Students travelling across the USA

[chocolateleg]

Hello everyone, a question about a summer trip me and a friend are trying to get together.

The two of us are coming to the USA from England for a round the country trip and since we can't rent due to our age (19) and flying is not student budget friendly, we have decided to go by train. We have seen the rail pass and intend to essentially go around the country, across north and south, up each coast. Basically, we were looking for advice on a few things:

1. What is THE cheapest way of doing this? (travelling for a little under a month)

2. Are there any sorts of student discounts?

3. I have looked into one of our legs, seattle to chicago, and it's 48 hours! Clearly a sleeper carriage would be preferable, what is the best way (ie the cheapest) way to get one? Or should we just man up and stick with normal seats?

4. Anything else we should know and advice on where to stay (I have gone by train across europe before, but the distances do not quite compare). We are looking at new york, philadelphia, DC, boston, miami, jacksonville, new orleans, austin, LA, san fransisco, seattle and chicago.

Any sort of help would be appreciated and I look forward to suggestions!

Thanks again, great forum!

 

[the_traveler]

Welcome to the forum!

Amtrak offers a rail pass for sale that covers (for the most part) your rail fare. They do also offer a student discount (Student Advantage), but I'm not sure if that discount is on the rail pass.

The rate for a sleeper is the cost per room - it is the same for either 1 or 2 sharing the room! If 2, both must pay their own rale fare, but the cost of the room will be the same for both!

The best advice is BOOK EARLY! The fares can only go up!

 

[transit54]

Well, I'll try and answer what I can on here, and I'm sure others will fill in as necessary.

First off, I want to congratulate you on your choice of Amtrak to see the country. I think most on here will agree that there's really no better way to explore the US. You'll really get to see the country, rather than just the major cities and the insides of airports.

First off, I think the rail pass is the way to go. Based on the amount of travel you're trying to do, it'll almost definitely be a much better value. The key with the rail pass is that it doesn't guarantee you a seat on any train just by purchasing it. Once you pay for the rail pass, you also need to actually reserve your seats on the trains you want to travel. Only a limited number of seats per train are available to rail pass holders, and they are on a first come, first serve basis. So I'd buy the pass ASAP and call Amtrak and book your tickets ASAP. Information on that is here, including an e-mail and a phone number for international travelers to take care of their reservations.

I don't believe their are student discounts on the rail pass. Amtrak in general offers 15% student discounts if you have an International Student Identity Card or a Student Advantage Card, but only on rail fare (not on upgrades, such as sleepers). So I don't think there really would be any point in you getting one of those cards.

For the purposes of staying within a tight budget, you'll probably spend a lot of time traveling in coach. I highly recommend upgrading to a sleeper on a few of your legs. Your meals will be included, you'll have access to a shower and a flat bed. In general, I travel in coach on trains less than 30 hours and in a sleeper above 30 hours (or anytime I can get a really good upgrade deal). It's something you should at least experience once. Provided you can sleep in a recliner, you can sleep in Amtrak coach. The seats recline tremendously, and you get a calf rest to prop your legs up.

Sleepers go up in price as the train fills up. The sooner you can book your sleeper, the cheaper it will be. Be flexible with your dates as some days they are much cheaper than others. You should upgrade to a sleeper when you reserve your tickets with your rail pass - you won't have to pay the rail fare but you'll just pay the upgrade charge for the sleeper.

There's members of this forum who are pretty experienced with hostels in the US and could point you in the direction of some good lodging deals. My hosteling experience is exclusively in Europe, so I can't offer much in the way of advice there. All of the cities you named should have solid public transit and you should have no problem getting around.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[sky12065]

We are looking at new york, philadelphia, DC, boston, miami, jacksonville, new orleans, austin, LA, san fransisco, seattle and chicago.

You will get great advise no doubt from others, but I would like to focus on just what I have quoted above.

