Amtrak Trip Planning

[DowneasterPassenger]

I'm in the midst of planning a long, multi-city Amtrak trip that involves a combination of paid and rewards fares, and some segments with a companion on a coupon.

I'll be stopping in different cities for different amounts of days, and I'm trying to make everything cost as little as possible by using rewards points and splitting costs with my companion.

Basically what I do is take a sheet of lined notebook paper and write down a list of dates in the left hand column. The total amount of travel time is around 3 weeks. Then I mark down the departure and arrival dates ("Dep CHI", "Arr BBY" etc.). I indicate "night on train" and "night in hotel" on the lines. Then I use the online reservation system and make notes about what each segments costs, or how many points I might use, for each train segment.

Usually the paper ends up pretty messy because I've crossed out dates and written down new options as I "reason about" planning the trip. Basically this involves comparing alternative scenarios until I find the best one, shifting dates, trying alternate routes, and comparing points vs cash vs. 50-50 companion.

I'm just wondering how other folks do it. Do you mark it up on a calendar? Use software? Spreadsheet?

What's the best way to plan and "reason about" an Amtrak trip?

 

[saxman]

For my big rondevue around the country in Feb and March, I just used a calendar. I had a basic idea and knew which segment i was using points and which ones I wasn't. Keeping in mind that some trains only run 3 days a weeks I would put notes in the segment. Like I was riding from FTW to SAS to NOL. I would write which days I could depart FTW to make the 3 day a week Sunset Limited. Then they called me and said the Crescent was only stopping in Atlanta on weekdays. Well that made it hard too, so I put on the calendar that I could only depart FTW on certain days in order to make the Crescent on the correct days it was running all the way from NOL.

I used the calandar feature on my computer, so all I did was move around the different segments to different days. It made the task pretty easy. (well sort of)

 

[MrEd]

I mainly use amtrak.com, saved plan feature until I am ready to book a trip. If I have to call to book I still reference that information.

Once I book I add it to my calendar on my laptop, then I add in any hotel or transfer information.

 

[the_traveler]

On my long involved multi-city trips, they are mainly involving AGR awards - but do have a few "fill in" paid segments. I use a calendar and check on amtrak.com the routings and connections. Then I call AGR to reserve the portions that I can get with awards. Then I book online in coach the other segments to fill in.

Example #1: If I book LAX to BHM (Birmingham, AL), the website only shows a routing on the SWC to CHI, and then the CL and Crescent. But I wanted to get on the TE to CHI, so I looked at the schedule and saw a nearby city was ONA (Ontario, CA) and that routing was on the TE to CHI. So I made my AGR res ONA-BHM. Then I went online and purchased a $9 coach ticket LAX-ONA!

Example #2: Once I get to BHM, I need to return mine to RI. So I check the routings from BHM to KIN (Kingston, RI). But because BHM is near the zone border, I make my AGR res from ATL (since Atlanta is the border of the eastern zone) to KIN, and then go and purchase online a BHM-ATL coach ticket. (It doesn't make sense to me to use x,xxx points [2 zone award vs 1 zone award] for a <$29 ticket! )

 

[pennyk]

For about 3 months, I have been planning a 2 week cross country trip for August/Sept. 2010.

I used an excel spreadsheet and consulted a 2010 calendar. I determined in what cities I wanted to stop and, more or less, in which hotels I wanted to stay. I then figured out what days of the week I wanted to be in those cities (i.e. Denver, Seattle, West Glacier). Since I also planned to take the Cardinal, I only had 3 possibilities of days I could leave home. In addition to day of the trip, date, day of the week, train number, depart station, arrival station, times, etc., my spreadsheet contains a column for what I think will be the low bucket for the type of sleeper I desire (based on doing reserach on Amtrak.com website).

Because I started planning so far in advance, I started making reservations exactly 11 months prior to departure (in segments). As of early this morning, I only have to book one more leg of my trip. I am very fortunate that I have been able to book each train that I desired for each type of room that I wanted. This morning, I checked the fares as if I were booking today and the sleepers are approximately $600 more than when I originally booked.

