Amtrak Trains: Hot or Not?
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- For years, I've heard trains in the United States are terrible! I decided to see for myself. So, in this video, we travel from Washington, DC to Greensboro, NC by Amtrak train. Is it true that trains are terrible in the United States? See for yourself by watching this video!
Even though I booked an Amtrak business class seat, I also visited the coach car in order to see Amtrak Business Class vs. Coach. I also checked out the Amtrak Dining Car and tried the Amtrak food.
This trip was during the Fall of 2018, so you'll see the beautiful Autumn colors of Virginia as the Amtrak Trains travel south. This video takes a look at all of the details of the Amtrak Business Class experience so you can decide whether Amtrak Trains are great or not.
Please leave a comment about what you think of Amtrak Trains in America!
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Amtrak is for people who want to explore america and have a great time and actually see America
I doubt Greenberg is in america
The western trains, sure. The eastern trains no so much. The irony is many of the stations are in nice parts of the cities where they are at. Amtrak operates out of Penn station in NYC so you are right in midtown manhattan. Union station in Chicago is within walking distance of many of the tourist attractions in Chicago. Union station in Washington DC is close to many of the big tourist spots.
@@mrvwbug4423 that's not ironic at all. Train stations are downtown all over the world. It's what makes them somewhat convenient. Do you know what "irony" is, Alanis?
I could not do any long haul travel by Amtrak. I just do not like the idea of being stuck on that train being bored. I just want to get from point A to point B has quickly and safely as possible. At my age, time is more important than watching the scenery. Sorry, you train fans.
@@ellisjames7192 Have you actually taken an AMTRAK long distance train, especially out west? You certainly are not 'stuck' in the sense that unlike an airplane, you have a much roomier, comfortable seat, but also you can get up at ANY time and move around the car or much of the train. Getting up to go to the dining car or lounge car helps make things more interesting and helps the time pass. The scenery is very often quite interesting and/or beautiful, something you can't see from a plane, and watching make the trip seem quicker. And you can take good naps if you get bored. So, you might find that your fears about being cooped up and bored on AMTRAK long distance trains are unfounded.
I’m an Airline Pilot and I love Amtrak! I’d take a train over flying whenever possible. Just love the experience of travel by train. You miss so much while flying. Just an opinion.
Taking my first Amtrak journey in august, I can’t wait it might take longer but I think the 45 hour train ride will be much better than my 6 hour flight
Shout out to the guy carrying his luggage in a freaking trash bag!
Yeah, he was "invited" to board with the senior citizens and business class.
Did you not consider the possibility that he was a business class passenger too?
On my last Amtrak trip there were MANY "sketchy" travellers with garbage bags for luggage. Still haunts me.
In America if you're homeless you can ask for a single travel ticket to your hometown and they travel with trash bags
@@gar2008 probably homeless people
I work on an airplane. Whenever I travel. I take Amtrak across the country!
Wow....if you don't know then no one does. LOL
Boom chicken soup
Bro I love taking amtrak because they are the best and they know what they are doing
I'm a commercial pilot. When I have to go somewhere for pleasure, or on vacation, I'd much rather take Amtrak. I don't like the long drive to the airport, the hassle of the parking lots, more hassle through the TSA lines and inspections, the baggage charges, the carry-on limitations, and the process of trying to make it from one end of the aircraft to the other with everyone standing in the aisle and trying to stuff tons of stuff into the overhead bins, and more. It isn't the experience it used to be. No thanks. If I'm in a hurry, I'll fly. Otherwise, it's Amtrak, hands down, if possible ...
I had no problem going through the TSA in Omaha.
@fdmzoppp13 It's not about hating america. It's all about making sure everyone is flying safely.
Yeah, I got sick of all the BS that comes with aviation so I got out, when I go somewhere, id either drive or hop on boat (I live in florida)
@@falloutpictures Cape Coral here on vacation now.
Your story would make a great ad for AMTRAK.. I share your points of favor for AMTRAK
THUMBS UP IF HE SHOULD DO A SLEEPER CAR TRAIN
From Greensboro to Washington isn't worth it.
Not Worth it Bud, For What U Get! Unless U a Midget :)P
@@CelticBadBoyPoet7 I'm 6"3 and I was very comfortable in a Roomette. It was really nice to be able to stretch out, plus it was very convenient to have a facility in right there.
@@JeffDeWitt I Stand Corrected This Was 2nd Hand Knowledge From a Chick That Wasn't Exactly Petite LOL
Thinking the same thing. A sleeper, if you have the time, can't be beaten.
Amtrak may often not look so good, but it's the AIRPORT misery makes the train just downright magic.
Bradley Greenwood the sardine cramming on airlines is as miserable as the airport experience. People are sheep without a sense of logic. And then they complain that politicians dehumanize them! LOL. But they will allow themselves to be dehumanized at airports and on commercial jets.
I could disagree. I actaully like the airport madness. That’s just my opinion, though.
That's what I'm thinking. Airports are just plain nuts nowadays
cattle call for sure
@mrh0rnet Amtrak SEEMS awful, however, because it is a for-profit federal concern (available to serve a population of 330 M people) and not a private business. The private freight companies own the majority of the rail lines, and allow Amtrak passage. This means that all freight traffic gets preferential treatment over these lines. Also, while Amtrak is a for-profit federal concern, it always runs at a loss (and they are working on shrinking that loss every year). This is why the trains are dated, things are broken and worn, and the amenities are lacking. However, I think it's a great way to travel if you're properly prepared and educated...and very inexpensive as long as you don't book passage during their blackout periods.
Also, while trains in places like Japan are super sleek and modern, if you ride the cross country rail in China, you'd find Amtrak quite plush. Back in 2001 all you got for a toilet on the Chinese train was a bucket in the corner overflowing with human waste.
Miss Nicole China in 2001 almost can't be compared to China today tough. Like most things over there the railway has seen incredible development over the last few decades.
Boarding process? That is a train my dude🤣😂 just step on and sit down... 🤣😂😂😂
That easy it can be - see most european countries.
You guys don’t know the real experience, I’ve seen what he’s talking about
No
@@lulusp1023 No what?
I had a choice to make either pay $100 to go from Chicago to NYC on train or $450 on a plane. I never took a train so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Let me tell you, not only are you going to be saving money it’s more easier and comfortable than flying. Security check in is minimal & quick (no tsa), boarding is quick, train is quiet , seats are big and comfortable, and food & drinks are offered. The only downside (only if you’re short on time) is that a train is going to take longer than a flight (obviously). Considering I slept through a good portion of my 8 hours from Chicago to NY it wasn’t a big issue to me. Hope this helps someone.
Well if you find that easy you should come over to europe! Here we just buy a Ticket and hop on the train. There's always a guy that checks if you have a Ticket. But the downside is that drinks arent free in first class (which is the better one of the two that exist). At least thats how it is in germany.
It was 8 hours to get from Chicago to NY?
First, it took a lot longer than 8 hours to get to NY from Chicago. Secondly, it must have been some time ago because $100 wouldn’t get you to New York.
$100 in a coach seat might get you there. Would be more expensive in a roommette. Agree about the length of the trip though--it's longer than 8 hours.
You said you took a train from Chicago to New York, I'm assuming you took the Cardinal? I appreciate you for sharing your thoughts on your journey.
My mom was always afraid to fly, so my family would take Amtrak from Penn Station, NY to Orlando, FL and back every year. We did this 16 or 17 times (that's over 30 trips (almost 1000 hours) on Amtrak).
We had a private room and access to the dining car each time and it's honestly some of my favorite memories from my childhood. I can't remember any of the good times I had flying, just the bad times come to mind... but with Amtrak, I'm hard pressed to think of any bad memories... even situations that would sound bad on paper, I don't have the bad emotions when I recall them. It's moreso just a fun story.
Hell yeah. That sounds awesome.
Me too just not same places.
WhimsicalCyn I do the same
I went from NY Penn station to Orlando fl to
dead it’s so fun to travel on train. I hate planes
Don't judge the short routes, Jeff. Take a long one from Chicago to Seattle! THAT IS THE REAL ADVENTURE! Sleeper rooms are cool!
Yes I would take the Empire Builder (large) sleeper just for the views alone, from Chicago at least once a year. Met so many nice people and I sleep like a baby. LOL!!
I took Seattle to Chicago and it was the worst travel experience in my life. 18 hours late on arrival and the trains were disgusting.
@@discingaround Why 18 hours late ?
Who do you think makes the trains, “Disgusting “? Do they hire “pigs”, or is it lazy passengers? I’m not flying, period, unless it to Europe, & I’d rather take a ship!
@@hans-jurgenwiegand7465 he just did a review of the empire builder and was really impressed
When I lived in Boston I would frequently take Amtrack to NYC. It was generally a very pleasant experience, especially if you traveled business class.