I personally would not go the exact route your looking at but rather the following idea based on your given route idea and in cronological order:

1. Boston (Alternate with #11)
   
2. New York
   
3. Philadelphia
   
4. DC
   
5. New Orleans (I'd skip Miami and Jacksonville because you'd have to back track at least to North Carolina to proceed west This is because the Sunset Limited is not currently operational between Florida and New Orleans. Else, you'd have to fly or bus it)
   
6. San Antonio TX (I would consider substituting this location for Austin. I would think San Antonia would be more interesting as well as eliminate a transfer from the Sunset Limited to the Texas Eagle. (For some reason Amtrak reservations routes New Orleans to Austin through Chicago)
   
7. LA
   
8. San Franscisco
   
9. Seattle (Depending on time and budget you may want to consider Portland between SF & Seattle)
   
10. Chicago
    
11. Boston (Alternate with #1)
    

Have a great trip and stay safe!

 

[nitzotz]

Hello everyone, a question about a summer trip me and a friend are trying to get together.
The two of us are coming to the USA from England for a round the country trip and since we can't rent due to our age (19) and flying is not student budget friendly, we have decided to go by train. We have seen the rail pass and intend to essentially go around the country, across north and south, up each coast. Basically, we were looking for advice on a few things:

1. What is THE cheapest way of doing this? (travelling for a little under a month)

2. Are there any sorts of student discounts?

3. I have looked into one of our legs, seattle to chicago, and it's 48 hours! Clearly a sleeper carriage would be preferable, what is the best way (ie the cheapest) way to get one? Or should we just man up and stick with normal seats?

4. Anything else we should know and advice on where to stay (I have gone by train across europe before, but the distances do not quite compare). We are looking at new york, philadelphia, DC, boston, miami, jacksonville, new orleans, austin, LA, san fransisco, seattle and chicago.

Any sort of help would be appreciated and I look forward to suggestions!

Thanks again, great forum!

Hostelling International has clean and pleasant places to stay. Have stayed in them outside the US and am very satisfied. Have booked the Los Angeles hostel from this organization-only 2 blocks off the beach in Santa Monica- 5 nights for $160 in an 8 bed dorm. Also booked the San Diego hostel-again very near the water- 4 nights for $108 in a 4 bed dorm. Usually this includes breakfast. You can find other hostels around the US on the website: Hostelling International.

Good luck and blessings,

Nitzotz

 

[chocolateleg]

Thanks so much for the quick replies!

I have to agree, it would seem a waste to simply see cities and the inside of airports rather than the bits in between- the ideal was to do a road trip, but train seems to be the best option for someone my age.

So in terms of sleepers, is it always best to book in advance and not on the train? I was checking prices for a sleeper between seattle and chicago and it came to $700 for two nights in a bedroom! Is the upgrade from roomette to bedroom worth it?

Also, is there shower access in coach? While I would not be too worried about a 24 hour journey in coach, without a shower I would get a little... unpleasant.

In terms of the suggested itinerary, we are fairly limited in the order of things - we are meeting up with another friend in miami and he has already booked his flights - but I appreciate the advice on better places to go and how to fit them in.

Thanks again

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

All of the cities you named should have solid public transit and you should have no problem getting around.

I was under the impression that local transit in places such as Austin is probably more or less limited to bus service, which may not be especially frequent. In cities that don't have extensive subway systems, the tradition seems to be that nearly everyone drives personal automobiles.

In planning a trip like this, it would probably be a good idea to find the website of each local transit provider and figure out whether it really offers adequately frequent service to the places you want to go. You may even want to adjust your itenerary to focus on the cities with better mass transit systems, though that may carry the downside of more expensive overnight lodgings.

Even the better cities have gaps in the transportation coverage: I don't think there's a particularly good way to use mass transit to get to the Mayflower landing site, for example.

 

[sky12065]

In terms of the suggested itinerary, we are fairly limited in the order of things - we are meeting up with another friend in miami and he has already booked his flights - but I appreciate the advice on better places to go and how to fit them in.