I only have enough AGR points for one leg of my trip and I chose Denver to Seattle because it is only a one zone redemption and it is a pricey trip.

I found this board when I was researching which routes to take and which direction. The information that I have as a result of joining this board has been extremely valuable. This board also helped me in deciding on which leg of the trip to use points and which to pay cash. Prior to joining this board, I thought I would be taking a trip of a lifetime. Now, I am sure it will be a trip of a lifetime.

Thank you everyone that shared your wealth of knowledge with me.

 

[Ispolkom]

I've generally used a paper calendar (one from the bank) to sketch in the itinerary, but I've recently switched to Excel. Next month's trip is scheduled around Thanksgiving, so I had to work around black-out dates for AGR travel, which made extra copies of the calendar useful.

Congratulations, pennyk! I really hate not getting low bucket, so I can appreciate how good it feels to nail the lowest bucket on a long, complicated trip. Good luck on the last leg!

 

[ColoradoJim]

I use an EXCEL spreadsheet to plan lengthy trips that have multiple stops and stays. Last year we went to Australia for a month traveling only by public transp (no car) ; planes to, from and within Australia, trains within Australia, and staying with six different friends. I used the spreadsheet to keep track of days and dates, (especially important with so many time zone changes), travel mode, flight or train #, arrival and departure times, reservation # and the addresses, phone # and e-mail of where we were staying.

This was really helpful for our house/pet sitter and for our family so they'd know where we were. Being far away and for so long it's not as easy to call and say "tomorrow we'll be in the middle of the outback". It also makes changes a lot easier and cleaner as you plan.

We just completed planning what started as a month long trip to the East Coast via AMTRAK; Denver, Chicago, DC, NYC. Used the spreadsheet again and it came in really handy because we had to drasticly shorten the trip which involved changing the reservation twice. What strarted as a four week trip with week long stays in Chicago, DC and New York ended up as a week stay on DC!

In recording the AMTRAK info I include day, date, station, departure and arrival times, train and train #, car and room #, and the reservation#.

I fit the travel info right in chronologically with the info on where we are staying. As changes are made It's easy to simply change the info on the cell and click save. No more lost scraps of ppaer or not being able to read my own writing! I could send template if you wish.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

Thanks you for all your suggestions.

I ended up using a combination of two ides suggested above: the Amtrak Saved Trips feature (which I had not previously noticed--thanks!) and an Excel Spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet has columns for:

Day, Date, Station, Train (bus), Arrive, Depart, Trip Time, Miles, Cost, Points cost, Reservation #

Note that it is not exactly one row per day. Some days involve multiple connections in one day (e.g. POR-->BON-->BOS-->PHL) so a single day can take multiple rows.

I was pretty easily able to look at alternate scenarios with different legs paid, points, or companion 50/50, move dates up and down, add or remove cities etc.

On a side note, I believe this has been asked and answered before, but where can I find the track mileage from POR to BON and BOS to PHL? Most Amtrak timetable pdfs include the mileage, but why not apparently the NEC or Downeaster?

 

[wayman]

Thanks you for all your suggestions.
I ended up using a combination of two ides suggested above: the Amtrak Saved Trips feature (which I had not previously noticed--thanks!) and an Excel Spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet has columns for:

Day, Date, Station, Train (bus), Arrive, Depart, Trip Time, Miles, Cost, Points cost, Reservation #

Note that it is not exactly one row per day. Some days involve multiple connections in one day (e.g. POR-->BON-->BOS-->PHL) so a single day can take multiple rows.

I was pretty easily able to look at alternate scenarios with different legs paid, points, or companion 50/50, move dates up and down, add or remove cities etc.

On a side note, I believe this has been asked and answered before, but where can I find the track mileage from POR to BON and BOS to PHL? Most Amtrak timetable pdfs include the mileage, but why not apparently the NEC or Downeaster?

