Best Time for Empire Builder Trip

[arrow3]

I'm planning my second cross country trip for next year. I'm just wondering what the best time of the year is to avoid bustitution or delays/cancellations (given this year's many delays). I was hoping for a winter trip (Feb).

Also - what direction do you recommend? I'm going to fly one way (unfortunately).

What are your thoughts? Thanks to everyone for your help!

 

[the_traveler]

With a winter trip, you also have the possibilities of delays and cancellations due to the cold weather (frozen equipment, frozen switches, frozen fuel, etc...) Oh, and did I mention the COLD?

(Smoke/"fresh air" breaks when it is below zero in the daytime or 30 below (or more) at night!

As to the direction, it's one or the other. Going westbound, you pass Glacier NP in darkness, but (if going to PDX) you go down the Columbia River Gorge in daylight or (if going to SEA) you cross the Cascades and go along Puget Sound in daylight. Going eastbound, it's just the opposite as far as daylight/darkness.

 

[TN Tin Man]

Winter is a nice time of year to take the Empire Builder.

Winter also has it's own unique delays. Extreme cold, Snow, Mudslides. The problem is you can't plan six months in advance for the delay that might get you.

Whichever direction you take, plan a 24hr hotel stay between modes of transportation. This will lessen the effect a delay will have on the remainder of your trip.

Enjoy, I recommend late March.

 

[George B]

Winter is a nice time of year to take the Empire Builder.

Winter also has it's own unique delays. Extreme cold, Snow, Mudslides. The problem is you can't plan six months in advance for the delay that might get you.

Whichever direction you take, plan a 24hr hotel stay between modes of transportation. This will lessen the effect a delay will have on the remainder of your trip.

Enjoy, I recommend late March.

I also recommend late March. That is my favorite time to travel on the Builder. Fares are often better in March anyway.

 

[Cascadia]

Late March sounds good because the days are substantially longer then than they are in mid winter.

One advantage of traveling in the winter/spring is that the leaves are off the trees and you can see so much farther. Sometimes if you are going through a wooded area in summer the foliage is a green wall and you can't get the lay of the land or the horizon.

I would like to see New England from the train in the winter for that reason.

 

[Ispolkom]

One advantage of traveling in the winter/spring is that the leaves are off the trees and you can see so much farther.

Of course, much of the Empire Builder's route is free of those pesky scenery-blocking trees.

I think that late May/early June is the best time to ride the Empire Builder, as the prairies are generally as green as they get, and spring floods are usually over. I find a dry, brown steppe to be depressing. This year, of course, that would have been bad advice.

 

[arrow3]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm leaning toward late March. I'm open to any time of the year -really just want the best chance of being able to ride the train the whole way.

I'm exciting to be booking soon! Bedroom prices seem very reasonable for this trip.

 

[CHamilton]

I'm open to any time of the year -really just want the best chance of being able to ride the train the whole way.

One caution: Winter/spring 2011 saw a record number of mudslides along the Cascades route. These only affected the EB between SEA and EVR, which isn't very long, but it is a scenic ride along Puget Sound. So if you don't mind the chance of a short bus ride (less than an hour) then spring is definitely a nice time to travel.