Questions about a 15 day/8 segment USA Rail Pass

[dogbert617]

No timetable on doing such a trip, but I thought doing one heading west from Chicago would be a fun way to see so much of the western half of the US that I've never seen before. Anyway my thought was taking the Southwest Chief west from Chicago to LA, possibly going from LA to San Diego and back for a few hours on one day(this one I'm not 100% sure on doing, but leaning towards it just to have a few hours to see San Diego), spending at least a full day(maybe 2? I don't know yet, and my cousin lives out there too so hopefully will briefly visit her) in the LA area doing stuff. Then after that, take the Coast Starlight north to Seattle, spend a full day there where I won't be doing any train traveling(but just sightseeing there, hadn't decided if there will be more than just 1 whole day in Seattle yet but I may decide on that later), and then taking the Empire Builder back home to Chicago. I hate how expensive upgrading to a sleeper is, but I was thinking the only segment I might upgrade from basic coach would be on Coast Starlight, due to being able to use the Pacific Parlor Car. I've survived fine on other long distance Amtrak train trips just riding in basic coach, though it'd be fun for once in my life to splurge for a sleeper.

NOTE that I am aware of the temporary suspension of all Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle due to a mudslide, and sadly I fear(since the word is fall 2017 is when this change will occur) that I won't be able to do this trip in time, before the reroute away from the Puget Sound southwest of the Tacoma Amtrak stop. I've already ridden the California Zephyr before, hence my interesting in riding SWC, Surfliner, Starlight, and EB. And I think such an itinerary would be a good balance that'd allow me a little bit of sightseeing time in LA, San Diego, and Seattle, without spending too much time traveling on the train either. Never mind the 3 days from Chicago-LA, and Seattle-Chicago part! Or also the fact that I suspect my idea to do such a USA Rail Pass trip(15 days) probably won't occur in time, before that Tacoma Amtrak reroute closer to I-5.

I guess my basic questions are for the best sightseeing parts of the trip, where the scenery is most interesting. Whenever I check the Amtrak website, it seems like years ago it used to be easier to find those pdf guides that said info about scenery and history of each of the cities and towns Amtrak goes through. Nowadays, it seems like Amtrak has sadly removed a bunch of those info pdf guides about towns, etc. that the trains pass through from their website. Does that info exist somewhere else online where Amtrak has removed it, including if say someone operating a Trainweb website(for all I may guess) might still have those guides archived? And also, do any of the station houses or platforms have anything unique about them I should be aware of? I thought Albuquerque from reading threads here(along with El Paso on the Sunset), had occasional vendors set up on the platform selling stuff. But am not 100% sure about that. Please do mention the major sightseeing points, I should be aware of on this route. At least thinking about Tacoma, I see there's an Empire Builder segment between Seattle and Edmonds that goes along the Puget coastline, so that'll make up a little bit for the Tacoma reroute. Since I suspect this'll happen, by whenever I do this USA Rail pass idea.

Still do need to research places to stay(i.e. hostels, motels, hotels) that are near these Amtrak stops that are decent and aren't too insanely expensive, namely in LA and Seattle. Thanks to anyone who can give me advice, and start to give me pointers about scenic places to be aware of along the SWC, CS, and EB. I am right in thinking that it's smart to not use all 8 allotted train trip segments, so I could do a little bit of local sightseeing? And of course, it'd be nice to know on the SWC, Surfliner(in case I do that one), CS, and EB what side of the train has nicer scenery to look at, at different times along the train ride.

 

[ehbowen]

Rich Kimmel has a great collection of his own very detailed route guides available for free on his web site:

http://www.railroadrich.com/

 

[Johanna]

I really liked this place in LA when I stayed there two years ago: http://sanbornhouse.com/

The price is great ($100/night including tax for the smaller room), the location is good for getting around without a car (a block from several major bus lines, including ones that serve Union Station, and a mile or so from a Metro station), and the rooms are comfortable and quiet. You get access to a full kitchen, which is stocked with tea and coffee-making supplies.

The downside is that they have only two rooms, so they may be booked up for your dates of interest.

 

[KmH]

The best scenery on the Southwest Chief is seen on day 2 of the trip.