I don't recall where I got the figure, but my lifetime mileage spreadsheet gives 322 as the mileage between PHL and BOS. I'd appreciate someone confirming that, as if I'm wrong I'll want to correct my spreadsheet!

 

[Ispolkom]

The Atlantic Coast timetable (the Silvers, Auto Train, Palmetto, etc.) gives mileage between Boston, some intermediate stations, and New York. Adding it up, it looks like 322 is the right mileage for BOS-PHL.

 

[AlanB]

It's 116 miles from Portland to BON, and 322 BOS to PHL.

The printed timetable displays all mileages, although with the NEC missing in the current one, I referred to the old one.

 

[the_traveler]

The last few editions of the national TT have not had the mileages for the NEC. But I remember from one of the previous editions that KIN is 90 miles from BOS. So I see the mileage shown to BOS on the Silver schedule is ___, then I subtract 90 miles to find out how far it is to KIN. The only problem would be between 2 stations not listed. (Such as between KIN and STM or WLY and BBY.)

 

[AlanB]

The last few editions of the national TT have not had the mileages for the NEC. But I remember from one of the previous editions that KIN is 90 miles from BOS. So I see the mileage shown to BOS on the Silver schedule is ___, then I subtract 90 miles to find out how far it is to KIN. The only problem would be between 2 stations not listed. (Such as between KIN and STM or WLY and BBY.)

Well I'm looking at the currently still previous timetable to the current one, that is to say the Fall 2008 Winter 2009 TT, and it has the mileages for the NEC in it.

It still has the oddity that has existed for years, whereby if you ride one of the long distance trains NYP to DC you only travel 225 miles, whereas if you travel NYP to DC on Acela/Metroliner/Regionals you instead manage to cover a whopping 226 miles.

Ps. Kington is 70 miles from Boston according to the TT, not 90.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

116 322

Thanks for the info!

Can any Excel wizards answer this question: I can use the "Sigma" button to sum up the total mileage, total cash paid, and total points used. But when I try to sum up the "time", it comes up with garbage. I've got the travel times from the Amtrak reservation system (e.g. POR-->BON 2:25) and Excel seems to stick it into "HH:MM:SS" format (so e.g. 2:25 becomes 2:25:00) but I don't know how to add these things up.

 

[BigBlueBuddha]

116 322

Thanks for the info!

Can any Excel wizards answer this question: I can use the "Sigma" button to sum up the total mileage, total cash paid, and total points used. But when I try to sum up the "time", it comes up with garbage. I've got the travel times from the Amtrak reservation system (e.g. POR-->BON 2:25) and Excel seems to stick it into "HH:MM:SS" format (so e.g. 2:25 becomes 2:25:00) but I don't know how to add these things up.

This may help:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/datearith.htm

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

Can any Excel wizards answer this question: I can use the "Sigma" button to sum up the total mileage, total cash paid, and total points used. But when I try to sum up the "time", it comes up with garbage. I've got the travel times from the Amtrak reservation system (e.g. POR-->BON 2:25) and Excel seems to stick it into "HH:MM:SS" format (so e.g. 2:25 becomes 2:25:00) but I don't know how to add these things up.

This may help:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/datearith.htm

Thanks. I figured out what happened. Following the link you sent, they say:

You can add times using the =SUM worksheet function. Just enter all of your times as HH:MM:SS, and then use SUM to add them up. You may leave off the :SS if you prefer.

Which is true. The number I was seeing that I thought was garbage was: 6.38819

The problem was, I didn't have that last cell formatted in Time HH:MM:SS format, so it is actually the total time in days.

Converting that cell to Time format with Format-->Cells-->Number-->Time, it becomes 153:19:00

Yikes! 6.38819 days on the train!

 

[the_traveler]

Yikes! 6.38819 days on the train!

I would say yikes too! I couldn't be on a train for that short a time! :lol: :lol: :lol: