Questions about travel from Orlando to Vegas, Niagara Falls, weekends, etc.

[niemi24s]

Sorry, I messed this up and it's too late to edit:

While that total cost for the cruise of $1,850 sounds like a small fortune, here's the way I look at cruise costs. This one works out to $93 per night per person and that includes room & board - all the board you can eat!

The cost per day per person is twice that, or $185 per day per person.

 

[niemi24s]

Here's the cheapest train ride I can think of that's to the South of you:

• Depart Orlando any Saturday at 10:20am on the Southbound Silver Star and get to Winter Haven 3hrs15min later 1:35pm.
• Fiddle around in the train station for about 2hr 15min until 3:48pm and then....
• Depart Winter Haven at 3:48pm on the Northbound Silver Star and get back to Orlando 3hr 28min later at 7:16pm that same Saturday

This one's not very exciting because it involves a round trip on the same train over the same routes, so the only variety is try for a seat on the opposite side of the tracks on the way back. But it's only $36.

Going North it's possible to travel different routes on about half the trip by going up to Rocky Mount, North Carolina on the Silver Star, getting off the train there at 10:03am then heading South on the Silver Meteor 13hr 47min later departing Rocky Mount at <gulp> 11:50pm! Note I said possible. But I've no idea what you'd do in Rocky Mount to kill the 14 hours between trains and that departure time just before midnight isn't too great.

A better trip to the North over different routes (different trains) involves an overnight stay in Washington D.C. With the Covid schedule, this overnight stay in WAS allows the selection either Silver up to WAS and the other Silver for the trip back home. The two possibilities are:

• Depart Orlando any Wednesday at 1:35pm on the Northbound Silver Meteor and get to Washington D.C. 17hr 37min later at 7:07am on Thursday
• Spend the night in Washington D.C. and then...
• Depart Washington D.C. Friday at 3:05pm on the Southbound Silver Star and get to Orlando 19hr 1min later at 10:06am on Saturday

Or

• Depart Orlando any Saturday at 7:32pm on the Northbound Silver Star and get to Washington D.C. 19hrs 6min later at 2:38pm on Sunday
• Spend the night in Washington D.C. and then...
• Depart Washington D.C. Monday at7:25pm on the Southbound Silver Meteor and get to Orlando 17hrs 24min later at 12:49pm on Tuesday

Coach tickets for the two of you for either of these trips to WAS and back would be $444 or 19,738 points.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Wow... with all that wisdom and experience from forum members there's little can add. Just a question...

Have you had your vaccine shots yet???

If not... plan to take all the precautions you can.

 

[Willbridge]

This interesting thread has gone on long enough for things to have changed. Las Vegas, while still complicated, has become a bit simpler. The Greyhound station in downtown has been closed. The RTC South Strip Station is now "Las Vegas." [RTC is the regional urban transit system.] For Google map fans, its address is 6675 Gilespie St. Las Vegas, NV 89119.

The Amtrak Thruway connection from the Southwest Chief continues to operate from the airport charter bus area to Kingman, AZ and return.

 

[snljamie0518]

Here's the cheapest train ride I can think of that's to the South of you:

• Depart Orlando any Saturday at 10:20am on the Southbound Silver Star and get to Winter Haven 3hrs15min later 1:35pm.
• Fiddle around in the train station for about 2hr 15min until 3:48pm and then....
• Depart Winter Haven at 3:48pm on the Northbound Silver Star and get back to Orlando 3hr 28min later at 7:16pm that same Saturday

This one's not very exciting because it involves a round trip on the same train over the same routes, so the only variety is try for a seat on the opposite side of the tracks on the way back. But it's only $36.

Going North it's possible to travel different routes on about half the trip by going up to Rocky Mount, North Carolina on the Silver Star, getting off the train there at 10:03am then heading South on the Silver Meteor 13hr 47min later departing Rocky Mount at <gulp> 11:50pm! Note I said possible. But I've no idea what you'd do in Rocky Mount to kill the 14 hours between trains and that departure time just before midnight isn't too great.

A better trip to the North over different routes (different trains) involves an overnight stay in Washington D.C. With the Covid schedule, this overnight stay in WAS allows the selection either Silver up to WAS and the other Silver for the trip back home. The two possibilities are:

• Depart Orlando any Wednesday at 1:35pm on the Northbound Silver Meteor and get to Washington D.C. 17hr 37min later at 7:07am on Thursday
• Spend the night in Washington D.C. and then...
• Depart Washington D.C. Friday at 3:05pm on the Southbound Silver Star and get to Orlando 19hr 1min later at 10:06am on Saturday

Or

• Depart Orlando any Saturday at 7:32pm on the Northbound Silver Star and get to Washington D.C. 19hrs 6min later at 2:38pm on Sunday
• Spend the night in Washington D.C. and then...
• Depart Washington D.C. Monday at7:25pm on the Southbound Silver Meteor and get to Orlando 17hrs 24min later at 12:49pm on Tuesday

Coach tickets for the two of you for either of these trips to WAS and back would be $444 or 19,738 points.

If we went to Winter Haven, we would take Lynx. I would like to visit DC one of these days though.

 

[snljamie0518]

Wow... with all that wisdom and experience from forum members there's little can add. Just a question...

Have you had your vaccine shots yet???

If not... plan to take all the precautions you can.

My husband has had both of his already so he's all set. He's 72. I am 44 which means I have to wait to get the vaccine although I do have an underlying condition which I will talk to my doctor about when I see him on St Patrick's Day.

 

[snljamie0518]

What other states do you suggest we check out in the future that is handicapped accessible that doesn't require a car?