Considering I was born on an Amtrak train, I love taking amtrak. Trains interest me alot.
Now there's an American story!
NY Devil I was born near kingstree, South Carolina. I was brought to a hospital in Florence. If you look on a map, Florence is the next stop on Amtrak after kingstree.
I was born in the back seat of a. Greyhound bus
@@davidmoser7849 were you rolling down Highway 41 with Dickey Betts?
Amtrak's moto is "Enjoy the Journey" not "get you there at the speed of light" so just enjoy the dang journey
The problem is that too often these trains are broken, loud, shaking, too hot/too cold, and not at all enjoyable. The food is usually terrible and horribly overpriced and the stops are all too short to buy anything at the stations. That makes a long trip very difficult. They could also use some on-board entertainment.
@@afcgeo882 If the stops were long enough for you to de board buy something and re board that would severely lengthen the trip. Too hot and too cold can be relative to the passenger so cant help you there. Shaking, yeah i've noticed this and that depending on who's railroad tracks you are on it may shake more or less. Derek Anderson the new CEO is the former CEO of Delta airlines so cafe cars and diners are in a bit of a transition period where the food is becoming more airline like when it comes to short term snack food so that's due to Anderson. Two years ago it was quite enjoyable and I still have most of my favorites so it isn't all bad. lastly the Beauty of America, when traveling outside the Northeast Corridor, is your entertainment. Its fun and awe inspiring to look outside at the different towns, cities, and landscapes out there running through farms mountains and seasides things you can not do in the skies. That is why a lot of the Midwest routes are placed where they are. The Eastern Routes are based on historical lines that ran back in the early 1900s its hard to reroute a train through forest swamps and hilly areas with heavily populated cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Lynchburg, Richmond etc.
@@DevonMopiedmont1143 1. I'm not arguing that long stops would lengthen the trip. However, if you run the train faster, you can afford the occasional 10 minute stop.
2. Hot/Cold is subjective to a degree. When it's 92 degrees outside and the air conditioning doesn't work, it isn't that subjective. I've also been on a trip in November, going from Buffalo to NYC and the inside cabin temperature was in its 50s. The conductor said the heat didn't work on the whole train. Some electric problem. The question then is WHY DID YOU OPERATE THE TRAIN? 3. When it comes to food, terms like "airline" and "hospital" are not a goal to achieve. 4. The beauty of America gets old. I can stare out the window for an hour or two, but to stare out for 15 hours... no. The vast majority of American landscape is farms. They're all VERY similar. Midwestern lines are not placed because of their views. That is a ridiculous concept that lacks any merit. ALL train lines are placed due to topography and geography, to connect two places in the easiest to build ways. The ONLY issue in the south is that most large cities are very far apart, extremely reliant on cars, very spread out and would provide insufficient revenue due to their lower incomes and use demand.
@@afcgeo882 Nobody cares. And I had an amazing experience with Amtrak. The entertainment they provide is the windows...
@@afcgeo882 So you are saying is if we speed up the trains we can stop longer and take just as long to get there, if one slightly insignificant thing the doesn't effect the motion of the train breaks like ac or your tray table is broken the train shouldn't run at all and cost amtrak money even though it may have broken in transit, and that america is boring. If America is boring travel abroad, Amtrak maintains there things asap not every terminal has a location for maintenance so might as well make money off of the equipment traveling, and like i said the New CEO is an old AIRLINE CEO so his idea of food leans towards the airline way of doing things I apologize for his background. *Sarcasm* also if railroads aren't built for its beauty and scenery why build the empire builder through a national park and schedule the trains arrival through the park during daylight hours maybe its because of the view. why would we schedule to California Zephyr to go by the Grand Canyon during daylight hours maybe its for the view. All be it trains over a day long can get late and miss the window of opportunity but the schedule is the way it is for a number of reasons.
Now that I'm retired and have the time, I absolutely love taking the train. I recently (Apr/May 2019) took the Empire Builder round trip from Chicago to Seattle. I was pleasantly surprised by all aspects. I no longer enjoy flying for any reason, but my last experience with it for business was the last straw. I barely escaped emergency surgery, but that's another story. Back to my trip to Seattle. My sleeper car attendant was fantastic at her job. She was extremely engaging with all the passengers. She offered to help me with everything including luggage, getting extra pillows for me (her suggestion) for my back, to bringing my dinner to my roomette the 2nd evening (again, her suggestion). She encouraged us to get off the train for "fresh air breaks." She even introduced me to some of my fellow sleeping car passengers. She was a total delight and should be teaching the course on how to do her job. Next, the food in the dining car was very good. I was extremely surprised my first evening. I ordered the flat iron steak and crab cake, along with mashed potatoes, julienne style green beans, a side salad, and cheesecake for dessert and a root beer. And last but not least, the scenery was spectacular. The train stopped in large metropolitan areas and small towns, where you expected to see folks ride into town on horseback or horse drawn carriages. There were even dance halls and saloons in a couple of the towns. Couldn't believe all the cattle farms. Rode through the southern portion of the Glacier National Park, through the Rockies and the Cascades. So yes, if you want to see something more than airports or expressways, by all means, take the train.
At least you didn't have to deal with TSA and their rudeness.
Extremely big perk of riding Amtrak
If Amtrak had more freedom on the tracks and had a bigger budget, I believe Amtrak would be so much better.
Freedom on the tracks? Amtrak simply needs to allow free stopovers on all tickets. That would provide freedom to travelers and the trains still won't be full.
George L no...you totally missed the point of that. Train movements are controlled by dispatchers, much like aircraft are controlled by air traffic controllers. However, unlike the ATCs, railroad dispatchers are employed by the freight company, not the federal government. That means freight takes priority because Amtrak trains can fit mostly anywhere in a siding. The OP means Amtrak should have priority over freight.
@@ConrailQuality775 He missed the point but what he's saying is still valid. In the UK if you're traveling on a full fare ticket you can get off the train en route and catch a later one as many times as you want. Amtrak would a phenomenal way to see America if they let you do that.
@@ericjamieson 30 day rail pass, mate. They're not that expensive.
You sir are the first person I've seen that got it right. Most people don't know that 99% of the time Amtrak is running on CSX and BNSF tracks and they put their trains first obviously so Amtrak has a horrible on time record. It also seems that a lot of people don't know that Amtrak IS the government, they make it sound like a private company the government is cracking down on.
Ogden Nash remarked many years ago that the worst thing about taking the train was that in bad weather, when planes were grounded, it was full of people who otherwise would've flown, and all they did was moan about how by now they could've been in Chicago or Atlanta or Miami, and he heartily wished that's where they were instead of cluttering up the lounge car. The worst thing about trains, he concluded, were people who take planes.
This statement is so true! Amtrak is not going to be a plane, but it doesn't have to be. It's an entirely different experience than being in a pressurized, closed box in the sky with almost no contact with the outside world. Of course, it takes longer. But in that time, you get to see varied landscapes, go through towns and cities with rich histories, eat your own choice of food, sometimes in a dining car, and do absolutely no work to get yourself there. Whereas you have to focus while driving and isolate yourself from the world while flying, on a train you can stay connected to the world around you and relax, essentially making train rides very similar to free time or even work time. And I feel bad for regular airline passengers who fail to see the value of one's time on a train.
I agree, I have been in that exact situation.
@@thefareplayer2254 Also, when landing and the plane uses reverse thrust to slow, you end up smelling like burn and unburnt Kerosene.
For me there’s a couple of factors:
1. Weather. I go to Montana a lot on business. In the winter I almost only take Amtrak because you just sit and relax
2. Time you have at disposal. While train isn’t as fast as airplanes. If you have the time to travel by train it’s awesome.
3. How you or other people feel about TSA. Certain people get upset about being being felt up at the airport. With Amtrak they don’t do this.
Give me the train anytime. I don't care how long it takes. Roomy seats, lots of leg room friendly people.
What about The DEA ??
They Violate Our Civil Rights as Amtrak Colludes with Them.
I'll NEVER give Them A DIME for That &Will Ride The Rails On A FREIGHT TRAIN before I Ride Amtrak :)
@@EvanAviator don't co fuse republican with stupid. Because trust me, that person's stupid, not a republican.
It was a cafe car not a dining car Amtrak dining car is much different
It is different, but not much. Dining cars have a bar and full service meals (that are unfortunately extremely overpriced). I hear the meals are actually quite edible though, especially considering they're made aboard a moving train.
When you travel in Business Class or Coach Class, you buy your own food in the Cafe Car (or bring it with you). When you travel in a Roomette or a Bedroom, meals in the Dining Car are included in the price of the ticket.
