Vacation Ideas

[Old MM]

OK, got a few days off. Need anyone's ideas of somewhere we can go, leave from either Michigan stations, or Chicago. Can leave any day this week and return by the 4th. During a time with full trains.. where should we go?? Northeast? Southeast? NOL? Southwest? Is this even doable?? ANY ideas welcome. Sleepers probably all sold.. maybe we have to drive.. but would obviously prefer a train!

:help: :blink:

 

[the_traveler]

I was just looking today for some routes for myself in the next week, and I found many trains sold out of coach seats, rooms or both!

 

[jebr]

Might be worth checking out the SmartFares to see if any of those would work.

http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak/smart-fares

 

[ehbowen]

I had a wonderful July 4th getaway to Alpine/Big Bend/Lajitas, TX with my two nephews in 2010. However, with the weather we're currently having...I'm reluctant to recommend West Texas in July, although I think I can guarantee that it won't be crowded! If you're adventurous enough to risk it, book the Texas Eagle from Chicago to Alpine. Arrange for car rental through Alpine Auto Rental; they will meet you at the station. Don't stay in the national park itself; the lodges have no air conditioning (although they are at a higher and cooler elevation). I don't recommend Study Butte, the town at the entrance to the park, or nearby Terlingua of chili cookoff fame either. I recommend the Lajitas Resort a short drive down the road; they have all the modern conveniences including a swimming pool and numerous activities including horseback riding, target and skeet shooting, plus their 18 hole golf course. We stayed in one of their standard "Cavalry Post" rooms across the highway from the main building; it was quite suitable and closer to the pool. Do set aside one day to tour the national park by driving and hiking, and I would also recommend a raft or canoe tour of the Rio Grande through either Far Flung Outdoor Center or Big Bend River Tours. Good luck, and have fun with whatever you pick!

ETA: I see that Tuesday's Texas Eagle is all sold out, save for a single very high-bucket bedroom. Ah well. Save the info for a later (and hopefully more temperate!) trip.

 

[Old MM]

..."Out in the West Texas town of El Paso...."

so many adventures, just have to find one and yes i am saving this info.

 

[ehbowen]

One more thing: I know that right now the Mexican border doesn't have the best reputation as a tourist destination... :lol: ...but the Big Bend area is still pretty safe. You see, the access roads on the Mexican side are very poor, so the smugglers trying to move illegals and drugs across the border almost always bypass the area. (I hope I haven't scared you off, yet....)

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I would agree that Big Bend is absolutely the prettiest and most diverse location Texas has to offer, by far, but with such high temperatures and such limited service it may not make much sense to head this way. Ironically, I truly wish I could be in Chicago right about now. Seems like it's been a couple years since my last visit.

Which trains have you already ridden and do you have any specific interest you're looking to satisfy on this trip?

Or would you be willing to just show up at CHI and take the next available LD train?

I've always wanted to do that some day. Just show up and buy a ticket to anywhere. Whichever departure is leaving next. Or maybe by the roll of a die. A trip born of chaos in a chaotic and confusing world. Crazy, I know, but something I've always been curious to try.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I know the CL & LSL westbound have been selling out because I've been monitoring them for last minute prices as I will be taking a last minute trip in August either by train or by plane.

 

[TrainLoverJoy]

The California Zephyr going to San Francisco has a roomette available Friday, and another one coming back either Monday or Tuesday. You'd have a day or two in San Francisco, and the Zephyr is a terrific, gorgeous route to take.

 

[Old MM]

I've also dreamed of just showing up in CHI and buying a ticket to SOMEWHERE. But those few seats left right now are not low bucket. Had I booked earlier we could have taken the CONO, which is definitely a trip we will take in the future. Basically for this weekend, and probably through 4th of July, everything is sold to capacity or close. It might end up that we can just drive somewhere... but I'm not sure where we are going hboy:

 

[JoeBas]

Yeah, last-minute low-bucket in-season holiday week rooms are not exactly going to be Amtrak's bag right about now...

How many AGR points do you have? Can you buy enough extra points to get you to a level to use points for a room?

 

[SubwayNut]

I know the CL & LSL westbound have been selling out because I've been monitoring them for last minute prices as I will be taking a last minute trip in August either by train or by plane.

If your someone who doesn't mind coach I need to go out to the Chicago area with my bike at the end of July and early August and just booked a lowest bucket coach trip (with such high fares if I had to take exact travel dates flying might of been cheeper if I didn't need to bring my bike), $87.30 each way with my NARP discount. Taking the LSL out and the Capital Limited back, with a 23 hour and 30 minute layover in DC no extra charge. The $87.30 that fare still seems really high, I feel like CHI to NYP coach low bucket was closer to $75 just a few years ago! It was definitely a trip where my travel dates weren't chosen by me but AmSnag, most other dates were more like $150 each way.

I just flew back from Colorado couldn't justify spending $250 to $300 on train tickets when flights were only $140 on JetBlue which included my bag!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I know the CL & LSL westbound have been selling out because I've been monitoring them for last minute prices as I will be taking a last minute trip in August either by train or by plane.

If your someone who doesn't mind coach I need to go out to the Chicago area with my bike at the end of July and early August and just booked a lowest bucket coach trip (with such high fares if I had to take exact travel dates flying might of been cheeper if I didn't need to bring my bike), $87.30 each way with my NARP discount. Taking the LSL out and the Capital Limited back, with a 23 hour and 30 minute layover in DC no extra charge. The $87.30 that fare still seems really high, I feel like CHI to NYP coach low bucket was closer to $75 just a few years ago! It was definitely a trip where my travel dates weren't chosen by me but AmSnag, most other dates were more like $150 each way.

I just flew back from Colorado couldn't justify spending $250 to $300 on train tickets when flights were only $140 on JetBlue which included my bag!

If I go by train, I most likely will do coach. My first LD trip was last fall and I had a roomette on both the CL and the CZ (with my daughter), so coach will be new to me, but I'm willing to try it. I can't make my plans/bookings till I get the call from my other daughter that my grandson is ready to make his entrance. So, it will come down to what is available at what prices for both the trains (leaving the next day or two) and the planes (leaving a few days later). I also won't be booking my return till after I get to my daughter's and we decided how long she wants me there (up to how much vacation time I have available). This is my daughter's first, which is why she wants me there soon after his arrival.

Future grandkids will just have to wait for grandmom to come visit when she can book her travel ahead of time. :giggle:

 

[Nathanael]

This time of year? Last minute trip?

I'd just see which trains aren't sold out / have tickets within your price range! Most of them will be sold out or very expensive.

You might try somwhere within Michigan or Illinois (if you can find something interesting), the corridor trains are less likely to be completely booked....