In the morning the train is in southeast Colorado and crosses the Comanche National Grass lands.

The climb up and over Raton Pass is a special event because the climb has the steepest grades (up to 3.3%) of any Amtrak route and follows the Santa Fe trail.

Going over Glorietta Pass is also pretty scenic. There is a very interesting house on the right side of the train about a mile past the top of the grade.

Western NM is also quite scenic with red cliffs whose color is accentuated by the setting sun.

The Raton, NM station is pretty scenic, and there is a Harvey House facility at the Las Vegas, NM stop.

There is another Harvey House facility (restored) at Barstow, but if the train is on time it gets to Barstow well before sunset the morning of the 3rd day.

LA Union Station is a real treat too.

For many the scenery on the California Zephyr is better both day 2 (crossing the Rocky Mountains) and day 3 (crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains).

But the desert southwest on the SWC route is beautiful too, in a different way.

However by going to LA you get to ride the entire Coast Starlight route.

The train station in San Diego is within easy walking distance to the Embarcadero on the bay.

Route guides are found here:

https://www.amtrak.com/midwest-train-routes

Click on the route, scroll down a ways, and on the right click on Download Route Guide.

When I'm able to ride the Coast Starlight starting in LA I plan to get off in Portland so I can ride the Empire Builder along the Columbia River towards Spokane.

For me that is more scenic than riding the Empire Builder east from Seattle to Spokane over the Cascade Mountains.

Plus It's my understanding the Portland to Spokane portion of the Empire Builder has a Sightseer Lounge )SSL) car that the Seattle to Spokane version lacks.

In Spokane the 2 train segments get joined for the rest of the trip to CHI so the SSL car is available to all.

 

[BCL]

You might find better prices booking separately - especially if there are saver fares. You might also be able to use a AAA discount. And if you want to do LA to San Diego, there are commuter lines that are much cheaper than the Pacific Surfliner, although they don't have baggage service.

 

[dogbert617]

Thanks to everyone who did respond, btw. I will look more closely at all the responses,later. And keep them coming, if you have any useful info and/or suggestions to add.

Rich Kimmel has a great collection of his own very detailed route guides available for free on his web site:

http://www.railroadrich.com/

Nice, thanks for mentioning his guides for Amtrak travel!

The best scenery on the Southwest Chief is seen on day 2 of the trip.

In the morning the train is in southeast Colorado and crosses the Comanche National Grass lands.

The climb up and over Raton Pass is a special event because the climb has the steepest grades (up to 3.3%) of any Amtrak route and follows the Santa Fe trail.

Going over Glorietta Pass is also pretty scenic. There is a very interesting house on the right side of the train about a mile past the top of the grade.

Western NM is also quite scenic with red cliffs whose color is accentuated by the setting sun.

The Raton, NM station is pretty scenic, and there is a Harvey House facility at the Las Vegas, NM stop.

There is another Harvey House facility (restored) at Barstow, but if the train is on time it gets to Barstow well before sunset the morning of the 3rd day.

LA Union Station is a real treat too.

For many the scenery on the California Zephyr is better both day 2 (crossing the Rocky Mountains) and day 3 (crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains).

But the desert southwest on the SWC route is beautiful too, in a different way.

However by going to LA you get to ride the entire Coast Starlight route.

The train station in San Diego is within easy walking distance to the Embarcadero on the bay.

Route guides are found here:

https://www.amtrak.com/midwest-train-routes

Click on the route, scroll down a ways, and on the right click on Download Route Guide.

When I'm able to ride the Coast Starlight starting in LA I plan to get off in Portland so I can ride the Empire Builder along the Columbia River towards Spokane.

For me that is more scenic than riding the Empire Builder east from Seattle to Spokane over the Cascade Mountains.

Plus It's my understanding the Portland to Spokane portion of the Empire Builder has a Sightseer Lounge )SSL) car that the Seattle to Spokane version lacks.

In Spokane the 2 train segments get joined for the rest of the trip to CHI so the SSL car is available to all.