Its strange with amtrak. Even though its a cafe car they reference them and advertise them has dinning. IDK why
I took Amtrak from Red Wing Minn. to Wisconsin Dells on the Empire Builder and the food in the dining car was overpriced and I couldn't find anything I liked they had salmon (don't like fish) some kind of weird salad and a few other things that I would even even if it was on a bet. Ended up going with a microwave pizza and soda in the club car. That was passable. I still would like to take a cross country train trip with a sleeping car accommodations and see how that goes. Just saying. Have a great day everyone.
Am cafe serves those sandwiches & chips you barely paleted!!!👍😀😂
Hi, I'm a cyclist who stumbled into this video doing the usual "youtube link" stuff, and figured I'd comment. In 2017 I rode an Amtrak from Milwaukee to Seattle with my bike with the idea of pedaling my way back over 2 months. I chose the train over a plane for a lot of logistic reasons, not the least of which is I could literally roll my bike to the baggage car, hand it to them, and ride out of my destination station. Two weeks into my ride and I had to abandon due to an injury. I rode injured to a "middle of nowhere" town in Montana with an Amtrak station, and booked a ticket 12 hours before the train arrived. The ticket cost no more than it would have had I booked it in advance, and there was no airport remotely close to where I was. Having a day to decompress and make calls on the ride was VERY helpful to my recovery.
What I'm getting at is that the Amtrak is a vital thing in a lot of areas. It's not gonna be first-class Emerates, and that's fine. But it's a lifeline across the country that connects parts of the country. And given the chance? I'd take the train over a flight. Takes a little longer, but it's nice to have that decompression time in your travel.
That's the thing about Amtrak, and you mentioned you were in Montana, and I can only imagine where (I've rode The Empire Builder many times). Amtrak serves those areas of Montana that are largely remote. Like you say, you're not gonna be flying Virgin or Emirates out of Montana, but if you do fly, plan on driving several hours to your departure city, especially where Amtrak serves, unless you want to fly a puddle jumper from say Glasgow, MT to Billings (largest city in Montana).
Try advertising that to the right wing bankers! They'll love to have a laugh. Sadly.
@Iraq Lobsta!! 45 Are you one of those deranged contards for whom everything IS political?
@RUhere4the TRIGGERING US taxpayers subsidize Amtrak to the tune of about $2 billion a year. I'll leave it to others to decide whether that's justified, but it certainly makes the trains a legitimate political issue.
Eric Blair yes, $36.4 billion for highways in 2018, $19.4 billion a year for aviation (for each of the next 5 years) and $2 billion for Amtrak, who has to use other railroad's tracks outside the NE corridor. So is there any wonder?
I’ve taken Amtrak from NYC to Greenville, SC. Loved it! Had my own cabin. And it was larger than I expected. Love me some Amtrak.
3:10 "Amtrak wasn't looking so good..." Looking forward to your Greyhound video! LOL
Got to admit, that made me laugh.
When I was living in Dallas, my wife would take a Coach Megabus from Houston to see me (this was during the time fuel prices were high and it was expensive for me to drive from Dallas to Houston and back). One weekend, we had trouble booking a Megabus trip, so she opted to go Greyhound. To this day, she will never enter another Greyhound terminal...in her words, "too many scary people in there...they all look like they wanted to rob me."
Me, personally, one of the trips I was going to take to Chicago to visit my daughter (this was while I was in Houston, before I moved to Dallas), I had seriously considered taking Amtrak to get there. It was going to take me the same amount of time to get there as it would by car and I could just relax all the way up there. Unfortunately, the nearest Amtrak station going to Chicago was in Longview Texas, about 160 miles away (although Houston has its own Amtrak station, Chicago isn't serviced from there).
The last time I took a long journey on Amtrak was way back in 1974, yes! I'm old school; so in 2012, I decided 38 years later to hop on again, mind you, by this time I've traveled all over Europe and Asia by trains. Getting on Amtrak in 2012 was if though time had stood still.
@@terryyoung7356 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The train may have its drawbacks. But have you flown lately? It can be awful these days. This last summer we took a long AMTRAK train ride to Montana. We had a compartment in the sleeper car. Very comfortable. We missed our connecting train along the way. So AMTRAK put us up in a really nice hotel and gave us $80 cash to pay for meals. If you're going to take a long train ride, get a sleeper. We'd rather have a compartment in a sleeper car than either fly or drive a car. The one drawback to a train vs. flying is the amount of time it takes. But if you're not in a hurry, consider taking the train.
61dodgelancer I’m taking a 3-4 day trip from La to Greensboro I usually get a sleeper car but this time I’m taking coach
61dodgelancer more so for the experience
@Craig F. Thompson I believe you misinterpreted what I wrote. Yes. You're correct. Amtrak serves much BETTER FOOD than ANY airline. The drawback to taking the train for a long trip is the amount of time it takes to arrive at your destination. But like I said before, if you're not in a hurry, consider taking the train.
@Craig F. Thompson You're right Craig. The advantages of taking a train has slanted our appreciation in favor of passenger rail transportation. I highly recommend investing in purchasing a ticket for a Sleeper room (compartment) for a long trip. Since my first post here, my wife and I have taken another trip on AMTRAK. We had a good time meeting and talking to other folks while eating our meals in the diner car. Thanks for your comments Craig.
Actually, for the run from Washington DC to New York, if you are in a hurry, you do take the train. From door to door, the train is actually faster than taking a plane.
Greensboro NC native here. I love taking the train. It doesn't matter if it takes you a lot longer to get from point A to point B. It is a mode of transportation that kids need to ride at least once in their lives.
I've made the trip to Raleigh on a plane, train, and automobile, and my favorite hands down is the train. Amtrak is so much easier, and people are very friendly.
Lucas you get it....this guy didn't.
I’ve taken many regional trips on Amtrak, and I’ve always found them to be much more comfortable than a Greyhound, an much, much less annoying than a plane trip.
After taking a long distance Amtrak train once(get a sleeping car); I will never ever again fly, an absolutely wonderful experience taking the Texas Eagle from Austin to Chicago.
For me as a European your train experience is something completely alien. I’m used to taking the train everywhere. Here in the Czech Republic we have the highest density of train track in the world, so you can take a train literally everywhere - many really small villages with population under 1000 residents have a station with regular service. Something like going through gates is really weird for me. Here you just turn up, buy a ticket and go to the platform. Also something interesting for me was you mentioning on-board entertainment. It never occured to me that I could ever want some form of entertainment provided by the rail company. I just open Spotify and enjoy the ride! As you said though, riding a train is more about the journey - you could take a plane/car and be faster almost anywhere. That’s also really only true for America though, but that’s a story for another time, I’ll be sticking to trains for now! Thank you for this video however, really made me think about the differences.
A big issue with trains in most of the United States is that Amtrak has to have trackage rights to run their trains. I live in central Texas, and the issue is that Amtrak has to run on BNSF's Fort Worth subdivision north of Temple, TX and UP tracks south of Temple to San Antonio. What this means is Amtrak is only able to serve very narrow strips of territory in a very large state. By and large, rail travel is not an option unless you go out of your way for it.
What are the things to consider is that most Americans are going to compare Amtrak to an airline. So for example to use Czech republic as an example if I were to fly from Prague to ostrava where to take the train to both of those destinations what's an Americans going to consider when doing that as they are going to consider the price the amount of time it's going to take and the comfort level. of course trains are just going to take longer because they're freaking trains they don't fly they don't have wings they stick on iron rails. so then the biggest thing becomes price and depending on what class of tickets you're buying and where you're going to an Amtrak train is going to cost just as much and some people can make routes that are going to cost even more than flying between 2 given cities. so then the question becomes is Amtrak so much more comfortable and provide enough options to make either those concessions worth it and to a lot of Americans they just don't see the value.
I have become addicted to your videos!!!!
I once took Amtrak from Little Rock to Pittsburg. I STILL look back on that trip as being one of the highlights of my life!!!! The country was JUST BEAUTIFUL!!
LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!
Those who leave comments must remember that Amtrak is a government agency and hopelessly underfunded. food service in dining cars which used to be fantastic is almost gone and soon will be history. So my response to the which do you prefer question is this; for business travel i would fly, for leisure or personal tavel I would take the train(but bring a book and food). Driving my car would be my last option and might tempt me to stay home. You see nothing when you re driving.
Steve 100 also other trains have different experiences. If you ride in the sleeper car your food 👍🏼
I have taken Amtrak from Boston to Chicago a couple of times--the Lakeshore Limited. The scenery across MA and NY is amazing! And the seats are so much bigger than on a plane and there is more legroom. And, if you're only doing a one-way trip, it is definitely cheaper than the airlines! And fewer people...and you don't need to be there 2 hours before! and you can keep ALL your luggage with you in the overhead area. And I didn't have a seatmate so I could spread out and lie down and take a nap. I MUCH prefer the train to a plane!
