My son and I recently took our first train trip together. I grew up in Europe and have been back enough to be somewhat familiar with European Train travel, it’s pretty great. I decided not too long ago to check into the quality and feasibility of U.S. train travel, via Amtrak. What I found was that the route options are pretty limited and the times are a bit long, but the pricing is not too bad.
With this information in hand, I embarked on the booking process. I must say it was as easy as renting a car or buying a plane ticket. The nearest Amtrak station to my house is in Atlanta, so I purchased my tickets online ahead of time for print at the station. With reservation in hand, my three year old son and I jumped in the car and headed out for Atlanta.
At the station, at the junction of Midtown and Buckhead on Peachtree in Atlanta, GA, we parked (possibly illegally) and then walked across the street bags in tow to the fairly small station. For a metro area of over 5 million people, the station was very small but that’s ok, we wouldn’t be there long. After checking our two larger bags, Alexander and I retreated to the seating area where we were greeted with stares from the other passengers.
The train arrived right on time, and within 15 minutes everyone was loaded and we were underway. The “room-ette” we had reserved was small, but adequate for a six foot adult and a three foot three year old, but two average size adults would probably be a little cramped. Our steward, Claude, made the trip (he was pretty awesome and became good pals with Alex)! After a few minutes of absolute over the top excitement (Alex was pretty stoked too), we settled down to a breakfast in the dining car which was included in our ticket cost.
After breakfast, we went back to the room, folded out the bunks, and took a nap, we awoke to the announcement that we would soon be arriving in Birmingham, AL. The bunks are pretty comfy and the constant motion and noise of the train help to lull you to sleep. Another couple hours and it was time for lunch in the dining car, it was another reasonable interpretation of food and the company of the couple who sat with us was pretty good (tables seat four and it gets pretty crowded so if you are alone or with only one other person, expect to get seated with some strangers).
A few positives of train travel include the ability to stretch out and let someone else do the driving, the ability to use the cell phone, DVD player, and computer (outlets available), and the bonus of lowering your carbon footprint in relation to travel via car or plane. Looking forward to the day when the Amtrak Acela trains that run in the northeast are available elsewhere, they travel at nearly double the speed of regular Amtrak trains.
The trip from Atlanta to New Orleans was just under twelve hours and arrived on time almost to the minute. All in all, it was a fun experience, comfortable room, and decent food, all for a price that would be tough for us to beat even with today’s newly lowered gas prices. So, if you’re not in a big hurry, and want a unique travel experience, Amtrak may be a viable option for you. We will probably try it in the near future as my in-laws live in the Washington, DC, area.
Maybe we’ll end up sharing a meal in a dining car sometime …CHOO CHOO!