Interesting, thanks for posting all that info. I was trying to figure out in my head if traveling Portland-Spokane or Seattle-Spokane was more scenic, but wasn't sure. For the SWC, I'll definitely pay attention to the area around the Raton Pass. If I'm heading west, is the scenery better on the left(south) or right(north) side of the train? Or is it equally good, on both sides?

You might find better prices booking separately - especially if there are saver fares. You might also be able to use a AAA discount. And if you want to do LA to San Diego, there are commuter lines that are much cheaper than the Pacific Surfliner, although they don't have baggage service.

I do look at the saver fare page of Amtrak's website for time to time, and too often the long distance trains offered on that saver fare page are for only part of that route. For example recently, they showed Empire Builder on that saver fare page for only part of the route, which I believe was from Saint Cloud to Spokane IIRC. Hence why a 15 day/8 segment USA Rail Pass, is very tempting as heck of an option for me to look at.

 

[BCL]

You might find better prices booking separately - especially if there are saver fares. You might also be able to use a AAA discount. And if you want to do LA to San Diego, there are commuter lines that are much cheaper than the Pacific Surfliner, although they don't have baggage service.

I do look at the saver fare page of Amtrak's website for time to time, and too often the long distance trains offered on that saver fare page are for only part of that route. For example recently, they showed Empire Builder on that saver fare page for only part of the route, which I believe was from Saint Cloud to Spokane IIRC. Hence why a 15 day/8 segment USA Rail Pass, is very tempting as heck of an option for me to look at.

You might run into an issue with limited availability of reservations via the USA Rail Pass.

And of course pricing is extremely variable. You might be able to find some combination that beats the USA Rail Pass pricing.

 

[KmH]

The good scenery on the SWC is on both sides.

After Raton Pass Wagon Mound is on the left as is Starvation Peak at Bernal, NM.

Both were landmarks on the Santa Fe trail.

Devils Throne at Los Cerrillos is another SWC staple though maybe not as well known.

 

[dogbert617]

You might find better prices booking separately - especially if there are saver fares. You might also be able to use a AAA discount. And if you want to do LA to San Diego, there are commuter lines that are much cheaper than the Pacific Surfliner, although they don't have baggage service.

I do look at the saver fare page of Amtrak's website for time to time, and too often the long distance trains offered on that saver fare page are for only part of that route. For example recently, they showed Empire Builder on that saver fare page for only part of the route, which I believe was from Saint Cloud to Spokane IIRC. Hence why a 15 day/8 segment USA Rail Pass, is very tempting as heck of an option for me to look at.

You might run into an issue with limited availability of reservations via the USA Rail Pass.

And of course pricing is extremely variable. You might be able to find some combination that beats the USA Rail Pass pricing.

I was looking at least at 3 main long distance trains(SWC, CS, EB), and even at their lowest price bucket(where I figured out what the lowest price was, out of the several price tiers based on how many people are riding the train), the cost of a 15 day/8 segment USA Rail Pass would be cheaper than the cost in coach of SWC, CS, and EB. Not including if I did decide to also do a Pacific Surliner trip to San Diego for just a few hours in SD and back, in the end.

I have heard the stories about Amtrak limiting the number of reservations they take for those with USA Rail Passes, so why I'd schedule doing it many months in advance. Thanks for your response,though.

The good scenery on the SWC is on both sides.

After Raton Pass Wagon Mound is on the left as is Starvation Peak at Bernal, NM.

Both were landmarks on the Santa Fe trail.

Devils Throne at Los Cerrillos is another SWC staple though maybe not as well known.

I definitely will remember those 3 points you mentioned. Though I assume the northern New Mexico part will be extremely nice south of Raton Pass, for sure. Thanks for pointing all of them out!

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

If you don't really care about Seattle you could always get off at Portland and catch the EB there. Or just get off the CS in the Bay Area and take the CZ back to CHI. I'd rather spend time in San Fran than Seattle and you get to see the Rockies en route back to Chi-Town. But in that scenario there's no point in getting a sleeper on the CS though.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

If you don't really care about Seattle you could always get off at Portland and catch the EB there. Or just get off the CS in the Bay Area and take the CZ back to CHI. I'd rather spend time in San Fran than Seattle and you get to see the Rockies en route back to Chi-Town. But in that scenario there's no point in getting a sleeper on the CS though.

