Making the loop any suggestions

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Benny

Guest
I have traveled the rails throughout Europe and Asia. This is the first time my wife and I will be taking the train in the US. Any tips or suggestions will be greatly appericated.

Start: We are departing from Harrisburg PA on the Pennsylvanian (Coach) headed to Pittsburg. Switching to the Capitol Limited at midnight (Sleeper) arriving at 0845.

need to kill 4 hours in Chicago.................??

1400 departure on California Zephyr (Sleeper)

Arrive in Reno................spending 3 days

Depart Reno on the CZ arriving in Emeryville at 1610. Switching to the Capitol Corridor headed to San Jose

Spending 4 days in San Jose..............

Departing San Jose on the Coast Starlight (Coach) to LA.....switching to the Sunset Limited (Sleeper) headed to Maricopa AZ.......spending 2 days

Departing Maricopa AZ on the SL to El Paso (Coach). Spending 4 days in El Paso

Departing El Paso on the Sunset Limited (Sleeper) headed to Houston Tx.

End of Trip.

How can I make this the best train trip ever?

Thanks

Benny
 
Benny said:
I have traveled the rails throughout Europe and Asia. This is the first time my wife and I will be taking the train in the US. Any tips or suggestions will be greatly appericated.
Click to expand...
Suggestion #1: If you're familiar with modern passenger rail in in Europe and Asia you might want to start by lowering your expectations a bit.

22031556.png
 
Why you'd spend 2 days in Maricopa instead of Tucson puzzles me. Do you have a car service or Enterprise waiting for you?

I sure wouldn't spend 3 nights in Reno either. Sacramento is much nicer.

As for Chicago, the Willis (Sears) tower is a couple blocks east of Chicago Union Station on Jackson Blvd.
 
How are you dealing with the complete lack of ground transportation options at Maricopa? I agree with the other poster, unless you have your transportation to Phoenix all arranged, go to Tucson. In any case, Tucson is a more picturesque city.

As to Reno, I agree that 3 days in Reno is too much, unless you are using it as a home base to explore the Lake Tahoe region, in that case, fine. Don't think Reno is like Vegas, yes, there is gambling, but Reno isn't the over-the-top experience Vegas is, and Reno is generally de-emphasizing gaming as a tourist draw. A number of the casinos on Virginia St. are closed, it is becoming a kind of cruddier version of downtown Las Vegas' Fremont Street, which is cruddy in its own right.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
tomfuller said:
Why you'd spend 2 days in Maricopa instead of Tucson puzzles me. Do you have a car service or Enterprise waiting for you?

I sure wouldn't spend 3 nights in Reno either. Sacramento is much nicer.

As for Chicago, the Willis (Sears) tower is a couple blocks east of Chicago Union Station on Jackson Blvd.
Click to expand...
Visiting friends in each of the stops.....
 
zephyr17 said:
How are you dealing with the complete lack of ground transportation options at Maricopa? I agree with the other poster, unless you have your transportation to Phoenix all arranged, go to Tucson. In any case, Tucson is a more picturesque city.

As to Reno, I agree that 3 days in Reno is too much, unless you are using it as a home base to explore the Lake Tahoe region, in that case, fine. Don't think Reno is like Vegas, yes, there is gambling, but Reno isn't the over-the-top experience Vegas is, and Reno is generally de-emphasizing gaming as a tourist draw. A number of the casinos on Virginia St. are closed, it is becoming a kind of cruddier version of downtown Las Vegas' Fremont Street, which is cruddy in its own right.
Click to expand...
Thanks

We have friends in Reno, San Jose and Pheonix so ground trans is not an issue.
 
Most of your planned route looks spot on and with local transportation already resolved it sounds like you have most of your ducks in a row. Keep in mind that the Sunset Limited route isn't anything special in the minds of many and that it may feel like an anticlimactic ending. If I were in your shoes I'd consider disembarking for good in El Paso and starting the trip back home from there.
 
And as DA said above, U. S. trains are nothing like European trains. It's not unusual for long distance trains to run late. A relaxed attitude is almost a must. I've never ridden Asian trains so can't comment on those. Enjoy your trip!
 
Arriving Chicago, the decimated cities like Gary (that in the days of my childhood spewed so many different colored smokes) are worth a look over your breakfast in the diner. Not much to see there, that's the point eh :)

Arrived in Chicago, yeah the (Sears) Willis tower is a "must see" but most days you can't see very far. Smog or something.

Get on the ground, walk to the lakefront, feed wherever - visit the art museum, or the amazing public library. But do get back on time for your train. Search this site for "what to do in Chicago"

The CZ will give you

all the "scenic" you want., and then some.

Destinations in California - dunno. El Paso -- wanna be there sometime -- I've got an idea from friends and natives that El Paso is -- a great good place to be.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top