Yes ma'am! I love the Lakeshore Limited :)
I'm a Brit now living in the US and I've fallen in love with Amtrak. The seat width and legroom is awesome. You'd have to buy 1st class tickets to get that much room on a train in the UK. I also love that there is a dedicated whole dining car in the centre of the train. I've also found the staff are really friendly and helpful. Yeah the trains themselves are a bit old and slow, but they've got character. I've just got back from an 10 hour, each way, Amtrak train journey (NYC to Montreal round trip) and I'm already planning more trips for next spring.
My biggest issue with Amtrak is that they're not building their own right of ways. They're almost always using freight line's rails. That makes them lowest on the priority and they often stop for very long periods of time to let cargo trains roll by. That NYC to Montreal trip should realistically only take 7 hours, but it does take 10 hours during the summer and 11 during the winter. Just too long. Driving, I get to Montreal in 7 easily and it's a beautiful drive!
@@afcgeo882 Do you have any idea what the cost of a ticket would be if Amtrak had to purchase the real estate for its own right-of-way, and maintain it as well ? Bridges, tunnels, and on and on ...
@@checkyoursix5623 exactly why it wouldn't work and why it hasn't happened. That said, it's mostly paid by tax dollars anyway.
I thought British people hated america. Why did you move here of all reasons
@@sampizza463 You shouldn't believe all the bs that trolls spread online.
I like taking trains when I have the time. Audio books are also great way to keep yourself busy.
1:52 that guy was probably just released from jail, cus they give you your belongings in bags like those when you get out (I worked at a jail for like 2 months before they fired me xP)
Did they fire you because you're a furry? I'd sue them
@@DatamasterCorporation I h8 furries
@@hemprope4326 I h8 weebs
@@DatamasterCorporation omg same
@@hemprope4326 Lol happy we agree on that
Amtrak is continuously working on the little things. They’ve improved a lot in recent years. Cars didn’t use to have any electrical outlets and they didn’t use to have Wifi. Some trains still don’t have Wifi. Amtrak is a great mode of transportation. I love it. Wish more people did as well. More people means more business which means better experiences for customers.
I'm a railroad brat from way back . Love it. My father was a railroad mechanic.😊
I have to travel from Western PA to NJ soon.
By car = last time I drove & it took me almost 6 hrs with traffic & a couple hundred $ in gas.
By plane = If I fly into Philly, travel time is only 1 hr 20 or so mins, but I have 1.5 hr drive to the airport, arriving early to get through security, it'll take about a total of 5 hours or so to fly at $500+ plus another 1.5hrs or so ride home when I get back home.
Amtrak = the station is 30 mins from me, $160 round trip in business class, & even though its a little over 6.5 hrs which will be the longest of the 3 for travel time, I think the experience and scenery will be well worth it.
A train is my preferred method of traveling. Air travel is stressful and feels almost inhumane in the way most passengers are treated by being packed in small spaces. Driving long distance as much as I love it, can be tiring.
This is probably the first train station I've seen that operates similar to an airport with specific boarding at a gate, and even a lounge for the rail line.
I love to take the train if time allows. No TSA. No sardine seating plans. Easy to be up and about if you want. Cheaper by far. No gouging for tickets needed on short notice. Easy to take your dog or cat. Easy to pack for. Easy boarding. I mean seriously, dude. Flying should get you to your destination quicker but. Who hasn’t had a delayed or canceled flight? No guarantees. Flying was never tons of fun but 15-20 years ago, it was much less of a hassle. Today? You can bank on a hassle. Train travel is relaxing. Fun getting to your destination. See the country. Unless I’m in a hurry AND it’s more than 1000miles away, I prefer the train.
@Craig F. Thompson The distances are just too far for high speed rail to be competitive with airlines. PERIOD. Anything longer than four hours high speed rail loses. PERIOD. 200 mph high speed rail trains of Eurostar or ICE or TGV times four hours is 800 miles, but that isn't an average speed. At four hours with high speed rail with five minute stops every hour, considering slowing down and speeding up as well, you might get 600 miles in four hours. I can fly Dallas to Seattle, around two thousand miles in that time frame, including spending an hour getting through security. The problem with trains and always will be is that train routes are linear with multiple stops whereas most airline routes are direct, non stop. There is no need to build a high speed rail network nationwide. There is no need to build high speed rail beyond Houston to Dallas, Washington DC to Boston, or Los Angeles to San Francisco... Even Chicago to Philadelphia is too far. Ditto with San Francisco to Seattle. Ditto with Minneapolis to Chicago. Ditto with Atlanta to New York City. Ditto with Atlanta to Miami. There is a reason why there is NOT a European high speed train route from London to Athens, or even Paris to Athens. London to Moscow, or even Paris to Moscow. Hell, there isn't a high speed rail route from Manchester to London... Nor is there one from Birmingham, the West Midlands, to London...
@Craig F. Thompson Trucks. The teamsters insisted on the interstate highways. As it is if you lived near a transcontinental rail line you would be fully aware there are two mile long freight trains coast to coast, siding to siding, most sidings usually around eight miles apart. There is no extra capacity. When FDR noticed the east west traffic build up during the Second World War, FDR who solved most problems with throwing money at the problem was told by none other than John Stevens, of Marias Pass and Panama Canal fame, there was no other suitable pass over the Continental Divide. Almost two thousand miles of the Continental Divide, all of the routes have a tunnel somewhere on the route. On the former Burlington Northern main line, on the Union Pacific main line, on the Santa Fe main line, and on the Southern Pacific main line west of Chicago/New Orleans. Ditto with the former New York Central main line, Pennsylvania main line, Baltimore and Ohio main line, and the Chesapeake and Ohio main line east of Chicago/St. Louis/New Orleans. Never mind the Southern main line and others. Believe it or not there were only six main line east west passes over the Continental Divide. There are only five east west passes over the Continental Divide with interstate highways. America is NOT Europe with inland seas jutting into the heart of the continent. Too many seas to list with fingers on one hand. Most American freight goes by rail and trucks unlike Europe where most of their freight is by sea, even trucks have to use ferries. Moffat Tunnel is 24 feet (7.3 m) high, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, and 6.2 miles (10.0 km) long. The apex of the tunnel is at 9,239 feet (2,816 m) above sea level. Even today California faces difficulty building high speed rail all the way from downtown San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles. California intends to use present right of way through the urban suburbs before the new right of way commences and two confronting mountain passes. One mountain pass northwest of Los Angeles and one southeast of San Jose. Its been estimated the longest railway tunnel in America will have to be built southeast of San Jose running approximately ten to fifteen billion dollars, b for billion. You ask couldn't the state trim that number a bit more, five billion is a large number. The answer is no. The state won't know the cost of building that tunnel until they dig to see how tough that rock, granite is... Not chalk as in England, granite... Switzerland recently built a new very long tunnel through the Alps for rail and for vehicles. Every truck entering the nation has to pay a toll to use any road. Trucks are avoiding that toll as much as possible. Italy has had problems building new high speed rail right of way through their mountains, slowly grinding away to get Milan from Rome. It is one thing to advocate nationwide high speed rail in America, it is another thing to actually confront the difficulties and costs... Simply put why bother, high speed rail loses to the airlines economically at around three to four hours of train travel at whatever the speed...
I agree. And think of the jobs! I’m not an expert about greenhouse gasses but seems like less pollution also. Seems like a no-brainer but I don’t ever hear that discussed when infrastructure is debated. Too bad.
The only time I took a train, it was late two hours. At least at many airports, there are things to do while waiting. The mini station had nothing to do but sit, some on the floor. And since there are so few trains running on the west side of the country, coming home meant arriving at 3am. The station manager called for cabs, but of course, mine was late. Not pleasant for a single traveling female.
Air travel today is a cattle-call. I avoid it any way I can
I will definitely take the train. I feel too old to drive on long trips (almost 77) and the train trips of my youth were the best way to travel in those days.
Trains are awesome and I am 22.
you should come to the UK and try the trains, a beautifully scenic route is London Euston to Holyhead, there's a direct train and first class available, it's great!
I have traveled in both countries and they aren't comparable because the U.S. is 40 times the size of the UK (4 countries). The UK has developed their train system for longer and thus is more sophisticated. I would recommend first class on a long Amtrak route and you will see a closer comparison.
My choice is to relax, so I would take the train!
I take DC to Greensboro about once a year. One time I left Greensboro 3am and watching the sunrise over the Shenandoah Valley while sipping coffee and almost everyone else slept was amazing. Mega Bus is cheaper and faster, but you can’t put a value on the pleasure of train travel.
Speed, comfort, cost. If you want to get there quickly, fly. If you want to be comfortable, it's better than flying, and it beats holding a steering wheel. Not being restricted to when you can/cannot stand up, walk around, go use the restroom etc. Cost, it's generally cheaper than flying, and sometimes cheaper than driving, depending on distance or local fuel costs. Food, well, if you wanted a luxurious dining experience there really isn't a mode of transportation offering that these days.