In the CZ scenario the best option may be to get business class so one could ride in the Pacific Parlour Car at a much lower price.

 

[wdscott]

If you don't really care about Seattle you could always get off at Portland and catch the EB there. Or just get off the CS in the Bay Area and take the CZ back to CHI. I'd rather spend time in San Fran than Seattle and you get to see the Rockies en route back to Chi-Town. But in that scenario there's no point in getting a sleeper on the CS though.

In the CZ scenario the best option may be to get business class so one could ride in the Pacific Parlour Car at a much lower price.

Unless I misread the quote there's likely an error in the suggestion. This is also dependent on "nothing has changed since...".

On the Coast Starlight business class fare entitles one to the Parlour Car for the wine eating and cheese pouring only. If room allows coach passengers have been permitted as well specifically for that event. Business class passengers don't have a general all-day entitlement.

 

[LauraPX]

Next month I'll be doing a trip similar to the first half of your trip. I hope you have a great trip!

Re a day side trip to San Diego: Definitely recommend SD but do stay at least overnight if you have the time. The HI hostel in the Gaslamp district is convenient to transit and is in a lively area. I have stayed there several times, though not recently, and recommend it. The SD Trolley is a great light rail system and did much to spark the resurgence in rail transit in this country. Balboa Park has the famous SD Zoo and a lot of interesting museums (including the SD Model Railroad Museum!); it is a short bus ride from downtown but is not on the Trolley route. I recommend going down and back midday if you are going in the summer. The marine layer (coastal fog) usually burns off by then and the sun isn't yet low in the sky and searing your eyeballs as you are trying to look west at the beautiful ocean scenery. (Another reason not to go down and back in one day.) Definitely sit on the west side of the train (right going down, left going back to LA) to take advantage of the ocean views -- even if you have to ride sitting backwards. (Half the seats on the Surfliner trainsets face forwards and half face backwards so the crew don't have to turn the seats around at the endpoints. Naturally the forward-facing seats on the ocean side of the train are in greatest demand.)

As someone else mentioned, you can use the commuter trains with a change from the LA Metrolink system to San Diego's Coaster trains in Oceanside. You may have a long layover in Oceanside, though, so check the schedules carefully. Also, If you book Chicago to San Diego, not CHI-LAX and LAX-SAN, that might count as just one leg so you wouldn't have to use up one of your railpass legs to go from LA to SD. Coming back you would have to book as a separate leg; if that's an issue you might want to do the commuter trains coming back, if the timing works out.

The Surfliners are unreserved for coach class so even if the SWC arrives right on time you don't have to take the train specified on your ticket; you can joy ride on Metro for awhile (buy a daypass) and then catch a later train to SD so you're traveling midday. Also, if you can schedule it that way I would do the SD side trip midweek. The Surfliners are very popular on summer weekends so some trains are standing room only. Also, the commuter trains run more frequently on weekdays.

Re splurging on a sleeper: Your idea of doing so on the Coast Starlight to take advantage of the Pacific Parlour Car is a good one. You might want to check the prices of a sleeper for LA to PDX or SEA vs. just Sacramento to PDX or SEA. If you end up with a roomette on the east (right) side of the train you will need to go to the PPC or the Sightseer Lounge Car to see the ocean in Southern California. If you're in coach you can enjoy the views even if your seat is on the east side because of the open car and large windows. (But of course ask for a left side window seat when you board anyway.) North of Sacramento it doesn't matter as much which side of the train your roomette is on, though the views through the Cascade Mountains between Klamath Falls and Eugene are somewhat better from the right side of the train.

Again, have a great trip!

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

As someone else mentioned, you can use the commuter trains with a change from the LA Metrolink system to San Diego's Coaster trains in Oceanside. You may have a long layover in Oceanside, though, so check the schedules carefully. Also, If you book Chicago to San Diego, not CHI-LAX and LAX-SAN, that might count as just one leg so you wouldn't have to use up one of your railpass legs to go from LA to SD. Coming back you would have to book as a separate leg; if that's an issue you might want to do the commuter trains coming back, if the timing works out.

