After some research and reading USA by Rail I've decided to take a month to travel the US by Amtrak. As a citizen it seems that my best/only bet is the US/CAN rail pass. The time I have off to take the trip will likely be Aug/Sept, so on-peak pricing will unfortunately apply. I will likely be starting in Atlanta and am interested in stopping in the following cities (though not all) for a day or two, depending on the accommodations I line up:
NOLA
Tuscon
LA
Portland
Seattle
Glacier Park
Milwaukee
Chicago
Montreal
I laid out the names in that order as the overall route I think I'd like to take. And then from Montreal down to NYC for that trip, which I hear is great. I'm looking for any tips, suggestions, places off the path that might be good replacement stops, that anyone has to make this trip even better. I've never ridden Amtrak before but I feel that I have a good idea of what to expect as far as delays/comfort.. what I don't know much about is what to look for on certain routes, how to go about reserving/not reserving tickets if I have the N. Amer rail pass, and good places to stash a backpack while walking around the cities. Any suggestions and tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Paul
NOLA
Tuscon
LA
Portland
Seattle
Glacier Park
Milwaukee
Chicago
Montreal
I laid out the names in that order as the overall route I think I'd like to take. And then from Montreal down to NYC for that trip, which I hear is great. I'm looking for any tips, suggestions, places off the path that might be good replacement stops, that anyone has to make this trip even better. I've never ridden Amtrak before but I feel that I have a good idea of what to expect as far as delays/comfort.. what I don't know much about is what to look for on certain routes, how to go about reserving/not reserving tickets if I have the N. Amer rail pass, and good places to stash a backpack while walking around the cities. Any suggestions and tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Paul