Cutting back on Amtrak travel?

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frj1983

OBS Chief
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
817
Location
Chicagoland USA
With many news stories talking about people cutting back on travel this year (2009), I am curious if members of the forum will be doing the same? Or perhaps traveling more? Or traveling about the same as last year?

As for myself, the Wife and I are taking the LSL from Chicago to Springfield MA in May and traveling from there up to New Hampshire by rental car. We are also thinking about Christmas in New Orleans next December and we would take the CONO round trip Chicago to New Orleans. This would actually be an increase in train travel for us this year.

Would others like to share their travel plans? :eek:
 
My plans have not changed. I will still be traveling about the same amount. This year though we will be doing it by train instead of flying. Partly because of the cost but mostly becuase of my nagging. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ^_^ :ph34r: so yeah no cut backs here. Plus, I am planning my big summer trip by rail. Just gotta get a new job (im only 16) and then that money will go toward a summer ride cross country and back with most likely a few detours.
 
My plans have not changed, I typically take trips back and forth between home and school-- as well as one 'vacation' somewhere. Though I may cut the vacation out, but who knows.
 
I will not be cutting back on my Amtrak travel - mainly because it will be an AGR award! :p

I get most of those points from the AGR credit card, which I use all the time. And many of the purchases are for "luxuries" - like food for dinner from the market and gas for the car! Every year, I usually have enough points for an award! :D
 
the_traveler said:
I will not be cutting back on my Amtrak travel - mainly because it will be an AGR award! :p
I get most of those points from the AGR credit card, which I use all the time. And many of the purchases are for "luxuries" - like food for dinner from the market and gas for the car! Every year, I usually have enough points for an award! :D
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Likewise. Each of the past two years have featured at least one cross-country or other end-to-end LD route trip for me, though each of the three was motivated by something other than purely "train vacation". This year, even if for nothing more than "visit friends far away", I'll do likewise (hopefully managing different routes). But this year, at least one direction will be AGR, so my expenses might go down or will at least be similar :)

I used to take more long-distance road trips. Nowadays the train (for a single traveler) is generally cheaper!

Another great AGR MasterCard points-building strategy is to go out to dinner with a bunch of friends and say "I'll put it all on my card, if you guys can pay me cash" :D
 
I’m actually traveling MORE this year. I’m set, in about a week, to go BUF-NYP (stay there for a few nights) then NYP to WAS. After staying in WAS for a few nights I’ll be going WAS to BUF (via NYP).

Then a few days later, I’m doing BUF – SDY – BUF (same day trip).

Then a month later I’m going to go BUF – NYP – BUF.

Then a month after the previous trip I’ll be doing the BUF-SDY-BUF thing again.

I’ll have more miles under my belt in the 1st Quarter than I had all last year!
 
Not living close to any Amtrak routes make it difficult to ride as much as I would like, so I'll probably ride less this year.
 
My plans for 2009:

1. WDB-WAS-WBD for the Inauguration (Metrorail is actually much more convenient, but that'll be mobbed, and we wanted reserved seats to be sure we get into D.C.)

2. Auto Train LOR-SFA-LOR later this month :D

3. MSS-BAL-MSS (one day, on 20 and 19) in March

4. Northeast Regional, Acela, Downeaster, and either 448 or 449 when we visit New England this summer

5. Whatever other trips I can think of an excuse to take

Probably about the same as 2008. 2008 was going to be an off year, until a death in the family necessitated a round trip to LAK on the Star for the funeral.
 
I'll be cutting back a little. I only have 65-70 segments planned for this month, as opposed to 82 in January 2008. :p

Seriously, though, even for leisure trips, there will soon be no more of my Pacific Surfliner or San Joaquins hell-of-it trips, as, in the interest of finally owning a home at mere-mortal prices, we'll be moving in the spring to a city whose Amtrak 'service' consists of a city 2.5 hours north and another 30 minutes south, the former served by one train per day in each direction, the latter three per week in each direction. :(

I'm making up for it, though, by taking my first 'real' LD trip (as opposed to a long but all-daylight trip on an LD train) to the 2009 gathering.
 
sky12065 said:
frj1983 said:
Would others like to share their travel plans? :eek:
Click to expand...
Cutbacks no

Will ride more trains

More track

More miles

Of beautiful terrains!

Burma Shave! :p

More Burma Shave slogans of the 50's
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WELL SAID! The Burma Shave signs rank among the best of advertising campaigns.

This year I hope to do the Slidell Loophole using AGR points, and by the time I add air at both ends and a couple nights hotel, that will run more than a few dollars. I'm also hoping to get at least one Texas Eagle run in to Chicago and maybe another to Austin as well.
 

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