In that case you may want to consider beginning your trip in Miami. I think it could be more efficient. Here would be my amended suggestions again depending on your timing limitations and budget available:

1. Miami FL
   
2. Jacksonville FL
   
3. Washington DC
   
4. Philadelphia PA
   
5. Boston MA
   
6. New York NY
   
7. Chicago IL
   
8. Seattle WA
   
9. Portland OR
   
10. San Franscisco CA
    
11. LA, CA
    
12. San Antonio TX
    
13. New Orleans LA
    
14. Atlanta GA
    

 

[saxman]

I'm currently doing a month long tour around the USA. Although I used my points to get tickets, getting a rail pass is the way to go. As others have said, upgrading to a sleeper will be worth it on some parts of your journey. You mentioned looking at a $700 bedroom. Yes, that is expensive so I would go with getting a roomette. They are smaller but two of you can easily make do with a roomette. They are usually much cheaper. And if you consider that the meals are included for sleepers, you can deduct that from meals. Showers are not available in coach but there are changing rooms if you need to change. I'd say try and get a roomette on the trips that are two nights. So that would be Seattle/Portland to Chicago and San Antonio/Austin to LA.

Also note the the route from New Orleans to Jacksonville is not operating. So when looking at maps, don't think that it is there. If you want to get from Florida to New Orleans, you'll have to go to North Carolina or Washington DC then back down. Or vice versa.

Austin is a cool place, but so is San Antonio. They are only 80 miles apart but you may need a vehicle, but you can probably still manage without one.

Just play around with dates as far as sleepers. Summer is very busy for Amtrak, so book them early.

I've stayed in several hostels around the US. Hostels.com would be your best source for that. I've stayed in Hostels in Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington and Chicago. I don't know if there's anything good in New Orleans or San Antonio or Austin.

Let us know if you need anymore help. Sounds like a great trip!

 

[jackal]

In terms of the suggested itinerary, we are fairly limited in the order of things - we are meeting up with another friend in miami and he has already booked his flights - but I appreciate the advice on better places to go and how to fit them in.

In that case you may want to consider beginning your trip in Miami. I think it could be more efficient. Here would be my amended suggestions again depending on your timing limitations and budget available:

1. Miami FL
   
2. Jacksonville FL
   
3. Washington DC
   
4. Philadelphia PA
   
5. Boston MA
   
6. New York NY
   
7. Chicago IL
   
8. Seattle WA
   
9. Portland OR
   
10. San Franscisco CA
    
11. LA, CA
    
12. San Antonio TX
    
13. New Orleans LA
    
14. Atlanta GA
    

Good list and good order. A couple suggestions, though:

I'd reverse #5 and 6--do Phila, then NYC, then Boston. That's the order they're in from south to north, and then there is a spur section of the Lake Shore Limited that goes straight from Boston to Chicago (it hooks up with the rest of the LSL in Albany-Rensselaer), eliminating the backtracking back through NYC.

Also, I'd skip Jacksonville and do Orlando instead. There's more touristy things to do there (including the parks, of course, but also other things) than in Jax. Not sure if you (the OP) have a particular reason to go to Jax (part of your friend's flight schedule or something), but unless you have a compelling reason, I'd skip it for Orlando instead.

So in terms of sleepers, is it always best to book in advance and not on the train?

It depends. Unless things have changed recently (and there is suspicion it might have, but we're still investigating), the on-board upgrade price exactly equals the lowest published room price. Since Amtrak operates strictly on a bucket price system (i.e. x number of seats and/or rooms are in A fare bucket, followed by y number in B bucket and z number in C bucket, etc.) and doesn't play any games (like airlines) where there are extra restrictions based on dates, etc., with enough advanced planning, you can get a room for the lowest bucket price--thereby equalling what you would pay as an on-board upgrade.

However, if the rooms are currently being sold for higher than the lowest bucket, then you would save money by doing an on-board upgrade, since it will be done for the lowest bucket price. Unfortunately, there is a downside: you're not guaranteed a room, and sleeping cars do often go out full. (I attempted an upgrade on three out of four legs of a trip in 2006 and all three were full.)

