Kevin L.
Service Attendant
All the roomettes seem to be financially excluding themselves from my first amtrak trip, so I looked ahead as far as possible into the future (October 9th, 2009) and Roomettes from WAS to LAF were still $308!
308 dollars isn't going to break my bank (I'm a step above destitution lol), but for a mere 17 hours how is it worth it?
During this coming January, a sleeper from CHI to LAF (3 hour ride) is $159. :huh:
Are these things supposed to be this expensive, or are they just booked that far in advance already?
Also, is it just me or are the USA Rail Passes not designed for going to places for a duration of time? From their limitations, and the quote with which they are sold ("See the USA from the comfort of your seat") tell me that they are only meant to be ridden on around the nation, as amtrak's stupid once-a-day at best train schedules cause undue wasted time at unappealing stops waiting for the next train to come in.
Don't get me wrong--I could spend 30 days rolling around America on a train with only a minimum of restlessness...if I had a cabin, but that probably wouldn't happen. It's either cabins on the train with no stops, or hotels at a reduced number of stops
EDIT: In just the time from when I made my first post on this forum until now, roomette prices on the Empire Builder have increased by 50%....better presented as $200 dollars!
BTW, are there any ways to get "cheap" sleeper cars just for the experience of having them? Are they priced by "zones" so an intra-zone sleeper wouldn't require amputation to pay for it? Six hundred and forty eight dollars for an EB sleeper is just not going to happen--one can stay at a hotel in Vancouver for a week for less than that. (And VAC is the most expensive city in Canada)
308 dollars isn't going to break my bank (I'm a step above destitution lol), but for a mere 17 hours how is it worth it?
During this coming January, a sleeper from CHI to LAF (3 hour ride) is $159. :huh:
Are these things supposed to be this expensive, or are they just booked that far in advance already?
Also, is it just me or are the USA Rail Passes not designed for going to places for a duration of time? From their limitations, and the quote with which they are sold ("See the USA from the comfort of your seat") tell me that they are only meant to be ridden on around the nation, as amtrak's stupid once-a-day at best train schedules cause undue wasted time at unappealing stops waiting for the next train to come in.
Don't get me wrong--I could spend 30 days rolling around America on a train with only a minimum of restlessness...if I had a cabin, but that probably wouldn't happen. It's either cabins on the train with no stops, or hotels at a reduced number of stops
EDIT: In just the time from when I made my first post on this forum until now, roomette prices on the Empire Builder have increased by 50%....better presented as $200 dollars!
BTW, are there any ways to get "cheap" sleeper cars just for the experience of having them? Are they priced by "zones" so an intra-zone sleeper wouldn't require amputation to pay for it? Six hundred and forty eight dollars for an EB sleeper is just not going to happen--one can stay at a hotel in Vancouver for a week for less than that. (And VAC is the most expensive city in Canada)
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