After the rookie trip

[Rail Freak]

I'll be taking my 1st trip in Sept.

After I fall in love with rail travel, what would be a nice 4 day trip from Tampa & back?

 

[the_traveler]

Just a thought. Have you signed up for Amtrak Guest Rewards (AGR) yet? :huh: If not, you should! If you have signed up, in order to earn the AGR sign-up bonus (if any), you must travel by train anywhere within 90 days of signing up! (Even a short trip like Tampa to Lakeland one way would satisfy this! )

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Unfortunately you cannot book a ticket from Tampa to Lakeland or from Lakeland to Tampa. With the revised (later) 92, it would give a Lakeland businessperson 3 - 5 hours in downtown Tampa for business, but you cannot book a ticket to travel between those two stations. Even with a Florida Resident Annual Railpass you're not supposed to be able to do that. We did manage to do it once with the pass courtesy of a friendly conductor (we took 91 to Lakeland because 92 was expected to TPA before 91 that day, but actually 91 beat it by about 5 minutes, something we didn't know at the time so we got off at Lakeland to be sure we'd be able to make the return trip on 92. Then 92 showed up inbound to Tampa, (91 and 92 go through Lakeland twice, once on the way to TPA and once on the way back from Tampa), and when 92 arrived to debark passengers we asked the conductor if we could get on and just ride it all the way to Tampa and then on to WPK and he said ok.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Four days? Can't do that, but I can give you a 5 day trip. Take the Silver Star to New York Penn. Take the Regional 66 (Former Twilight Shoreliner) which is, sadly, coach only, to Boston. It leaves NYP at 3:50AM and arrives in Boston at 7:56AM. Connect with the 449 Lake Shore Limited, which leaves Boston that noon. Arrive in Chicago. Eat lunch at Giordano's. Take the Cardinal to either Alexandria VA or Washington DC, and connect with the Silver Meteor. Sorry, but you'll have to take a Bus ORL to TPA.

 

[AlanB]

I'd modify that plan in one of two ways. Either overnight in NY and catch the first Acela the next morning to Boston, only doable M-F. Or, I'd get off in DC where there is a Club Acela Lounge to wait in, then get on the overnight train there at 9:00 PM, rather than waiting around in NYP until 2:00 AM or so.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

That would make sense too. I guess most people do not have my irrational like of Penn Station at night.

 

[transit54]

That would make sense too. I guess most people do not have my irrational like of Penn Station at night.

That, or perhaps some of us have a rational desire to get more than four hours of sleep! :lol:

 

[Green Maned Lion]

That too...

Although I'd sleep from about 10-11:00 when things start to quiet down a bit, until around 3:00, and then wake up, board the train, and fall back asleep again.

I wonder: does Amtrak board that train closer to 1:50 than 3:50?