ATL to CLT: award for most insane itinerary?

[northnorthwest]

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but apparently there are TWO options for traveling from Atlanta to Charlotte. One of them makes sense. The other one doesn't. Let's see if you can see the difference!

OPTION A

8:04pm - 1:21am (Nov 9)

5 hr, 17 min

OPTION B

8:04pm - 7:04am (Nov 9)

11 hr, 0 min
TRANSFER - CVS (0 hr, 16 min)
[SIZE=.8em]7:20am - 8:50am[/SIZE]
1 hr, 30 min
TRANSFER - RVR (4 hr, 20 min)
[SIZE=.8em]1:10pm - 8:12pm[/SIZE]
7 hr, 2 min

 

[twa904]

Why would want to take Option B? Both departures are on the Crescent. You would pass through Charlotte.

 

[caravanman]

Let's hope option A is cheaper than option B. I guess option B is the railfans way to go!

Ed.

 

[user 1215]

Well, you see, Option B arrives at 8 PM rather than at 1 AM. Oh - and did you notice that the 2nd leg is by bus?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Well, you see, Option B arrives at 8 PM rather than at 1 AM.

That's what I was thinking, too. However, is it worth the extra $$. Hmm...

 

[the_traveler]

I guess option B is the railfans way to go!

(Raises hand high! )

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I guess option B is the railfans way to go!

(Raises hand high! )

But it includes a BUS!!

 

[the_traveler]

For more train time, I'll suffer!

 

[user 1215]

Certainly one of those "No way I'd pay for it, but if I can get it as an AGR award..."!

 

[bobnjulie]

Option B for more train time - even with the bus- SOLD!

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Both options beat the "no option" from Nashville, TN, to ANYWHERE.

 

[FriskyFL]

A test itinerary between DFB and ALX yields three choices - non-stop on either 98 or 92, or a connection from 92 to 19 via WAS.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I sure cannot figure this one out as well since on option B the Crescent goes right through Charlotte and then you have to do a round-about to get back there! But if someone wants to piddle around and get that extra train time and pay the extra fare, I'd go for it.

Perhaps Amtrak should make an option like this available for just about any middle of the night stop

 

[user 1215]

Perhaps Amtrak should make an option like this available for just about any middle of the night stop

I think you're on to something there. I am very irritated that most of my options for arriving in NYP are after departures to continue my journey (ie: I can't arrive in NYP early enough for a connection to the Maple Leaf or Adirondak. If I could actually get an itinerary that took me past NYP to, say, BOS then back for a transfer to the early morning departures, that'd be way cool.

After all, we're not riding the train for expediency, now, are we?

 

[D.P. Roberts]

So what's the longest "optional" route that Amtrak offers?

My guess is this one for CHI-SEA:

OPTION A

46 hours, 10 minutes

7 Empire Builder

OPTION B

43 hours, 15 minutes

3 Southwest Chief

transfer LAX

34 hours, 27 minutes

14 Coast Starlight

77 hours 45 minutes total - that's an extra 32 hours on the train!

Full disclosure - yes, I have done that (through PDX instead of SEA), just because...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

So what's the longest "optional" route that Amtrak offers?

My guess is this one for CHI-SEA:

OPTION A

46 hours, 10 minutes

7 Empire Builder

OPTION B

43 hours, 15 minutes

3 Southwest Chief

transfer LAX

34 hours, 27 minutes

14 Coast Starlight

77 hours 45 minutes total - that's an extra 32 hours on the train!

Full disclosure - yes, I have done that (through PDX instead of SEA), just because...

Add in coming from the east coast. I just did WIL-SEA and it shows your option B with the additional trains to get to CHI. 97 hours. Or it even shows WIL-NOL-LAX-SEA at 109 hours

 

[xyzzy]

I suppose if someone wanted to get a full night in a sleeper instead of getting off the Crescent in the middle of the night at CLT, the routing via CVS and RVR might make sense... if the rider is willing to trade off the extra ~19 hours including the bus ride.

Note that for ATL-GRO, Amtrak allows the option of (1) straight through on the Crescent, (2) 5+ hour layover at CLT connecting to the Carolinian, or (3) the same routing via CVS and RVR.

 

[Ispolkom]

If you look up NOL-SEA leaving tomorrow, the second itinerary suggested is NOL-CHI-SEA on #58 and #7. The first suggested itinerary is an epic trip: NOL-WAS-CHI-EMY-SEA, which I think times out to 133 hours.

I once had an AGR agent tell me that he could only book the first routing shown...

 

[the_traveler]

I'd be REALLY mad if they make me take that long routing just because it's listed first! :angry2:

 

[FormerOBS]

Wonder if you could book CHI-NYP-NOL-LA-SEA-MKE for the same price as CHI-MKE direct. Just wondering.

Tom