huge hassle, and the airlines pack people into uncomfortable cattle cars with few amenities. Ugh! I just hate flying, and would rather take a little extra time to get there in a civilized fashion. Unfortunately, though, we don’t often have that option in this country—unlike Europe or Japan. Apart from the Northeast corridor and a few other heavily traveled short-haul routes (e.g., Oakland-Sacramento, Chicago-Milwaukee), Amtrak’s schedule and route system are pretty limited, and the quality of its long-haul service can be pretty spotty. I’ve mostly had good experiences in the Northeast corridor and much prefer the Acela to either plane or car when traveling between NYC and DC. For long-haul travel, though, you pretty much need to plan in some extra time in case the train is late, as it often is. On the other hand, it can still be an adventure—if you like train travel.</p>
<p>I wonder if you might schedule in an overnight in Chicago to break up the transcontinental trip? A non-Amtrak meal and a hotel bed might be a welcome break by then, and even if the train from Oakland is late she won’t miss her connection. It adds to the cost, of course, but to me that would be a much more relaxing and enjoyable trip than three days straight on the train, worrying about making your connection in Chicago.</p>