so i may start using amtrak for trips in the future. i was pricing out airline tickets for a few potential trips and the prices are insane now to smaller areas. for about the same price of gas i can take a train, and have the advantage of being able to move around and relax.


are there any other websites (beside amtrak.com) to see schedules and fares? does anyone take amtrak regularly? any horror stories? the last time i used amtrak was about 12 years ago.

6/7/2008 1:20:05 PM

it took me 8 hours to go from Raleigh to Fayetteville, and 4 hours back

that's a 1 hour drive

[Edited on June 7, 2008 at 1:42 PM. Reason : ;]

6/7/2008 1:39:22 PM

I was thinking about taking one to DC. $53 there and $47 back...depending on the times i believe.

6/7/2008 1:42:51 PM

the trips im thinking about would be 14ish hours driving or 19ish hours on the train (depending on where i leave from)

6/7/2008 2:10:58 PM

Get a wireless card for your laptop and entertain yourself the whole way.

I mean an extra 4 hours on the train vs. driving is not that bad because you are pretty much just chilling. The seats are a hell of a lot more comfortable than coach seats on a jet too. They also sell beer but I dont know how much they are. They sell em in cans so you could probably sneak some on board pretty easy. If you get fucked up enought it will be interesting to see if you can hit the pisser standing up while the train is moving. ,/]

6/7/2008 3:25:30 PM

I hear the trip may end up longer than advertised, due to delays on the tracks. Supposedly the existing rail infrastructure is now getting so crowded that trains will sit for an hour waiting for a track to clear up. I dunno if the estimate on the train website takes that into account or not. I guess for the price and for the freedom it could be worth it, especially if they have wireless internet on the train.

Just play veedya games, look at porn, and sleep the whole time.

6/7/2008 4:30:06 PM

They dont have internet but if you get it from your cell provider you can leave it on unlike flying.
Or if you have a pda phone you can add the service where you plug your laptop to your phone and use it to get online and then cancel that shit a few days later.

IMO the worst thing about flying is the cramped seats and being bored out of your mind from having your cell phones and computers off. Neither of these are an issue on the train.

6/7/2008 4:34:53 PM

Quote :

"Or if you have a pda phone you can add the service where you plug your laptop to your phone and use it to get online and then cancel that shit a few days later."

yep, not even a pda type phone is needed in a lot of cases.. post what kind of phone/service you have and i'm sure somebody here can help (i.e. me for most models). you just need to add unlimited internet service ($19 for unlimited sms/mms/internet with at&t) so it's def worth it..

6/7/2008 5:00:49 PM

I met Jim Hunt on the train when I was a kid.

6/7/2008 5:27:46 PM

Quote :

"unlimited internet service ($19 for unlimited sms/mms/internet with at&t) "

i think i would bash my head in trying to use the internet at 14.4kbps

6/7/2008 6:26:54 PM

even EDGE is well above dialup speeds

6/7/2008 6:29:54 PM

I rode the train from Raleigh to Greensboro around ten times a few years ago and only ever had one trip with any problems. That was the last trip, and for reasons never explained to me the train was 4 hours behind, and along with having a car at school, that was why I quit riding it.

Fares are relatively reasonable, especially given the prices of gas, and if you can get to and from the stations easily, it's generally pretty reliable. Also, like you said, getting up, going to get a drink, and sitting down to listen to music while moving at 60 mph is a good way to travel.

6/7/2008 7:43:44 PM

I have used Amtrak a lot.

I regularly went to DC. I have also been to NYC and to Orlando (for $17). DC is fine. I love the train because you can read or sleep. I usually watch movies. Only 1 time was the train horridly late (like 10 hours) but sometimes it happens. Not a lot of people were on the train so I could stretch and relax. Watch the specials because you can get last min. trips fairly cheap.

6/7/2008 10:57:44 PM

Quote :

"i think i would bash my head in trying to use the internet at 14.4kbps"

I can connect on Alltel at high enough speeds that I barely even notice the connection when surfing the web or checking emails. The only time it becomes noticeable is if I'm trying to stream large video files.

[Edited on June 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM. Reason : oh yeah, trains suck. 17 hours to Miami sucks, and it's usually not much cheaper than airfare]

6/8/2008 8:59:24 AM

I've ridden to and from Greensboro a few times, and to Durham once. Only on one of those trips was it beyond a few minutes late (train wasn't at the station on time for reasons not explained, and then we left the station, traveled a few miles, and then sat on the track for an hour for reasons again not explained). Other than that it's been relatively painless. Upgrade your ticket to the "business class" for a few bucks for a nicer seat and a power outlet.

6/9/2008 10:17:10 AM

i know this comment isnt really relevant given my location, but i regularly take the train up the NE corridor from DC...it's an excellent way to travel DC northward...not so much going south from DC

6/9/2008 10:19:25 AM

The NE corridor (especially on Acela) is a good deal. As for the rest, it's like getting all the convenience and amenities of riding the bus for the price of a plane ticket.

6/9/2008 10:37:26 AM

Quote :

"i know this comment isnt really relevant given my location, but i regularly take the train up the NE corridor from DC...it's an excellent way to travel DC northward...not so much going south from DC"

Quote :

"The NE corridor (especially on Acela) is a good deal. As for the rest, it's like getting all the convenience and amenities of riding the bus for the price of a plane ticket."

that pretty much sums up my experiences

it's my understanding that the reason for that is that in the north they reserve rails purely for passenger trains while southern lines force them to share with cargo

[Edited on June 9, 2008 at 10:53 AM. Reason : +]

6/9/2008 10:53:04 AM

Quote :

"oh yeah, trains suck. 17 hours to Miami sucks, and it's usually not much cheaper than airfare"

Two years ago, I took the train from Raleigh to Miami, and it took 23 hours! 'Twas cheaper than a flight, though.

If you have a lot of time, but not money, take the train.

If you have enough money, and not a bunch of spare time, take the aeroplane.

6/9/2008 11:23:26 AM

Took the train to Boston back in highschool. Took about 23 hours. It was fun because a bunch of my friends were on it.

Quote :

"They sell em in cans so you could probably sneak some on board pretty easy. If you get fucked up enought it will be interesting to see if you can hit the pisser standing up while the train is moving. ,/] "

I heard you can byob on a train. Couple of my friends just did it. I searched the entire website and couldn't find anything saying you couldn't bring alcohol on a train.

6/9/2008 11:33:42 AM

you can definitely BYOB on amtrak

i do it all the time when i visit my brother in Baltimore...get a couple tallboys down on the train ride up from DC, and you're hitting the ground running

Quote :

"Other than that it's been relatively painless. Upgrade your ticket to the "business class" for a few bucks for a nicer seat and a power outlet."

not sure what train you're riding, but most of the coach seats have power outlets on the floorboards...

[Edited on June 9, 2008 at 11:38 AM. Reason : .]

6/9/2008 11:38:07 AM

course i byob on my flight to the UK from Philli a couple weeks ago. Picked up some jack at the duty-free store and was told not to open it until we got to the UK. It magically disappeared by the time the 3 of us got off the plane in London. I thought they would be more strict about it.

6/9/2008 11:51:53 AM

In that case you know more about it than I do. I've only ridden within NC, so except for one trip on the Carolinian (which is what I was basing that on), all of my trips have been on the Piedmont, which being a "commuter" train (runs a short line only within NC) has different/fewer amenities than the "standard" Amtrak trains.

6/9/2008 11:52:27 AM

well, i wasnt saying that to be a dick, i sincerely didn't know what train you were riding;

some of them are different (even within the regular service, versus Acela)

6/9/2008 12:13:31 PM