That being said, the "dining car" you were on is much different than that on a long distance train in the west. It's still not a five star experience, but it beats a bag of pretzels. That brings me to views: trains run through some old, and sometimes rough parts of towns. The "ghetto" is a good way to describe it I guess, but for every broken down trailer back yard or project you pass, there's probably just as many brief spectacular vistas as you cross over a river, through a pretty small town, or whatever.
All of that being said, you can't hardly beat a Superliner Roomette or Bedroom on a long distance train with private or semi-private bathrooms. Going to bed, sleeping soundly, waking up at your destination ready rock is a good way to go, especially when that train drops you off in the middle of Anywhere, USA. Whether it's a small town or a large city, you're pretty much going to find the Amtrak station near the center.
Other than that, trains are an extremely safe mode of transportation, regardless of skeptics. If you look up passenger train fatalities and injuries, a single plane crash will kill more people than have met their maker on an Amtrak train *in their entire history* since 1971. There is a dangerous stigma that exists when the media covers even minor Amtrak incidents, which is an unfair bias towards other modes. A hell of a lot more planes fall out of the sky, skid off runways, or make emergency landings in a given year than Amtrak trains experience derailments. Take 2018 for instance, 30+ million riders, and only one incident that I can think of where passengers were injured, and was a rare collision under very uncommon circumstances. You can't really do anything about morons pulling out in front of the train in a vehicle, they don't count.
Source: I've flown three times this year, Amtrak twice, and I've driven several thousand miles across 3 time zones in this country, so I've tried to be relatively objective, even though Amtrak employees pay into my railroad retirement fund. I feel like for the sake of transparency I should mention that, but overall Amtrak isn't a bad way to go depending on your sense of urgency, financial position, or value of privacy.
well said, Pump. Mary S on this end.
My only area of disagreement, is with the sleeping. Taking the Southwest Chief, and then the Lake Shore Limited, due to safety regulations, the poor engineer must blow the horn almost constantly at night, making sleeping problematic. Sadly, this is because of so many stupid people trying to drive across the tracks without bothering to see if a train is coming. It seems we'll never have decent rail travel unless we 'wall it off' from the morons, the way the Japanese have with their high speed rail.
Thanks for your input! It helped 😁👍🤟
D.E.B. B I enjoy falling asleep with the horn. :)
Zach Pumphery U You said it perfect!
I agree with the comment that many travel by train to see the country, when you aren't in a hurry.
Jeb, thank you for doing this video. Riding the rails may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I find it is fascinating and so different! I haven't traveled on a train yet but after watching many videos about it, I want to start planning trips for a vacation on the rail! It beats the frenzy, obnoxiousness and impatience of travelers flying by jet. The constant waiting or getting there early makes for a long travel day for a few hours or less in the air. Everything is so "germy"', crammed in a compartment with strangers that remind me of cattle cars in the air. In air traveling there is jostling for a person's space which is decreasing as airlines make the seating space smaller. As for the man with the plastic trash bag who was mostlikely using it to carry his clothes in....maybe he was a homeless person or maybe he doesn't travel much so just used the plastic bag to haul his clothes in for this one trip. He could be a person of no income or someone who is not into the meaning of buying a suitcase when the money could be used for something more useful or maybe he used up the money he had and couldn't buy a travel bag or suitcase. I really don't care...I've seen weirder people with designer suitcases while flying. Thanks again'' Jeb!
I love Amtrak....I have gone from Florida to California twice on the California Zephyr....beautiful scenery cars can't go through Colorado and Utah. Just breathtaking. It's not for everyone. Sleeping in coach seats is like being in coach on an airline. The food is not the greatest but I stop every two days in a big city along the way and spend the night and get showered and well fed and then back on board.
I would disagree that 'sleeping in (train) coach seats is like being in coach on an airline'. The AMTRAK coach seats are much nicer, bigger and roomier than coach seats on any airplane. You can get up and walk around the train at ANY time to take a break from seating. You can get food or a snack at almost any time you feel like it. The coach seats recline much more than the ones on planes. I still choose to reserve a roomette if I plan to overnight on an AMTRAK train, but for those who DO overnight on the train, it has to be a lot better than doing so on a plane.
My AMTRAK experience is with the Superchief. It's not for everyone, but you see a lot of amazing scenery. Given the choice of travelling distances by car or train, I would prefer the train.
@@karlrovey What train is the "Superchief"........did you mean another route that AMTRAK operates?
@@youtuuba It's the route from Chicago to Southern California. It got its name when it was run by the Santa Fe railroad (now BNSF). AMTRAK kept the name when they took over the route. A few years later, Santa Fe forced AMTRAK to change the name because the perceived quality of service was not on par with what Santa Fe wanted to be associated with their trademark. It was renamed the Southwest Limited and later renamed the Southwest Chief with permission from Santa Fe. However, they like to hold onto the history of the route. As such, a lot of people still refer to it as the Super Chief,
@@karlrovey, last I checked, AMTRAK runs TWO trains between Chicago and LA; the Southwest Chief and the Texas Eagle + Sunset Limited combo. Are you thinking of the Southwest Chief when you write Superchief?
The only REAL way to travel Amtrak, and my personal favorite, are the sleeper car roomettes. best way to cross the country
The rooms are nicer with a private toilet
I travel the Empire Builder several times a year. I check around for sales, and get a roomette. I usually have a knitting project with, but spend more time viewing the scenery and just relaxing. If you have the time, it’s definitely worth it.
@@dickstanley9568 Roomettes on Viewliner Cars had toilets in the Roomettes. New versions of them do not and neither do the Superliner Roomettes. In the Superliners, the handicap room is the better Roomette. Bigger room and has a toilet.
A fine van is the best way to see the country. You, as the driver, may stop and smell the flowers along the way.
@@dickstanley9568 Those are actually the "bedrooms," not the roomettes.
in sweden the trains travels in speed up to 124 mph. but i Think amtrak is more comfortable. I Think amtrak is doing a good job. there situation isnt to good. everyone is taking the flight and a train can easily be delayed.
I have taken Amtrak and before that the Burlington Northern railway in the sixties. I have loved every minute of it. Very comfortable and fun. The staff went out of their way once because the train was overbooked. We received free food for my family. Great people, great trains...I love Amtrak.
The train was full you say, and one reason may have been cost. A roundtrip non-stop from Wash Dulles to Greensboro this weekend would cost you $423, versus $142 on AMTRAK. Plus there's the cost of getting to and from the airport. Many college students and young adults don't own cars. Granted, last minute fares, especially on airlines, are quite expensive and you can save by buying ahead of time, but the train is almost always much cheaper and leaves you off in town. If money is not an issue, you fly. But if it is, it may be worth it to spend a couple hours studying on the train to save a couple hundred dollars.
Bottom line: would you rather break down on the ground or in the air? The northeast corridor, between Washington D.C. and Boston is quite nice. And weather is RARELY an issue. A train may be delayed for a long period of time, but it beats sleeping on the floor of an airport when fogged in or when a snowstorm hits. I'll take the train ANY day.
Exactly! I slept on a bench in Atlanta once and will never forget how dreadful that was.A "99 year snowstorm" hit the NE. No planes were allowed to fly. Wished I had taken the train then. Got 7 stand by tickets to leave and finally left the next day. It sucked.
Heh, I remember one time I took a train from DC to Philadelphia in a snow storm. We were delayed by frozen switches and such, but planes weren't flying nor were the buses running on the highways either. It was the train or nothing, and despite the delays, I'm glad I had chosen to use that train!
SCOTT MARGOLIN I've sat in a plane on the tarmac for three hours because we could not take off after leaving the gate. The smell of plane exhaust filled the cabin for three hours. It was the most inhuman occurrence. I nearly lost my mind and was ready to open the cabin door and jump from the plane. We were prisoners of asinine FAA rules--in a free country? Complete mismanagement and flight handling incompetence. This experience happened and second time! The pilot in the second case became very angry and was told he could not come back to the terminal. He said over the loudspeaker "'This is unacceptable," and he brought the plane back to the terminal anyway and let everyone disembark. The TSA people went nuts and would not let us leave a small section of the terminal once we were inside. Real morons. Only the captain of our plane had any sense. Those who prefer flying should fly to the Moon and stay there.
When I was in college I took the same train from DC to Charlotte a few times. There are pros and cons to taking the train. Naturally if you fly or drive you'll arrive quicker than train. But if you're not in a rush and want a chance to see sights between DC and NC this is a decent way to travel. I'm actually in the process of planning a trip across the country.
Kevin Richardson JCSU!