Again, though, there is a rumor that the on-board upgrades are no longer being sold for the lowest fare bucket but rather are now being sold for whatever the going price is. In that case, reserve your rooms now!!! Hopefully we can confirm or deny these rumors soon.

Looks like you have a great trip planned--keep us posted on your plans and make sure you let us know how it all worked out when you're done!

 

[sky12065]

I'd reverse #5 and 6--do Phila, then NYC, then Boston. That's the order they're in from south to north, and then there is a spur section of the Lake Shore Limited that goes straight from Boston to Chicago (it hooks up with the rest of the LSL in Albany-Rensselaer), eliminating the backtracking back through NYC.

Actually I think that either way chosen would have it's merits and the decision would be subject to individual preferences, time limitations and affordability.

However, I did suggest going straight through to Boston from Phily because it eliminates the need to take the allegedly slower winding Boston to Albany segment of the LSL when proceeding on to Chicago. I also did so in favor of a faster trip of Boston back to NY, and after a stay in NY continuing on to Chicago on either the NY segment of the LSL or alternately on the Cardinal.

Whoops! I just realized that I forgot to try and fit Anchorage into the itinerary! :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

Whoops! I just realized that I forgot to try and fit Anchorage into the itinerary! :lol:

Amtrak doesn't go there - even by Thruway! :lol: (I've tried! )

 

[jackal]

I'd reverse #5 and 6--do Phila, then NYC, then Boston. That's the order they're in from south to north, and then there is a spur section of the Lake Shore Limited that goes straight from Boston to Chicago (it hooks up with the rest of the LSL in Albany-Rensselaer), eliminating the backtracking back through NYC.

Actually I think that either way chosen would have it's merits and the decision would be subject to individual preferences, time limitations and affordability.

However, I did suggest going straight through to Boston from Phily because it eliminates the need to take the allegedly slower winding Boston to Albany segment of the LSL when proceeding on to Chicago. I also did so in favor of a faster trip of Boston back to NY, and after a stay in NY continuing on to Chicago on either the NY segment of the LSL or alternately on the Cardinal.

Whoops! I just realized that I forgot to try and fit Anchorage into the itinerary! :lol:

True. And by doing BOS-ALB, you'd miss (most of) the (allegedly) scenic stretch of rail along the Hudson River.

The Cardinal is a good option, too.

 

[birdy]

California is a very hostel-rich area. The Fort Mason hostel on Fisherman's Wharf probably occupies the most prime real estate in SF. It seemed to attract scantily clad scandinavian tourist girls as I recall. Plan on staying a few days.

I can personally recommend the San Clemente hostel as close to the beach in an attractive beach town.

Don't limit yourself to hostels though. In a tough economic environment, there may be attractively priced motels available from time to time. Try Best Western Hotels website, which is easy to use and guarantees the best price for any property they represent.

 

[sky12065]

True. And by doing BOS-ALB, you'd miss (most of) the (allegedly) scenic stretch of rail along the Hudson River.
The Cardinal is a good option, too.

I can tell you first hand that the Hudson River is scenic, even north of where the LSL crosses the Hudson and starts heading westward. When past Schenectady the LSL also picks up a short scenic stretch of the Mohawk River. Speaking of the Hudson, were in a slow drawn out process of moving back into the house I grew up in (about a 20 minute ride north of ALB) and the house is just two blocks from the Hudson River!

 

[the_traveler]

True. And by doing BOS-ALB, you'd miss (most of) the (allegedly) scenic stretch of rail along the Hudson River.
The Cardinal is a good option, too.

I can tell you first hand that the Hudson River is scenic, even north of where the LSL crosses the Hudson and starts heading westward. When past Schenectady the LSL also picks up a short scenic stretch of the Mohawk River. Speaking of the Hudson, were in a slow drawn out process of moving back into the house I grew up in (about a 20 minute ride north of ALB) and the house is just two blocks from the Hudson River!

I didn't think Clifton Park went all the way to the Hudson. I always thought it ended before Mechanicville and Waterford. And except for the 1/2 mile (or so) stretch from the bridge across the Hudson just north of the station, the tracks turn west to Schenectady and do not follow the Hudson at all. And unless they changed the route (again), the LSL from BOS comes directly into ALB from a spur through Chatham - and you will not even see the Hudson (except for that short stretch)!

