Rail Pass Question

[fredevad]

I was looking up Rail passes and came across this restriction that confused me:

Travel is restricted to four one-way trips between two cities, and to all cities in between, over the same route. For example, the following trips would use up the four trips over the Washington, DC to New York route segment:

• Trip 1: Washington, DC to New York
• Trip 2: New York to Washington, DC
• Trip 3: Washington, DC to Philadelphia
• Trip 4: Philadelphia to Washington, DC

Does this mean that you're restricted to going between 2 cities, or is this to keep someone from using it as a "commuter" pass? They also seem to intermix "segment" and "trip", which is also confusing me.

Could it be used for something like this (8 segment pass):

1. MKE - CHI
2. CHI - BOS
3. BOS - WAS
4. WAS - NOL
5. NOL - LAX
6. LAX - PDX
7. PDX - CHI
8. CHI - MKE

(Yes, I put that extra MKE-CHI-MKE in there to get the most rail time out this "Long Way 'Round" trip, as long as the EB isn't 6 hours late).

Would you get any AGR points when using a Rail Pass?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

 

[fredevad]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

I was actually wondering the same thing as I was typing that post!

 

[user 2160]

I was looking up Rail passes and came across this restriction that confused me:

Travel is restricted to four one-way trips between two cities, and to all cities in between, over the same route. For example, the following trips would use up the four trips over the Washington, DC to New York route segment:

• Trip 1: Washington, DC to New York
• Trip 2: New York to Washington, DC
• Trip 3: Washington, DC to Philadelphia
• Trip 4: Philadelphia to Washington, DC

Does this mean that you're restricted to going between 2 cities, or is this to keep someone from using it as a "commuter" pass? They also seem to intermix "segment" and "trip", which is also confusing me.

yes it's so you don't use it as a commuter pass

Could it be used for something like this (8 segment pass):

1. MKE - CHI
2. CHI - BOS
3. BOS - WAS
4. WAS - NOL
5. NOL - LAX
6. LAX - PDX
7. PDX - CHI
8. CHI - MKE

(Yes, I put that extra MKE-CHI-MKE in there to get the most rail time out this "Long Way 'Round" trip, as long as the EB isn't 6 hours late).

shouldn't be a problem

Would you get any AGR points when using a Rail Pass?

only the standard 2/dollar

 

[user 2160]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

I was actually wondering the same thing as I was typing that post!

the most active posters tend to prefer sleepers here it seems, so rail passes aren't as useful to them

 

[AlanB]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

I was actually wondering the same thing as I was typing that post!

the most active posters tend to prefer sleepers here it seems, so rail passes aren't as useful to them

And the rail passes tend to be more useful to tourists from overseas who want to see multiple destinations during their trip to the states. Most people living here tend to focus on one or two cities, and therefore have no need of a pass since it doesn't drop the costs enough to make it worth while. Since the majority of members are US based, although we do have many wonderful members from overseas, the passes don't get discussed quite as much as other things do. But there still are a fair amount of topics floating around here discussing passes.

Part of the problem with those topics however is that Amtrak changed the pass rules about 3 years ago now IIRC. Therefore some of the topics are now dated and useless.

 

[Gratt]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

Two summers ago I was a college student left with some free time due to a sudden lost internship. Instead of staying at home I bought a 30 day Western US Pass and a hiking backpack and booked a trip from HOU-LAX-SEA-CHI-NOL-HOU with several stops along the way. I had a blast (even though they nicked and dimed me over higher buckets).

Now they have this US Pass only with limited segments which is a huge turnoff.

During that time they also had a NorthEast Pass, and now that I am living in NYC I would love the chance to buy a 15 day one and travel around.

Amtrak! Bring back the regional unlimited rail passes!

 

[pommib2002]

I honestly don't know, but I will admit I've been surprised how little the rail passes are mentioned on this site. Is there a reason so few folks seem to use them? When I was in Japan the unlimited rail pass was the greatest value ever. At least so long as you weren't staying exclusively in one area.

I was actually wondering the same thing as I was typing that post!

the most active posters tend to prefer sleepers here it seems, so rail passes aren't as useful to them

And the rail passes tend to be more useful to tourists from overseas who want to see multiple destinations during their trip to the states. Most people living here tend to focus on one or two cities, and therefore have no need of a pass since it doesn't drop the costs enough to make it worth while. Since the majority of members are US based, although we do have many wonderful members from overseas, the passes don't get discussed quite as much as other things do. But there still are a fair amount of topics floating around here discussing passes.

Part of the problem with those topics however is that Amtrak changed the pass rules about 3 years ago now IIRC. Therefore some of the topics are now dated and useless.

We were recently in Canada and America. We travelled extensively using Via Rail and Amtrak Passes, the latter the 30 Day Pass.

In Canada we travelled from Montreal to Quebec then onto Toronto. From there we rode the Canadian to Vancouver.

Our American Amtrak travel started in Settle across to Chicago then to Washington and onto Charleston. In each of these places we stayed for a few days exploring.

From Charleston we headed north back to Chicago then to Los Angeles for a few days. After LA we headed to San Antonio and had a day there then to Fort Worth and Norman in Oklahoma. I met up with some friends ther and had a visit to the BNSF yards and the Rail Museum. Our next journey was back to Fort Worth and onto Chicago and New York.

I calculated we covered just over 15,000 miles with Via Rail and Amtrak. We travelled coach from Wasington to Charleston, San Antgonio to Norman and Norman to Fort Worth. On the Canadian we had sleepers. We reckon the cost of the rail journeys came out as 20c per mile.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

20 cents a mile.. you woz robbed!

Have a look at my post: Amtrak at 3 cents a mile!

Admittedly, it was a couple of years ago, and USA only.

Eddie

 

[pommib2002]

Hi,

20 cents a mile.. you woz robbed!

Have a look at my post: Amtrak at 3 cents a mile!

Admittedly, it was a couple of years ago, and USA only.

Eddie

Back in the 60s when I lived there we use to shed bash parts of the UK using the famous weekly railrover passes. We'd clock up some mileages there.

You could clock up high mileages using a 1st class Britrail pass.

We plan on returning to the US in a year or two and will visit New Orleans. It would be good if the Kansas to Oklahoma link was opened.

Ah well back to the grind of seeing Alcos trundling around the Sydney freight lines.

Alan.