After visiting my niece in Roanoke, VA. I took AmTrak from Roanoke to D.C. , then from Union Station by Uber to Reagan National, for my trip home to California It was so easy and priced well, the scenery was beautiful! I would do it again.
Thank you me and my sisters are traveling from Roanoke to dc and wondered about scenery etc..#firsttime
I recently took a train from Lynchburg, VA to D.C. and back again. The way up was full because of Thanksgiving holiday, so the train was a little full. I sat next to a nice lady who watched her movies as I listened to music. The way back was at night with a barely occupied car, so I was able to set up my laptop in the back where the full table is and enjoy some quality gaming :) I really enjoyed my trip and I'll say that if you're in a hurry, by all means take a plane, but if you want to relax and just enjoy the ride.. give a train a try :)
Correct! People who constantly rush through life are never satisfied so a train is anathema to them. You take the train to enjoy the scenery, chat with fellow travelers, and enjoy the experience of travel.
Understand that Amtrak is partially funded by the government so the majority of the stuff you complained about Amtrak doesn’t have the money for. If your willing to pay more taxes or lobby your local politicians to fund Amtrak more this is what u get
Amtrak literally exists for the poor. That's their charter. To provide service to small towns without air service and provide accessible transit for those who cannot afford to fly.
unfortunately, in America the word "tax" might as well be associated with the Devil. here political attack ads literally will use "raised taxes" as a reason you shouldn't vote for someone. there's a lot we could do with higher taxes, yet people bitch and say "aren't they high enough!?" or "taxation is theft!" when we literally have one of the lowest tax rates in the civilized world.
@@afcgeo882 Not everyone who lives in Small Town, Flyover America is poor, George. Sorry to disappoint you.
George L so rich people love being packed into a hot airplane and wait for hours at an airport? yeah right. flying is for people who think they are important
George L Their charter is to provide service the poor? My sister and many other people who have worked in media or worked for the federal government ride Amtrack from New York City to D.C whenever there is some problem at the airports and she cannot fly from D.C. to N.Y or vice verse. The guy in the video if I am not mistaken started from the District of Columbia. You consider these poor areas? Where are you from?
Lol, I have had such a fear of flying I took the train from Boston to Orlando one year. That was a long ride, but kind of worth it to see the country like that, I totally do not regret it.
I have never ridden on a train before. I would love to take a train trip in the future. Thanks for your helpful hints.
One thing I wish you'd mentioned is the cost. A very detailed review like this should compare the cost of driving vs. flying vs. taking the train, including the price of parking your car at the airport and the time and cost of getting to and from the airport to your final destination. A lot of people would have to factor that in to the decision.
costs vary so much when traveling especially by train, he said he could flown to washington 9 times in the same amount of time, I guess thats a 2-3 hour plane ride and this train ride was over the course of 2 days.
True. If you get a sleepette vs just staying in coach is a huge price difference.
If we privatized it, it would be even cheaper. Amtrak is not always cheap, not by any means.
Privatization is not a panacea. Amtrak is the only such service provider with no competition, so if it were privatized, they'd raise prices, and/or try to pack as many passengers into one wagon as possible in order to drive revenue. It would be like Comcast for trains.
@@mardus_ee True. We can already see it going that way because the former CEO of Delta is now in charge. So far this clown has no concept of striking a balance between what people want in train travel and saving money. By the time this guy is done, we'll have the Zephyr, and the Northeast Corridor Routes, and the west coast (all of which are profitable, save for the Zephyr, which will be kept for prestige, possibly upgraded, and the price quadrupled, while eliminating small town stops to make the ride faster).
The one thing you forgot to mention about flying is that you have to get to the airport 1h 30 minutes ahead of time. Not to mention that the airport is (in most cities) much farther away than the train station. So between driving 30 min to the airport, 1h 30 min of waiting, 1h hour of flying, and 30 more minutes driving to your final destination, your 1 hour trip is now 3h 30 min. I agree that I think there's a limit to how far you can go on a train, but if I have to choose between say a 5 hour train ride (Detroit - Chicago) for $60 or a 3h30min total flight time for $200, I'll take the train every time.
Totally agree. Some cities have an airport closer by, and not all people need to be in the city centre, but in general, people don't take this into account when comparing travel times. And honestly, even if it's a little longer, you're comfortable in your seat, in stead of always packing up because your taxi arrived at the airport, because you have to move in line through security, because you have to board, because you arrived, etc. That makes that in your example, you have some 5 hours of non-stop leisure/working time, in stead of perhaps 3 chunks of between 20 and 40 minutes. I'd go for the train, too.
The train is amazing when you are completely prepared for the trip and it’s on-time. 🤔🤔🤔. Blanket/pillow mandatory, bring your own food/snacks are a must.
Netflix, headphones and chill. Enjoy the scenery. Our country is beautiful
Not sure if I missed it, but Delta’s last CEO now runs Amtrak. He did wonders for Delta when I worked there, hopefully he can do the same for Amtrak.
Hopefully, Congress can keep their grubby hands off, and not meddle too much, as they can't get a toothpaste tube empty without making a mess.
Well, Richard "Delta Dick " Anderson has proven to be the WORST Amtrak CEO in its history! For more reasons than I list here! Other than that, primarily., he is intent upon destroying the Long Distance/Intercity Network outside of the NEC (Northeast Corridor), and, running dining and sleeping service into the ground. For those of you that love rail passenger travel, contact your local Congressman AND your two Senators, please. It works! And some strides are already being made to blunt and even reverse some of Andersons initiatives!
I took Amtrak 5 times (not including round trips) within the last 6 years. The seats were nothing like the airplanes they were wide and comfortable, you could move around more often while on the airplanes it felt like I had to stay in my seat(even though there was a IFE keeping me good). And I basically thought man this is great why do American politics like to think that trains are for Socialists and Communists and hadn't looked in France and Germany?
Edit: thanks for the likes!(and the fights, geez it felt like forever just to see all of the replies)
for the last comment, it's been grown into American culture that car ownership=highest form of personal freedom. people like to say how they have the freedom to go anywhere, anytime in their car, then proceed to only ever drive it for the same 20 mile commute 99% of it's life. but the idea does still remain, so saying any idea that's anti-car is effectively saying something anti-Freedom, despite the fact providing alternatives would increase freedom as it opens up the country to people that can't afford a car.
Justin Noker I understand but why did you put in for the last comment? Did I say the exact same thing 10 times before?
@@harrisonofcolorado8886 by last comment I really meant last sentence lol, sorry I'm kinda special ed if you couldn't tell.
Justin Noker oh I see now.
driving a car means you can go WHEN you want..WHERE you want..with WHO you want..and HOW you want. The American left hates that....individual choice bugs them and is an affront to their world view ..and why they push public transport..liberalism/socialism is about changing behavior (by force if necessary)..but not THEIR behavior, just yours
We recently took the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Inverness, Scotland and enjoyed every minute of the trip. Having a bed, a pleasant meal and a drink on board made the trip pleasurable. Back at home in Boston we do use Amtrak but the longest journey without a sleeping car is Boston to NYC which we do whenever we go to NY. Yes, flying from here to the city is quick but if you add all the time it takes to get to the airport and then get through security and then to get into the city from JFK or Laguardia the train is actually faster and certainly much less stressful. Thanks for posting this video.
Best way is to get a sleeper. Done that cross country a few times, although I usually drive. Sleeper rooms give yo privacy, more room, and the meals are included. Don't forget no airport hassles on Amtrak. Just get on, stow your luggage, and go.
I have taken airplanes and I have taken the train many times. If I have little time I will fly however due to my size and my wife being handicapped I will always pick the train over flying. I and my wife have never been comfortable on a plane with the small seats no leg room and poorly reclining seats. We always have leg room on a train and have no problem being able to get up move around and enjoy the scenery. On long trips we will get a sleeper on short trips coach or business class. Yes the train is slower and many times on long trips you are late but at least when I travel by train I am more relaxed and rested then when I fly.
I love trains but I find Amtrak embarrassing as an American. I just don’t think it’s well run and looks shabby.
I'd say the hardest part of comparing Amtrak to public rail elsewhere is that Amtrak doesn't actually own the rail it operates on for the most part, so if it is out of position even a little bit, the private companies that own that rail give their own trains right of way, so a little delay becomes a series of increasingly bigger delays... once it's off schedule, it only gets worse from there... in other places where the rail is publicly owned, the traffic is managed in a more fair way.
Yup, pretty much
Dodgy 1960's Motel style.
@@abruptpegasus That's the way they do it here in the UK too. Train operating companies have to pay Railtrack (who own the rails) to use them. It was much better when it was all state owned. The east coast main line is a prime example.... In the last few years there have been no less than 3 private operators fail to make any profit, yet whilst in between tenders, the govt were running it and it did very well. We should definitely return to British Rail.
