I’m curious how many Americans use Amtrak. And if you have, have you been on one of the long distance trains across the country before?

49 comments

  3. I’ve use Amtrak from San Diego to LA it’s confusing for me. I recommend studying the maps and schedule before use.

  4. Yes but just up the east coast. It’s fun when you pay for a sleeper cabin. Easier to bring drugs and alcohol on than a plane too

  7. Across the country, no. I did use it on a week long trip up and down the East coast once. I had to hit DC, Baltimore, Richmond, and Philly on the same trip. It worked very well.

  9. I’ve ridden twice from Springfield to NYC.

    I haven’t ridden again since they abandoned me and my family in NYC. Made it to Connecticut before there was a derailment up ahead and they turned the train around, and brought us back to Penn Station saying there would be accommodation for us. Well there wasn’t and everyone on the train was stuck in NYC at 1am not knowing what to do because all trains north were cancelled for several days.

  10. Just between Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and Vancouver, BC. It is not faster than driving but you can bring your own food and beer.

  11. Yup, plenty. I used to take the train to DC or Philly all the time for work. I also take a vacation up to New England most years on Amtrak. If you’re in the NE, it’s a nice option. Cheaper and way more comfortable than flying. It takes longer, but I can work comfortably on the train.

  12. Fairly often. When you’re on a long overnight trip with a cabin is the best. Good for a couple or friends.

  16. No. I love trains so whenever I go somewhere I try to see if there’s a good Amtrak route for it, but there never is.

  17. I took a super long trip Chicago to New Mexico. The engine caught on fire and made us more than a day late.

  18. Yes, I’ve gone up and down the DC-Boston corridor several times, and did Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and back once. The northeast corridor is nice, and living in MA it is the best way to get to Manhattan. Though in recent years the WiFi they advertise has never worked properly in anything except on Acela trains.

    Philly-Pittsburgh was OK, but very, very slow. Stopped 15+ times in every little town. Driving was about 2x as fast.

    A retired friend used to go from Worcester, MA->Arizona on Amtrak for the winter. He loved it, and would get a sleeper from Chicago to Arizona. Luckily he could miss connections, because it happened almost every single time; either in Albany or in Chicago. It took 2-4 days depending on how badly Amtrak messed up the connections, and it cost 2-4x an airplane ticket.

  19. Yes. I take it between Durham and Boston constantly. That’s about an hour and a half. Occasionally I’ll go to NY/Philly/DC, but I never do cross country or anything.

  20. Yes, up and down the coast.

    It’s slow, but kinda fun and they used to serve craft beer.

    I’d like to do one of the old historic routes.

  21. I like it a lot. Mine are usually overnight tripI usually get a roommate which includes dinner. I meet a lot of people and it is fun. I am a big train fan. That said, it does not compare to European rails.

  22. The Hiawatha runs between Chicago and Milwaukee. Taken that few times. Seems spendy compared to driving, but not when you count Illionois tolls and parking in downtown Chicago.

  25. I take the Amtrak from Milwaukee to Chicago and back at least twice a month. I have taken it from Chicago to Detroit several times. I used it a lot in college to get from Kalamazoo to East Lansing. Overall positive experience, super easy and safe. Wish we had more train infrastructure, it is definitely my favorite way to travel. I spent some time in Germany in college and did so much train travel across Europe. Wish we had that kind of infrastructure.

  26. Yes, some of the trains are nice, the newer ones. Some of the older ones though are in terrible shape.

  27. Yes. I love Amtrak. I should probably mention I live in the Northeast which is Amtrak’s bread and butter

  28. Once from Chicago to Ann Arbor. Was not bad, but I wasn’t impressed. The one bathroom wall was busted.

  29. It’s my favorite way to get to Chicago from Kansas City it’s faster than driving and cheaper then flying

  30. Yes, I’ve ridden it from California to New York. It’s actually extremely popular and there’s hardly ever any empty seats, especially on the corridor from San Antonio to Chicago and back, one of the most popular routes.

  31. I think I did. I’m not sure exactly what the name or model of the train was but I went from DC to New York to attend a party.

  35. I’ve taken it to a city about two hours away from me. It wasn’t very practical. I mostly just did it because I wanted to see what it was like.

  36. Plenty of times, but only because I was kind of late getting my drivers’ license. Didn’t feel a need to get licensed until I was around 25. I lived in a place where I could walk to work, take decent public transport if I wanted to go downtown, etc.

    No need for a drivers’ license.

    In the meantime I took Amtrak if I wanted to travel out of state.

    Never ridden on one of the cross-country Amtrak trains though. Amtrak is shamefully underfunded. They’re doing their best, but there’s only so much you can do when the government keeps slashing your budget. The thought of a cross-country trip sounds really unpleasant.

  37. Yes. Pretty much all of New England to DC out of NYC including Montreal. Love it, except a full train of Canadian customs was rough.

  38. I’ve gone from Orlando to DC a couple of times in middle school. And I’ve used the Auto train a few times

  39. Philly to Boston a few times. First Class was very relaxing. Once Philly to Florida in coach. Never again. I would get a roomette at the least

  41. I use it for travel in the northeast occasionally. It’s convenient for daytrips from DC up to Philly. When I lived in Illinois, I sometimes traveled from Chicago to Springfield or St Louis.

    I did a long-distance trip before covid between Chicago and California. Though I was on for the entire three-day trip, it was interesting how many people used it just for a few stops, like traveling a few counties over or to the nearest big city.

  44. Yes, I have taken several long trips on Amtrak. From the midwest (Nebraska) to the East coast mostly.

  47. Amtrak is my preferred method of travel to NYC, DC, and other points along the northeast corridor. It’s far more comfortable and less stressful than flying. Pre-pandemic, we went down to DC every year and I was able to work on the train, thus not needing to use a vacation. I’d never be able to do that flying.

    We may consider a cross-country trip in the next few years.

  49. I travel the rails a lot. From Chicago to Portland, OR., Chicago to Omaha and more. The world is quite different on a train. But you get to see a lot of the country you otherwise wouldn’t. Otherwise it’s very relaxing. You don’t have to worry about watching the road, directions, etc. You get to just relax and hang. Don’t expect exact arrival times as freight trains take presence over passenger trains. So often you’ll have to stop on a side rail to let a freighter pass you. But that’s part of the charm. You can’t be in a hurry. You have time to relax and go with the flow.

    On most trips, everyone pretty much keeps to themselves and are chill. Occasionally you might make a friend. I’ve only had one bad experience with an obnoxious 20-something who kept sneaking smokes on board. He was finally kicked off the train to a round of applause.

    There are 2 ways to travel – either coach, where you actually sleep in a chair (comfortable chairs that recline well) or in your own private cabin. If you can afford it – go for the cabin. It’s a world of difference. Sleep aids are essential for me. The ride can get noisy and bumpy at times.

    Overall, I highly recommend it. It’s a way of life I fear may be gone someday, but a great experience with a subculture of sorts all it’s own.

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