Recent content by rkw

While I've not taken Amtrak, I have traveled pretty far and wide around the world and by train. I know it's a train that will make a few stops. ;) What I meant was I didn't have to transfer. I just can't justify paying that amount for 22 hours on a train. I just can't. Honestly? I lean...

Yeah, I called after I made this post and the rep then told me there is no penalty for a change, so I went ahead and booked for a Sunday departure. The fare had gone up by $1. I'll have to take the train, so I might as well book it. It's just about exactly when I want to go. It will be either...

Thanks to everyone for their input on this thread when I needed to literally move me and my stuff back from NYC to the SF Bay area and have reliable power and Internet while doing that. It ends up that Amtrak really isn't equipped for what I needed, so I opted to drive. I also got lucky and a...

It sounds like that's an area of the city where you'll be fine. (I lived there for around 8 years). The Fisherman's Wharf area is a touristy area though, so keep things like wallets and bags secure. I'm not sure if there are people that prey on tourists there, but, as a local, I'd not be...

I'm a newb, but as someone who has taken showers while traveling in the airport (United's first-class/mileage lounge in Miami after a cruise - it was a LONG night), Narita airport in Japan (can't remember why though as I'd come from a hotel, maybe it was a long night the night before too), and...

Nope, they don't and it's one a few reasons the cross-country Amtrak trip I was considering has been scrapped. I don't get it. Airlines have showers for a fee in their airport lounges. As someone has mentioned European train stations have them. I know Asian airports have places where you can...

Yep, I did. However, I know that I didn't mention bringing her with me. She died at age 19 (human years) in 2009.

Thanks for the insight and feedback. I was looking for someone who'd been on Amtrak who knows first-hand how realistic or unrealistic it is to even attempt this. Your conclusion is what I've come to. I mean it's nice to say, "oh look out of the window." However, my job requires a few hours a...

Oh, I might check that out. However, an ex has stepped up and says it's okay for me to mail stuff to him. Honestly, I never felt that settled in NYC and didn't accumulate much. I think that container might actually be too big as I can move across town in two drives with a regular car. ;)...

Not really. I lived abroad for over 9 years. Most of the travel I did in that country and in many others was by bus or train. My first year I did a lot of flying but then realized, yeah, I wanted the value and the adventure of getting on a bus or train and seeing the countryside. I've done...

Yeah, that's my plan. I said I plan to rent one a Verizon USB gadget from Rovair (their second link so far in this thread. ;) ) Since the East coast really does seem to be well wired, I'm probably going to wait until I get to Chicago and have the mail it to me there. I'm only going to need...

Hmmmm, reading that might make me reconsider paying up for the Acela from NYC to DC. I might as well just use my mobile wifi hotspot and take the slower and cheaper train if it's that bad.

Oh, gross. I just called Amtrak and, it's not news to you folks, but you can't take a shower on the long-haul trips unless you have a room. Hmmmm, maybe I'll just go from NYC to D.C. to Chicago. I might also just suck it up and pay for a roomette. But yuck. That's a bad policy. I can...

  Good find, and thank you! However, that would mean I'd have to buy the equipment and then prepay with Verizon for service. Right now, it's cheaper to rent a USB device and go. Since my phone IS a wifi hotspot, I don't need another one permanently. It's just T-Mo has horrible coverage in the...

Thanks for all of the replies! This is a very helpful community. I'll relax but I'm a telecommuter and a sole proprietor. That means I have to get my job done, which is why I'll go through the trouble and expense of renting a backup Internet source to make sure I can get on the net. I just...