That is how I feel About the TSA in Airports
From a practical standpoint, your 400 mile trip from DC to Greensboro falls JUST outside the marker where Train Is Faster. Anything less than 300 miles, the train (or driving, if you don't mind driving long distances) is typically faster. Consider, if you will.... Flying is 80 minutes. On paper. You said you could walk to the train station from your apartment. So we'll use the station as the starting point. and assume as soon as you're boots on the pavement outside in NC, someone's picking you up, airport or train station. Either airline (American via DCA or United via IAD) is putting you on a CRJ. Which means you're checking luggage. There's no room on those things for more than a backpack. Taxi or Uber to IAD is a minimum of 45 minutes. DCA is 15-30 depending on traffic. So. United's flight that seems consistently bookable is at 5:30, so we're travelling through commuter traffic. So MINIMUM 30 minutes to IAD. Checking your bag will probably add 20 minutes, TSA will take 20 minutes, you need to be at the gate 30 minutes early or they'll give away your seat to some standby, so you'll need to spend a minimum of an hour at the airport before they even start boarding. We're up to 90 minutes minimum and you'll probably want to pad that to two hours to avoid misadventure. Boarding takes 15 minutes because it's a CRJ, there's only 50 seats, and you get to start your 80 minute flight. We're up to 4 hours and they haven't even opened the doors at Greensboro yet. 45 minutes later, you've got your luggage and you're on the curb waiting for your ride. Call it five hours even. You've also spent $250 on your RT ticket instead of $140, and $50 on cabs to and from DCA for a net expenditure of $160 to save six hours. Maybe $25 per hour is worth it, but since the time you're "earning" that is spent watching NetFlix or editing your next video, maybe that's not all it's worth either.
My rule of thumb, for my circumstance, is that every flight takes 6 hours minimum, for all the additional faffing around involving going to and from airports, luggage wrangling, TSA checking, accounting for missing stuff, etc. I don't live quite as close to a major airport as you and the places I can get to on a non-stop flight are slightly more limited. (But getting a non-stop flight to Greensboro was ... interesting. It wouldn't let me attempt a non-stop one-way ticket. If I didn't have round-trip chosen, everything would go through Charlotte and add about 2 hours to the total time, which puts it about even with the Carolinian.)
Good analysis. My in laws came from San Diego to Orange County via Amtrak. Picking them up was a breeze. We parked, walked about 100 feet to the door of the train, and were off. Running passenger trains on freight corridors is going to bring problems.
Couldn't have said it better.
you nailed it...
Excellent reply. I TOTALLY agree. I am retired, dont have to rush anywhere anymore and will avoid the airlines as much as I possibly can.
Thanks for your input, Jeb! In the late 70's I took coach from Raton, NM to Chicago- it was great! Thank heavens I got a roomette from Chicago to NYC, because the coach was abysmal- dank ,dark & dirty! Hopefully Amtrak has done a little housework since then!
It's been my experience that a lot of the nicer train cars are on the longer routes. The Coast Starlight, for instance, is really comfortable. The food is also much better on trains, and the car you showed wasn't a dining car (which is by reservation because of the limited hours) but looked more like cafe car. Amtrak dining is really nice, if a little pricey. Also, while there's no in-seat entertainment, the lounge car will often have movies or a conductor giving a guided narrative of the area you're passing through, which I thought was kind of cool. The best part of taking the train, though, is the views. Just sitting back, watching the country slip by, is really awesome. I much prefer it to flying or driving if I have the time.
As an aviation enthusiast, I absolutely love taking Amtrak. You said it in the video, it is great way to see the country.
Well it depends. Did you have to pass through TSA for the train? If not, i choose the train. It's a level above.the bus, and you can walk around
No TSA checkpoints as the Amtrak stations I've gone through. You can even bring your own drinks and cooler onboard. It's a great experience if you have the time.
@@deepsea631 TSA does do them at DC at times and they have to do them if you are going to/coming from Montreal. TSA check is nothing like on a plane though. Open your bag, close your bag, show your ticket and ID. In other words, no big deal.
I've been taking the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego's Old Town Staion to Los Angeles Union Station 2x's/week for the last 6 months.
The seats are cloth and it's never hot. The A/C is always on full (so take a jacket).
The trip is 3 1/2 hrs North, then I took it home 3 1/2 hrs. It was a great way to make the commute easier than sitting in traffic, I could sleep, I could grab a beer or cocktail, I could study (since I'm in nursing school), and once the crew got to know me they were really fun and kept me company from time to time.
The seats can get grungy, most passengers in the evening put their shoes on the seats, sometimes you get drunks onboard who are REALLY annoying. But, I had a lot of amazing trips which were peaceful.
I prefer train travel over air travel. From being in the military, I’ve flown quite a bit. Post 9/11 flying is a huge pain! I’m not a large person, but seats keep getting smaller and closer together on planes. Amtrak sears are downright sprawling compared to a 757 seat.
As far as the food goes, if you go on a train with a dining car versus a cafe car, the food can be quite good!
I don’t mind taking longer to get someplace if it’s more comfortable. It’s all about pre-planning your trip. As long as I do not have a tight schedule at the destination, I choose trains over planes.
Amtrak has made the worst mistake with their long distance trains recently. They have eliminated the dining car on some of those trains and replaced them with contemporary dining. The contemporary dining is a big mistake because you don't get to sit at a formal table and you don't have silver ware. You eat from a cardboard lunch box. The contemporary dining food tastes terrible compared with the old dining cars.
Norton Hatfield the dining cars were one of the best things on Amtrak! Great experience and very good food, plus the experience of meeting new people. It is such a mistake, and very short sighted, for amtrack to get rid of their chefs
The dining cars were downgraded by edict of the US Congress. The federal government funds Amtrak's deficit and many Republicans want to eliminate Amtrak altogether. In the meantime they starve Amtrak of funds whenever they get the chance.
@Chris A You mean shitheel REPUBLICANS.
the western long distance trains still have dining cars and real menus. Great way to meet people from all over the world.
@@RFL611 Unfortunately not for long. The long distance hotel trains lose Amtrak the most money, their diners being being the worst offender. There is a reason why Amtrak wishes to dish their highly paid chefs using prepared meals which are served like airline meals. Prepared meals made by lower waged factory workers. The simple truth is private enterprise can and should operate the long distance overnight hotel trains, not the government with Amtrak. If you wish to have a cruise like hotel experience on long distance trains, the daily subsidized trains will have to be replaced with weekly departures hotel trains similar to cruise ships... Via's Canadian is twice a week presently, the Indian Pacific in Australia is once a week presently... Even in Europe the Paris to Moscow overnight hotel train is once a week service, not daily... Without any doubt America takes Amtrak too casually... www.seat61.com/paris-moscow-express.htm
Amtrak used to be a great railroad. When I took my first trip on Amtrak it was fantastic. That was in 2012, and it was outdated, but I was also traveling in a sleeping car. There were some cosmetic issues in terms of the interiors being a bit outdated, but we didn't pay much attention. Amtrak was supposed to put a whole fleet of single level sleepers, diners, and baggage/dorm cars in service by the end of 2015, but has only put a handful of diners and baggage/dorms. To be honest, Amtraks entire fleet needs to be updated and at the very least referbished, but they don't make the money to do it, and congress won't allow it.
The Republican are constantly carping about how they want Amtrak to be profitable or privatized. They seem to forget that Amtrak came into being because the private railroads were off-loading passenger service because it was no longer profitable. Amtrak will always be shabby and outdated as long as the government continues to cut funding and it will never be profitable. Another reason why Europe was able to build a high speed rail network is because it was and is subsidized by their governments.
Congress only gets serious about the northeastern lines
The sleepers, diners, and bag - dorms are still coming.
Went from St.Paul to Chicago on the Empire Builder roundtrip. Had a blast! Loved it!
When I was a kid, my parents and I took the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle and back, in a sleeper. It was fun, but we got in SUPER LATE. We almost missed our connecting bus in Seattle and they had to get buses from LA to Oceanside because we missed our connecting train. My point: trains are great if you commute (to this day, I still take the train going to San Diego and LA) or want to take the scenery and have flexibility in your schedule.
This guy (whoever he is) did all the bad comments of the Amtrak, need to go visit places like Bangladesh, Pakistan, India etc..... From the video, it looks luxury.... just enjoy the ride ... stop complaining about everything!!
@Tasunke The point he's making is that when people DO compare it to a third world country's railroads, it's an unfair comparison. Amtrak isn't half as bad as people say it is. I'd rather ride Amtrak than get hit up by Spirit Airlines taking a collection during final approach as a "landing fee".