I can speak from experience that a single connection as described counts as two separate legs whether they are booked separately or together and Amtrak's website confirms this

https://www.amtrak.com/take-the-trains-across-america-with-usa-rail-pass

Price wise the rail pass is great but it can be a hassle. Unless things have changed in the last 2 years, you cannot book travel online with a Rail Pass and changes require you to communicate directly through a person, whether it is at a ticket counter or over the phone and the people at the TRE ticket counter told me to call the 1-800-USA-RAIL counter to reserve tickets instead of them doing it (although LAX did handle my schedule change).

 

[dogbert617]

If you don't really care about Seattle you could always get off at Portland and catch the EB there. Or just get off the CS in the Bay Area and take the CZ back to CHI. I'd rather spend time in San Fran than Seattle and you get to see the Rockies en route back to Chi-Town. But in that scenario there's no point in getting a sleeper on the CS though.

I was hoping to travel on the Starlight at least as far north as Seattle, since I've never traveled in California north of the San Francisco area(Sausalito and Berkeley, specifically). Though I am open to also looking at Portland and then taking the EB east back home to Chicago, if by some very worse case scenario the mudslide issue north of Portland that's halting CS/Cascades service between Seattle and Portland wasn't resolved before whenever I took my USA Rail Pass trip. I doubt that'll be an issue, by whenever the time comes when I take this trip.

Next month I'll be doing a trip similar to the first half of your trip. I hope you have a great trip!

Re a day side trip to San Diego: Definitely recommend SD but do stay at least overnight if you have the time. The HI hostel in the Gaslamp district is convenient to transit and is in a lively area. I have stayed there several times, though not recently, and recommend it. The SD Trolley is a great light rail system and did much to spark the resurgence in rail transit in this country. Balboa Park has the famous SD Zoo and a lot of interesting museums (including the SD Model Railroad Museum!); it is a short bus ride from downtown but is not on the Trolley route. I recommend going down and back midday if you are going in the summer. The marine layer (coastal fog) usually burns off by then and the sun isn't yet low in the sky and searing your eyeballs as you are trying to look west at the beautiful ocean scenery. (Another reason not to go down and back in one day.) Definitely sit on the west side of the train (right going down, left going back to LA) to take advantage of the ocean views -- even if you have to ride sitting backwards. (Half the seats on the Surfliner trainsets face forwards and half face backwards so the crew don't have to turn the seats around at the endpoints. Naturally the forward-facing seats on the ocean side of the train are in greatest demand.)

As someone else mentioned, you can use the commuter trains with a change from the LA Metrolink system to San Diego's Coaster trains in Oceanside. You may have a long layover in Oceanside, though, so check the schedules carefully. Also, If you book Chicago to San Diego, not CHI-LAX and LAX-SAN, that might count as just one leg so you wouldn't have to use up one of your railpass legs to go from LA to SD. Coming back you would have to book as a separate leg; if that's an issue you might want to do the commuter trains coming back, if the timing works out.

The Surfliners are unreserved for coach class so even if the SWC arrives right on time you don't have to take the train specified on your ticket; you can joy ride on Metro for awhile (buy a daypass) and then catch a later train to SD so you're traveling midday. Also, if you can schedule it that way I would do the SD side trip midweek. The Surfliners are very popular on summer weekends so some trains are standing room only. Also, the commuter trains run more frequently on weekdays.

Re splurging on a sleeper: Your idea of doing so on the Coast Starlight to take advantage of the Pacific Parlour Car is a good one. You might want to check the prices of a sleeper for LA to PDX or SEA vs. just Sacramento to PDX or SEA. If you end up with a roomette on the east (right) side of the train you will need to go to the PPC or the Sightseer Lounge Car to see the ocean in Southern California. If you're in coach you can enjoy the views even if your seat is on the east side because of the open car and large windows. (But of course ask for a left side window seat when you board anyway.) North of Sacramento it doesn't matter as much which side of the train your roomette is on, though the views through the Cascade Mountains between Klamath Falls and Eugene are somewhat better from the right side of the train.

Again, have a great trip!

