Recent content by vinceg723

I made the trip in April and it was great. The compartment was more spacious than an Amtrak bedroom, and it only cost €150 to go from Cefalu (about an hour east of Palermo) to Naples.

No other form of travel offers quite a connection with the landscape and with fellow passengers. I’ve seen parts of this country that can only be seen from the train, and I’ve had the most fascinating conversations on trains — everyone has an interesting story. There‘s no question we need...

Agreed on all points but wanted to zero in on this, as it has been on my mind. Considering that the larger timing and scheduling issues require major policy changes, here is something more practical in the short term: Make the menus feel local, not just in the dining car but in the cafe car too...

Circling back to the original post, you can view my project here -- slowspeedrail.com. Thoughtful feedback welcome, including if you want to drop me a note directly. I would like to expand and deepen this project beyond the context of the course I am taking, possibly into a capstone project...

Not a troll at all. I love Amtrak long-distance as much as anyone on this forum. I wish I had the time to use it every time I traveled NYC-Chicago or NYC-San Diego to see my family. Personally, I fall into the category of someone who just loves train travel. I figured I was oversimplifying...

Appreciate all the comments! As to the comment about HSR being disorienting, yes! I’m exploring how our current system is ridiculously slow and inefficient, BUT that slowness allows passengers to connect with each other and with the landscape in ways not other form of travel — air, car, HSR...

I am working on a project about slow train travel for a graduate-level Environmental Psychology class, and in part of the project, I am making the case that because long-distance Amtrak is slow and inconvenient, it does not appeal to average travelers and instead draws a disparate cross section...

I just came across this thread while searching for something else and have to add some of mine: On my first long-distance train trip, the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2000, the first person I met was an ex-convict who, years ago, fled a life of drugs in California by...

Well I am booked and leaving soon: New Orleans to Oceanside on the Sunset Limited + Surfliner; San Jose to Portland on the Coast Starlight (thank you to those who recommended it!); and the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago, with a stop in Havre and a likely stop in Milwaukee. One quick...

Another question for my trip: If time is an issue and I have skip the Coast Starlight and fly to catch the Empire Builder, would you recommend starting from Portland or Seattle? I've done both (Portland eastbound and Seattle westbound) but it's been 20 years. I would be inclined to start in...

Thank you all for the tips! Being up early is not usually a problem for me, so I hope to see those early morning views over the Pecos River and alongside Mount Shasta. I have to say, I have never had a strong desire to ride the Sunset Limited. I was taking it more because opportunity was...

Re the San Antonio stop -- I'm coming westbound from New Orleans, and I see 12:05am-2:45am on the schedule ... though I would LOVE for it to be earlier. Also, thank you all for your advice re the Coast Starlight. I have in fact decided to take it from the Bay Area, probably San Jose, to...

I think I have an opportunity next month to ride the Sunset Limited (NOLA - LA) and the Empire Builder (Portland-Havre-Milwaukee), and possibly the Coast Starlight (Oakland-Portland), with some flying in between (airfares are so inexpensive). For those who know these routes and cities well, I...

Part 3: From Glenwood Springs, the California Zephyr continues westward along the Colorado River, though the ride is not as majestic as it is to the east of Glenwood. I missed all of Utah — including the buttes and mesas of Ruby canyon, the Great Salt Lake and the Great Salt Lake Desert — as...

Yes -- it's a horseshoe bend in the Colorado River at the very beginning of the Glenwood Canyon Trail. It's a very short bike ride from town. The beginning of the trail runs along I-70, and then the trail crosses over I-70. This photo is right after that crossover. It would be possible on foot...