I recently went on my first train ride with Amtrak. This company is one of the only major railroads in the United States, as it operates in 46 U.S. states. My friend and I traveled from Austin, Texas to Kansas City, Missouri. In total, we were traveling for around 14 hours, not including the hours we had to wait at the train station. The experience was completely new and last minute for us due to having to cancel our flight and figure out alternative options to make it back to Kansas City. My first tip is to compare the cost of a train ticket to alternative traveling options such as a plane or rental car. We chose to travel via train due to it being half the price of a plane ticket on that same day. Amtrak also offers two options for traveling: multi-transportation or only trains. The multi-transportation includes having a bus in between long travels but this option was about $80-100 cheaper. My second tip is to spend more money and pick the train’s only option if you are in a rush to be somewhere or have a long train ride. I had a bad experience with the bus company leaving us because our previous train was delayed. If you decide to travel via multi-transporation, you have to expect lots of delays. In our situation, the company had to have a driver take us to the next train station by car. This was the only negative of my train experience, however, Amtrak did give us a train ride voucher to apologize for the situation.
I was very nervous considering I had never been on a train before or knew anyone with experience traveling by train. My roommate and I Googled everything, but still felt uncertain going into the train station. My third tip is to have an open mind and talk to those around you. That is exactly what we did and we met a wonderful lady. She gave us every tip we would need and information that we would have never found online. I am forever grateful for her advice and that I now get to share that with others.
Traveling on a train is a choice to consider especially if you have a lot of luggage to bring. Amtrak allows two free carry-on and two free check-in bags. Checking in bags was an easy process and can be picked up quickly once at the next train station. Inside the train, the seats are comfy and spacious. You have your own area to stretch out and lean the seat back. Amtrak does offer a cabin option that includes free meals and a bed however it is more expensive. However, I do not think a cabin is necessary with the seats already being comfortable enough as is. You can walk around the train and have access to the bathrooms and food cart at any time. The food is available at a decent price, but don’t expect anything fancy. They offer boxed microwaveable foods such as grilled cheese, ramen, and mac and cheese;as well as candy, chips and a variety of drinks. My fourth tip is to bring your own snacks. Although there are snacks available, it will be cheaper, especially for long rides.
Lastly, my fifth and final tip is to be patient. As I said, I would expect lots of delays both on and off the train. My train ended up stopping for an extra 15-20 minutes due to mechanical issues and there were also times the train had to stop due to another train passing by. Also, my final connecting train was delayed nine hours. Fortunately, I had someone who was able to drive two hours to get us instead of waiting that long in a train station at 3 am. Despite the delays, I still would recommend traveling by train to everyone. I would consider giving it a try on your next vacation and making sure to keep all my tips in mind.