Thanks for making all those suggestions, and confirming a bunch of my initial thoughts(i.e. upgrading to a sleeper on Starlight being a good idea). I might see if I can get one on the right(east) side of the train, if the scenery is indeed better on that side of the train between Klamath Falls and Eugene. I'm sure for some parts of the trip, that I might occasionally go to the cafe or Sightseer Lounge to look at the views from the other side of the train(left/west).

The idea of going to San Diego on a weekday, sounds like a good idea. I hadn't thought about Surfliner trains being more crowded on weekends, but I'm sure you're right about that. Like the other poster said, I know Chicago to San Diego would definitely count for 2 segments for sure, of the 8 segment USA Rail Pass. And that is a possibility, to ride the local commuter trains in LA and SD(via transferring at Oceanside) to save a segment on my USA Rail Pass. I have already calculated how many segments I'd be using of this pass, and regardless I'll be a little below the 8 segment limit of trips I can take with it for 15 days. My gut feeling is that I'll probably be tired once I get back to Chicago, that I don't know if I'll do any more trips with it once I get back home to Chicago.

Anyway, I hope your upcoming trip goes well. Where were you planning to go via Amtrak?

 

[ehbowen]

Thanks for making all those suggestions, and confirming a bunch of my initial thoughts(i.e. upgrading to a sleeper on Starlight being a good idea). I might see if I can get one on the right(east) side of the train, if the scenery is indeed better on that side of the train between Klamath Falls and Eugene. I'm sure for some parts of the trip, that I might occasionally go to the cafe or Sightseer Lounge to look at the views from the other side of the train(left/west).

The idea of going to San Diego on a weekday, sounds like a good idea. I hadn't thought about Surfliner trains being more crowded on weekends, but I'm sure you're right about that. Like the other poster said, I know Chicago to San Diego would definitely count for 2 segments for sure, of the 8 segment USA Rail Pass. And that is a possibility, to ride the local commuter trains in LA and SD(via transferring at Oceanside) to save a segment on my USA Rail Pass. I have already calculated how many segments I'd be using of this pass, and regardless I'll be a little below the 8 segment limit of trips I can take with it for 15 days. My gut feeling is that I'll probably be tired once I get back to Chicago, that I don't know if I'll do any more trips with it once I get back home to Chicago.

Well, because the cars can be (and are) turned either way, you can't count on a room being on one side of the train or the other. However, on this particular train, while one side might be better than others for some portions of the run (west along the coast through Santa Barbara/SLO; east through Eugene/Klamath), there really is No Bad Side. And, in a roomette, you should also have the option of the Pacific Parlour Car, which is a very nice experience if available.

For short hops such as LA (or Fullerton) to San Diego, I recommend that you save a segment and just pay cash on a separate reservation unless you have segments to burn. An Amtrak agent can link the two reservations if you're concerned about misconnections. Nothing says that your entire trip has to be on the pass!

 

[dogbert617]

Thanks for making all those suggestions, and confirming a bunch of my initial thoughts(i.e. upgrading to a sleeper on Starlight being a good idea). I might see if I can get one on the right(east) side of the train, if the scenery is indeed better on that side of the train between Klamath Falls and Eugene. I'm sure for some parts of the trip, that I might occasionally go to the cafe or Sightseer Lounge to look at the views from the other side of the train(left/west).

The idea of going to San Diego on a weekday, sounds like a good idea. I hadn't thought about Surfliner trains being more crowded on weekends, but I'm sure you're right about that. Like the other poster said, I know Chicago to San Diego would definitely count for 2 segments for sure, of the 8 segment USA Rail Pass. And that is a possibility, to ride the local commuter trains in LA and SD(via transferring at Oceanside) to save a segment on my USA Rail Pass. I have already calculated how many segments I'd be using of this pass, and regardless I'll be a little below the 8 segment limit of trips I can take with it for 15 days. My gut feeling is that I'll probably be tired once I get back to Chicago, that I don't know if I'll do any more trips with it once I get back home to Chicago.

Well, because the cars can be (and are) turned either way, you can't count on a room being on one side of the train or the other. However, on this particular train, while one side might be better than others for some portions of the run (west along the coast through Santa Barbara/SLO; east through Eugene/Klamath), there really is No Bad Side. And, in a roomette, you should also have the option of the Pacific Parlour Car, which is a very nice experience if available.

