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Amtrak

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    • Amtrak

      Kathy and I have a hike coming up in October from Washington DC to Pittsburgh.
      We decided that we'd take Amtrak to DC at the start and then home from the finish.
      Yesterday I went on the Amtrac web site to check prices. A seat from New York City to DC is going to cost anywhere from $20 to $132 dollars depending on what time the train leaves. That's a crazy spread. I understand the more convenient train costing more, but more than a $100 difference. It's no wonder Amtrak doesn't get enough ridership to turn a profit. Especially since, in my experience, they never make the arrival time, every freight train gets priority over the passengers. Looks like we'll be traveling in the wee hours of the morning to save some bucks.

    • When section hiking the AT other than perhaps driving my car and paying for shuttles, I found Amtrak to be the best option. Planes too expensive and limiting/hastle (fuel, poles, knife, etc..), and buses impossible to sleep since you have to get off every two to three hours even though same bus. And after a while all the prison stories get old too (spoiler alert: they all say they were innocent).

      That is the one thing I always enjoyed about living and visiting most other countries, thr priority of public transportation and the trains running on time. The bullet trains (high speed rail) in Japan is really nice.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • I used Amtrak for my central VA hike. I flew to BWI, took a commuter train to DC, but my train to Roanoke didn't leave until late afternoon so I had a whole day to kill in DC. So I took the Metro/bus to get to the Air & Space Museum at Dulles Airport. On the way home I had another long layover so I walked to the National Gallery of Art, toured the collection, and then walked next door to the Natural History Museum. HINT: They don't allow backpacks in the museums, but the A&S at Dulles had self-serve lockers, and the National Gallery has free baggage check if you go in the west entrance. As a result, my hiking pics include these.

    • Astro wrote:

      That is the one thing I always enjoyed about living and visiting most other countries, thr priority of public transportation and the trains running on time. The bullet trains (high speed rail) in Japan is really nice.
      My dad told a story about traveling by train in Japan. His Japnese host had arranged for him to take a train to a meeting. My dad asked how he would know which train to get on (as he did not read or speak Japanese). His host said his train was scheduled to arrive at the station at 2:03 PM, so just get on whatever train arrives at 2:03 PM. They are that reliable.

      I was hoping to hike the Kungsleden in northern Sweden someday. It is one of Europe's most popular hiking trails. When researching transportation options, I find I can get from my living room to the trailhead without ever stepping outside since there is a train (with sleeping compartments and dining car) that goes from the Stockholm Aiport Terminal directly to the start of the trail.

    • LI hikers, I think that Amtrak is a different experience in different parts of the country.

      When I was young I use to take the Amtrak between Boston and NYC. >But at times the fares became the same if not higher sometimes than flying. Then I discovered the 'Fung Wah' buses from Boston's Chinatown to NYC. OK, maybe they broke down on the way sometimes, but you could not beat the price.

      Now I drive to NYC.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • My only experience driving in Manhattan was on a Sunday morning, so that hardly counts.

      I learned to drive in DC, so I actually enjoy driving in big cities, for some weird reason. I guess it's how you enjoy doing things you are good at. I drove around the Arc de Triomphe twice, just for fun en route to returning our rental car in Central Paris. The kids were in the back seat screaming. Since DC was designed by a Frenchman based on Paris, it felt like home. I even yelled at a couple of cab drivers, just to complete the experience. I use a map to memorized the basic layout of of the streets beforehand since no one in my family is of much use as a navigator and you can't really be reading maps while driving.

    • I am the map person, so my wife did most of our international driving. Of course this before map apps on your phone.

      Most of our recent international trips we have relied on public transportation.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • odd man out wrote:

      I used Amtrak for my central VA hike. I flew to BWI, took a commuter train to DC, but my train to Roanoke didn't leave until late afternoon so I had a whole day to kill in DC. So I took the Metro/bus to get to the Air & Space Museum at Dulles Airport. On the way home I had another long layover so I walked to the National Gallery of Art, toured the collection, and then walked next door to the Natural History Museum. HINT: They don't allow backpacks in the museums, but the A&S at Dulles had self-serve lockers, and the National Gallery has free baggage check if you go in the west entrance. As a result, my hiking pics include these.

      If you and Kathy can be flexible about travel times and don't mind losing sleep too much, taking the train at night could be a good solution to save a bit of money. It's important to make sure you get to the station on time so you don't miss your train.

      Hope you and Kathy have a nice walk from Washington DC to Pittsburgh!