# Longest routing?



## jtoddander (Sep 24, 2014)

Anyone know the longest 2 zone routing permitted under AGR?


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## AmtrakBlue (Sep 24, 2014)

Probably would help to know where you'll be starting the trip. 2 zones from the east coast will be different from two zones from the west coast.


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## Everydaymatters (Sep 24, 2014)

I don't know if it qualifies as the longest 2-zone route, but two years ago I took the Texas Eagle/SunsetLtd/Coast Starlight trip from Chicago to Seattle. I think it was 5 nights on a train.


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## Ryan (Sep 24, 2014)

It's going to be tough to find a longer legal 2-zone than that.

(technically you have to book it from Joliet, the 421-14 trip isn't offered from CHI).


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## the_traveler (Sep 24, 2014)

I'd say either that one above CHI to SEA or one from MIA to ELP via CHI.


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## Ryan (Sep 24, 2014)

MIA-CHI-ELP: 89h18m

JOL-LAX-SEA: 99h22m

Both are excellent uses of a 2 zone award.


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## Everydaymatters (Sep 24, 2014)

My error: I took that route from BNL to SEA. That was about 98 hours. Lucky for me, the TE stops at BNL


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## Ryan (Sep 24, 2014)

I thought that's where you may have started.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 24, 2014)

Betty wins, JOL-SEA would be the Longest but I actually like the MIA-ELP routing myself, Viewliners and Superliners and when I did it I went via NOL (and thus had a night in NOL in my Dime) not sure if it would be allowed now???


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## Ryan (Sep 24, 2014)

From another thread:



jtoddander said:


> One super long routing that I have learned about is NOL to CHI to LAX on SWC and them LAX to SEA. I think it is 100+ hours but it would require you to start I'm NOL. Still it is a 2 zone trip. All three train routes are great. Also you do get a few hours to wander around Chicago if trains are on time


Comes out to about 97 hours. Another good trip.


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## jebr (Sep 24, 2014)

If someone could convince Amtrak to add the route, CBS - PDX - LAX - ELP would be a very long trip as well without breaking any rules. (The route isn't yet published, but I'd imagine it's more because no one has requested it, as the connections would all be legal if it wasn't for the broken PDX connections with the Builder at this time.)

Another route that I've been considering taking a trip on a two-zone reward is MSP - PDX - SAC - DEN. Lengthen that to CBS and while you don't get the absolute longest route, you get close (about 90 hours of train time) and experience the PPC (hopefully) and get some amazing scenery through Glacier, near PDX, and through the Colorado Rockies.


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## Orie (Sep 25, 2014)

As someone who has never been on trip anywhere near 90 hours but wants to: Do you use pay points once? Or per train? I.E. for a roomette, would it just be 20,000 AGR?



RyanS said:


> From another thread:
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I'm just putting together ideas for trips through Amtrak's website and it says from CHI-LAX the Texas Eagle would add nearly twenty more hours on to the trip. I've never done a trip anything like this so forgive me if I overlooked something obvious.


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## AmtrakBlue (Sep 25, 2014)

Orie said:


> As someone who has never been on trip anywhere near 90 hours but wants to: Do you use pay points once? Or per train? I.E. for a roomette, would it just be 20,000 AGR?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's points per Rez. I'm doing a 2-zone roomette (20,000) From TOL to EMY via LAX - 3 trains - LSL-SWC-CS.


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## the_traveler (Sep 25, 2014)

The points are per trip/reservation, not per train.

Example if you go from BOS to TOL, you could go;

1) BOS-TOL directly on the LSL = 1 train

2) BOS-NYP-TOL via a Regional connecting to the LSL = 2 trains

3) BOS-WAS-TOL via a Regional connecting to the CL = 2 trains

4) BOS-PHL-PGH-TOL via a Regional connecting to the Pennsylvanian connecting to the CL = 3 trains

All for a roomette would cost 15,000 points.


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## Ryan (Sep 25, 2014)

And for the segments where roomettes aren't available, it's an auto-upgrade to business class.


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## Orie (Sep 25, 2014)

Thanks! I just wasn't sure if it changed when making multi-city reservations instead of a regular one. That answers it.


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## AmtrakBlue (Sep 25, 2014)

Orie said:


> Thanks! I just wasn't sure if it changed when making multi-city reservations instead of a regular one. That answers it.


It has to be a routing that can be pulled up w/o using multi-city on the website though.


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## jtoddander (Sep 25, 2014)

Its also worth while pointing out that it is points per Rez for specified number of zones AND that if it is some form of sleeping accommodation it covers multiple passengers. For example 20k points covers roomette for 2 zones AND 2 passengers. A pretty sweet deal


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## crescent2 (Sep 26, 2014)

Another tidbit of info: The zone-border cities can be counted as being in either zone, which helps.

And the sleeper award covers meals in the dining car for both passengers.


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## benale (Oct 18, 2014)

Experimenting with city pairs and trying to get the best bang for the buck, I noticed Columbus,Wi to Burlington,Ia is a published route. Normally it takes about eight hours between the two cities,but being there is no same day connection in Chicago, the routing involves the EB connecting with the CS and CZ. Five nights on the train and add two coach tickets from Chicago to Columbus and Burlington to Chicago and you have a round trip. It's probably a two zone reward,because you are entering and leaving another zone,even though you are leaving and arriving in the same zone. You can;t do it in reverse from Burlington to Columbus. I'm surprised this a published route and you certainly are getting your points worth, but then again, this is solely for riding the train,which is fine with me.


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## the_traveler (Oct 18, 2014)

However, it would be considered a "circular routing" and not be allowed as a single 2 zone AGR award.


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