For short hops such as LA (or Fullerton) to San Diego, I recommend that you save a segment and just pay cash on a separate reservation unless you have segments to burn. An Amtrak agent can link the two reservations if you're concerned about misconnections. Nothing says that your entire trip has to be on the pass!

Yeah, I think you're right that you can't choose the side your sleeping car room(ette) is on unfortunately. I thought you could ask for your sleeping car assignment to be on one side or the other, if you talked to an Amtrak agent via the 800 number? Maybe that isn't the case, and I'll live if my hope isn't true. At least with being able to access the Pacific Parlour Car, that it wouldn't be a problem seeing the views on either side.

Maybe I would save a segment or 2 and pay for riding the Pacific Surfliner directly outside of the USA Rail Pass, if I had a 30 or 45 day(12 or 16 segments respectively for those longer periods, IIRC) one? I see what you are saying though, since yeah if I wanted to do any more train trips with a USA Rail Pass that I'd have extra segments to use once I got home to Chicago. I was thinking about just getting the 15 day one, and I'd be more than satisfied with doing the SWC west to LA, at some point doing a Pacific Surfliner trip to San Diego and back(still not sure if I'd do the SD roundtrip within 1 whole day, or decide to spend an overnight there), CS north to Seattle(or Portland, if by some weird chance they still weren't running CS trains north of Portland as I've read is the temporary situation with that train b/c of a mudslide), and EB east(and back home for me) from Seattle(or from Portland, if my plan changed from SEA) to Chicago.

 

[tomfuller]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

 

[niemi24s]

I use Google Earth to preview the scenery along the way. If you're accustomed to using them, the scrollable topographic maps available here... http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm?feature=gwinn&state=0 ... give a lot of fine details that may be of interest. You'd probably be amazed at how many named locations exist along any train route that show up only on a topographic map.

Everybody's idea of what's scenic is a bit different, so I'd rather see for myself before going.

 

[dogbert617]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

How did you come on to $58, as your breaking point as to whether you'd pay for an Amtrak fare outside of a USA Rail Pass if it was less than that amount? Interesting, I'd like to hear your reasoning about that.

I'd do a 30 day USA Rail Pass if I could, but I suspect my budget will only allow me to get a 15 day one. Sigh, but what can you do?

I use Google Earth to preview the scenery along the way. If you're accustomed to using them, the scrollable topographic maps available here... http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm?feature=gwinn&state=0 ... give a lot of fine details that may be of interest. You'd probably be amazed at how many named locations exist along any train route that show up only on a topographic map.

Everybody's idea of what's scenic is a bit different, so I'd rather see for myself before going.

I was definitely looking at Google Earth, and Google Street View(within Google Maps) to preview points that would provide for really good scenery along the SWC, CS, and EB. I'm sure eventually, I'll do the same along the Surfliner route. And of course looking at the satellite overlay of Google Maps, to figure out what points I should be on the lookout for to photograph, scenery-wise.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

How did you come on to $58, as your breaking point as to whether you'd pay for an Amtrak fare outside of a USA Rail Pass if it was less than that amount? Interesting, I'd like to hear your reasoning about that.

The cost of the 15 day Rail Pass is $459, which divided by 8 segments equals $57.375, which rounded up to the next dollar would be $58.

 

[dogbert617]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

How did you come on to $58, as your breaking point as to whether you'd pay for an Amtrak fare outside of a USA Rail Pass if it was less than that amount? Interesting, I'd like to hear your reasoning about that.

The cost of the 15 day Rail Pass is $459, which divided by 8 segments equals $57.375, which rounded up to the next dollar would be $58.

Oh yeah, you just divided the cost of the 15 day rail pass into 8. Makes sense, I was just kinda tired when I did that post earlier. Should've realize you just meant dividing the cost of the 15 day pass by 8, to get to the $58 figure!

That is a great idea to do. And a few more questions I had(both related to the same subject), what are the serving hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the long distance trains? And if you do a reservation to eat in the dining car, the serving times where you go into the dining car to eat are on half hour intervals when you enter? Also, what are the hours for when the more basic cafe car is open? Thought the cafe car had slightly longer(and at least later) hours overall when it's open vs. the dining car, but am not sure.