Yes, he sounded like a spoiled child. A sandwich and a bag of chips is just an ordinary lunch. I wouldn't expect that to be delicious or any more tasty than a sandwich I made at home. I'm there for the travel, not the fine dining. Seat too hot? That's part of life! Push up your sleeves, fan yourself, or move to another seat. People expect luxury. Geez. Grow up!
So... when there is room for improvement you say "naahhh no need it is good enough" ?? Always push for better or be stuck with shit forever.
Negative comments are necessary. We know obviously Amtrak isn't the worst in the world. But it's NOT good and use a lot of improvements.
Cut it out. YOU are complaining about his perfectly acceptable review of AMTRAK. You are far worse than Jeb.
The people who allocate money for AMTRAK must own airline stocks. Trains have been the poor stepchild in America since some bean counter envisioned the flying sardine cans we have today. You must have a different tempo and temperament to take the train. You see more of the land as you go, and are brought closer to something historic as that happens. Is airline foood any better or worse than food on the train? If you travel for the food, stick to expensive first class on foreign airlines. You find your seat too hot? The car is empty. Seat hop. Just be back at your original seat when you hit major stops or your destination because in case you didn't notice, the conductor has slipped a piece of paper with your destination code on it into the edge of the rack above your seat. That is how they tell at a glance as they walk down the rows who should be where, and where they get off. It's all about the two things which make travel bearable wherever you go and however you go. Knowing how things work, and understanding why they work that way. Once you discover how things work and why, you can approach the people who work on the trip while you relax, and try to make their jobs easier too. This will turn keys and get you small moments of extra consideration that can make things flow better and be more comfortable. You have to put something in to get something back. The same is true of travel, by train, or camel, anywhere in the world.
Like in all other things despite the american bragging,the usa is about a century behind Europe!Soon the usa wll only be a footnote in history
The Amtrak CEO is the former CEO of United. He's cutting back dining cars and making the seats more airplane like to push people to an airline I'm sure he's still close with.
@@arunseigell7361 - you're a moron but you know that, right ?
@@arunseigell7361 Trains work really well in Europe, where distances are short and population density is high, meaning you've got a lot of people travelling to the same places. Other than a couple of spots in the US, primarily the northeast corridor, the population numbers simply don't come down in favor of rail travel.
It's a shame the airlines and air travel in general produces so much in tax revenue. With Billions of dollars coming in the government just does not want to fund the trains.
I've found Amtrak to be a great way to travel in the Northeast corridor, i.e. from Boston and Washington. When I lived on Long Island I took Amtrak several times to Baltimore and a couple of times to Boston. NYC to Baltimore takes around 2:30 to 2:45 and to Boston around 4 hours. To me the comfortable ride and no hassle of dealing with airports was well worth it. The northeast corridor is the busiest section of Amtrak with hourly service and actually turns a good profit.
Having grown up in the fly everywhere / drive everywhere else culture, I'm happy to say that shifting my personal transportation choices more towards rail and bikes / scooters has been pleasantly enjoyable. Amtrak ticket prices are incredible compared to those on any airline (especially when you need to buy them only a few days before your trip) and a Greyhound bus can usually get you to a town close to your destination if there's not a train station there. It's by no means European train travel, but it's pleasant. I've also found that you interact with a different portion of society on the train versus who you usually find in the airport, which provides a nice opportunity to get to know people you otherwise might never even know exist.
My only (reasonable) wish would be for 100% lie-flat seating on long-distance routes, coach class seating is already comparable to airline first class but the prices for a private room are absolutely insane.
I have gone coast to coast twice with a sleeper car. It is the only way to travel. 1) At 6-7 planes are no longer close to comfortable. Compare this to a sleeper where I can stretch out. 2) You get to see the country.. We went across the Raton pass, I have been thru the Louisiana swamp, the Great Plains, etc... 3) it was far more relaxing than air travel.. no turbulence, ate my meal at a real table, no one sitting on my elbow or spilling into my seat..I could keep going but my friend,,,, it’s not even close.
Phil Scott But how much was it (compared to flying)? And how long did it take?
Good video. I fly for work all the time. I tried Amtrak couple of years ago for the first time in years. It was a great experience! It's like taking a step back in time. No TSA lines where you are herded into lines, scanned, prodded and poked. Plenty of room in the overhead, no mad rush to fill them. The seats were so roomy and comfortable compared to coach seats on an airplane. I actually had enough room in my seat to spread out, open a newspaper, cross my legs and read it while I enjoyed a cup of coffee...imagine that! The staff was friendly and attentive. The only downside is the cost, I found it to be much more expensive than flying, and the fact that it takes you longer to get anywhere. But if time is not a factor, I"ll take the train over air travel any day.
Rail travel sure beats the hell outta riding the Dog.
the what?
My bucket list includes a cross country trip by train. So I loved your trip. Thank you so much.
Rita Larch same
I wanna do Orlando to Penn Station and back first
One key advantage to the trains, is that they deliver you to the heart of the downtown of the places you're going. Take Chicago, you're right in the downtown loop instantly, a couple blocks from Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), and just 15 minute walk to the downtown lakefront. There's no landing in some far off land locked suburban airport then finding a way into the city. If you're traveling light and ok with walking, it's the best. I took Amtrak from Chicago to Denver onto Salt Lake City. You can relax and watch world go by, get up whenever you want. Meet and chat with folks. It's old school and chill! Don't expect luxury, but a unique experience for sure. The scenery west of Denver was amazing. It's slower then planes, and not always cost competitive, but the experience is more pleasant. Grab some books and magazines and decompress. That's half the fun of it.
try an overnight train
The Amfleet coaches have given a generally reliable and comfortably service but are now showing their age a bit. I believe newer, more updated stock is going to be rolled out over the next few years. Taking the train is a state of mind in my opinion. Its something you either get or you don't.
Can accept your conclusion, but my preference is always the train. I hate the long lines atairports, the "special" people who seem to be able to jump to the head of the line for whatever reason, the cramped seats from which you must not move, lack of any kind of view,
etc., etc., ...
A train. No hassle with TSA and don't have to drive. Like you, I would take a tablet and be just fine.
Dean Pitman
I just took my first Amtrak trip and I totally agree with you. No long lines for security and easy to get around. You can bring anything with you.
You also can't fall 35,000 feet out of the sky on a train.
I would have driven. Anything that can be driven in about 5 or even 6 hours or less, for me, is just easier to drive. As much as I love the experience of flying and that of aviation in general, the hassles and time vacuum that the airport adds are generally not considered when a person talks about the length of a flight as opposed to driving. That "45 min flight" door to door with getting to and from the airport, being early for check-in, getting through security, boarding, etc., is generally closer to 4 or more hours. For me, I'd rather just drive and have the freedom of my own schedule.
5-6 HOURS IN A CAR?!?! WHAT KIND OF MAD MAN ARE YOU?!
Id rather take a train. Its takes a lot of stress out of travel.
Driving is great but parking a car in NYC or Washington for a few days can cost as much as a plane ticket.
@@Eric-kf6dy Agreed.
If you own a car and are just gong back and forth between cities is your goal, a car can make more sense a lot of the time. But if you are travelling in a way that you can't do it with your own car, for example making a circular journey as part of a vacation, then renting cars with high drop-off fees in different cities can make the driving option difficult and expensive. You can still fly for those kinds of trips, but since the airports are invariably out in the boondocks from where you probably are, then you have to add the hassle (and time) required to get out to the airports and back. In many cases, the location of train stations, and the lack of hassle with rental cars, can make the train look very attractive.
Have you been in other Amtrak lines ? And btw a train ride it’s more relaxing you get to see what most people missed while driving a car or by plane
I took Amtrak 1st class from Houston to Grand Rapids. Couldn't have been happier with All aspects of the trip. Great food, professional stewards, and the scenery was spectacular. VIP lounge in Chicago had plenty of tasty food and a generous variety. Well worth the money and time!
TRAIN! Any day of the week over an airplane! No invasive TSA that goes through your luggage and steals things! No tight cramped seating. Travelling by train is rather nice.
why would you make a video about flying vs train without mentioning price once? Price is the biggest factor in all of this. You pay for the convenience of getting there in 45 minutes.
I am willing to pay for the convenience on a flight like this. A business seat on Spirit Airlines is almost the same as a business seat on Amtrak, depending on when you travel.
Airline flight will be cheaper or at worst same price. There is zero need to purchase a business class amtrak seat. They are no different than coach. Actually, the seats on coach are superior... =)
There must be some reason people choose Business Class ?
The last time I rode Business Class was 20 years ago, and wine was included! Sounds like that is not the case anymore.
And you don't get there in 45 minutes. Add total dicking around time at the airport - going to and through the airport, security, baggage check and pick-up. etc. and the 45 minute flight easily becomes a 4+ hour pig.
I drove a freight train once which was a lot of fun but I am more of an airplane type of guy.
I watch your vids of you cruising in a TBM.. definitely a better experience !