[Sca-cooks] OT OOP Amtrak Travel (was RE: OOP Bananas)

Nick Sasso grizly at mindspring.com
Thu Jun 19 08:25:34 PDT 2008


-----Original Message-----
I take it this fare is coach?  I know that I priced a trip to
Atlanta...I have to go down next week and was looking for a way to
avoid flying.  The trip would take 13 hours...and, to be able to have
a place to sleep bumped the cost up to more than you're quoting for a
trip across country!!  And...there was only one train available,
leaving around 6 pm and arriving around 7am.  I guess that's what I
get for trying to do things a little greener.  I do wish they would
work on upgrading Amtrak...I have taken the train in Europe, the
Eurostar from London to Paris...less expensive and MUCH faster...2
hours for the trip!

Kiri   > > > > > > >

AH! The Southern Crescent . . . Northeast to New Orlenas via Atlanta.  Those
times you quoted are not 'fixed', either.  The Amtrak has to share rails
with frieghts that often do not cooperate with the time frames for passenger
rail.  My wife and loved the Amtrak trip to New Orleans for our honeymoon
years back.  The time issue is what keeps us from travelling the rails
again.  We don't mind the time, just don't have it to spare.  Trains are
soothing, nostalgic, and historically relevant to my home town (the last
passenger trains stopped passenger service here in the 60's, IIRC).

I contend that if the time schedules could be firmed up and travel times
reduced, then the trains would take on a chunk of the energy-expensive
travel market.  It is just too relatively convenient, and takes FAR less
time to drive myself or fly.

Remember for pricing that a sleeper compartment will include all meals . . .
which really can pay for itself on a 14-hour trip with two people who would
be eating in dining car anyway.

niccolo difrancesco




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