And does Pacific Surfliner have a cafe car? I was under the impression it did, as I know most regional Amtrak trains(save for Hiawatha, due to WisDOT budget cuts) have one.

 

[BCL]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

How did you come on to $58, as your breaking point as to whether you'd pay for an Amtrak fare outside of a USA Rail Pass if it was less than that amount? Interesting, I'd like to hear your reasoning about that.

The cost of the 15 day Rail Pass is $459, which divided by 8 segments equals $57.375, which rounded up to the next dollar would be $58.

Oh yeah, you just divided the cost of the 15 day rail pass into 8. Makes sense, I was just kinda tired when I did that post earlier. Should've realize you just meant dividing the cost of the 15 day pass by 8, to get to the $58 figure!

That is a great idea to do. And a few more questions I had(both related to the same subject), what are the serving hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the long distance trains? And if you do a reservation to eat in the dining car, the serving times where you go into the dining car to eat are on half hour intervals when you enter? Also, what are the hours for when the more basic cafe car is open? Thought the cafe car had slightly longer(and at least later) hours overall when it's open vs. the dining car, but am not sure.

And does Pacific Surfliner have a cafe car? I was under the impression it did, as I know most regional Amtrak trains(save for Hiawatha, due to WisDOT budget cuts) have one.

Yeah. Not all regional trains do. The only train I've taken on the East Coast is the Keystone, and I made sure to get something to eat at NYP.

 

[dogbert617]

If the regular fare for any segment is less than $58, just pay for it out of pocket and save the segment for a longer trip. Take the CS to Portland and spend a night then pay for an Amtrak Cascades trip north to Seattle. The Talgo trains that are used for the Cascade trains are nice. The HI hostel in Seattle is within easy walking distance of the King St. Station.

How did you come on to $58, as your breaking point as to whether you'd pay for an Amtrak fare outside of a USA Rail Pass if it was less than that amount? Interesting, I'd like to hear your reasoning about that.

The cost of the 15 day Rail Pass is $459, which divided by 8 segments equals $57.375, which rounded up to the next dollar would be $58.

Oh yeah, you just divided the cost of the 15 day rail pass into 8. Makes sense, I was just kinda tired when I did that post earlier. Should've realize you just meant dividing the cost of the 15 day pass by 8, to get to the $58 figure!

That is a great idea to do. And a few more questions I had(both related to the same subject), what are the serving hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the long distance trains? And if you do a reservation to eat in the dining car, the serving times where you go into the dining car to eat are on half hour intervals when you enter? Also, what are the hours for when the more basic cafe car is open? Thought the cafe car had slightly longer(and at least later) hours overall when it's open vs. the dining car, but am not sure.

And does Pacific Surfliner have a cafe car? I was under the impression it did, as I know most regional Amtrak trains(save for Hiawatha, due to WisDOT budget cuts) have one.

Yeah. Not all regional trains do. The only train I've taken on the East Coast is the Keystone, and I made sure to get something to eat at NYP.

Thanks for responding. And I don't blame you that you'd want something to eat at NY Penn Station. Since even though(per consulting the Amtrak website just now, and looking up the Keystone Service pdf) that line does have a cafe car on each Keystone train run, the cafe car is often limited in what their food menu is like. I guess that's why I don't think a lot about the loss of the cafe car on the Hiawatha. Both for that reason, and the fact that the train trip is only like 11/2 hours between downtown Chicago and downtown Milwaukee. Less if you go to only Glenview, Sturtevant, or Milwaukee Airport!

 

[dogbert617]

A quick question, does anyone think Eugene, OR is worth a quick stop? I know the Amtrak Cascades corridor train goes as south as there, but I haven't researched what local things to do, etc are like yet. I know University of Oregon is there, but little else beyond that.

Also my other question, is how good is the shuttle service that runs between Lamy, NM to Santa Fe? And does Uber/Lyft even service those who want to get to Lamy from Santa Fe, simply for catching the Amtrak train(or after you get off there)? I hate how isolated that station appears to be like, on maps. Maybe Flagstaff would be better, for doing a brief 1 day stopover at?