 

[sky12065]

True. And by doing BOS-ALB, you'd miss (most of) the (allegedly) scenic stretch of rail along the Hudson River.
The Cardinal is a good option, too.

I can tell you first hand that the Hudson River is scenic, even north of where the LSL crosses the Hudson and starts heading westward. When past Schenectady the LSL also picks up a short scenic stretch of the Mohawk River. Speaking of the Hudson, were in a slow drawn out process of moving back into the house I grew up in (about a 20 minute ride north of ALB) and the house is just two blocks from the Hudson River!

I didn't think Clifton Park went all the way to the Hudson. I always thought it ended before Mechanicville and Waterford. And except for the 1/2 mile (or so) stretch from the bridge across the Hudson just north of the station, the tracks turn west to Schenectady and do not follow the Hudson at all. And unless they changed the route (again), the LSL from BOS comes directly into ALB from a spur through Chatham - and you will not even see the Hudson (except for that short stretch)!

I didn't say I was moving to another location in Clifton Park. It doesn't come near the Hudson, only the Mohawk river. Also, it is Waterford that I'm moving to.

The Hudson River itself extends way beyond Waterford and Mechanicville heading north. It extends well beyond Lake George until (IIRC) it reaches Newcomb in the Adirondack Park Preserve. It does however get narrower once past Albany. Some good white water rafting above Lake George!

Another thing is that I think you may have misread what I've stated about how the tracks head west. What you've stated about that was basically the same thing that I was saying.

 

[the_traveler]

I didn't say I was moving to another location in Clifton Park. It doesn't come near the Hudson, only the Mohawk river. Also, it is Waterford that I'm moving to.
The Hudson River itself extends way beyond Waterford and Mechanicville heading north. It extends well beyond Lake George until (IIRC) it reaches Newcomb in the Adirondack Park Preserve. It does however get narrower once past Albany. Some good white water rafting above Lake George!

Another thing is that I think you may have misread what I've stated about how the tracks head west. What you've stated about that was basically the same thing that I was saying.

My apologies! (Not to Waterford! )

The Hudson actually starts on Mt Marcy - between Elizabethtown and Lake Placid. The best rafting is in North River (just north of North Creek).

 

[sky12065]

I didn't say I was moving to another location in Clifton Park. It doesn't come near the Hudson, only the Mohawk river. Also, it is Waterford that I'm moving to.
The Hudson River itself extends way beyond Waterford and Mechanicville heading north. It extends well beyond Lake George until (IIRC) it reaches Newcomb in the Adirondack Park Preserve. It does however get narrower once past Albany. Some good white water rafting above Lake George!

Another thing is that I think you may have misread what I've stated about how the tracks head west. What you've stated about that was basically the same thing that I was saying.

My apologies! (Not to Waterford! )

The Hudson actually starts on Mt Marcy - between Elizabethtown and Lake Placid. The best rafting is in North River (just north of North Creek).

Close enough! The the point you mentioned in Mt. Marcy is called Lake Tear of the Clouds. [PHOTO] It's not actually the beginning of the Hudson River but is the official source of it's water The official beginning of the river is actually in Lake Henderson which is about 12 miles from Newcomb.

Also, North River is a community next to North Creek and it's also the name that downstaters call the Hudson River in the northern region. Northerners generally call it the Hudson rather than North River. You might say that North River is slang for the upper Hudson. I've driven through those communities and have seen the white water rafting going on many times while my son attended college in Potsdam.

Now for a bit of railroad trivia! The first railroad built in New York State was called the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, opened in 1826 and it was one of the first railroads in the United States. It ran from Albany to Schenectady.

 

[sky12065]

MESSAGE DELETED BY SKY12065: Posting responded to another deleted post. See post #23

 

[birdy]

Oh yeah, one last thing. Rail service in the U.S. is pretty third-worldish so be prepared to hang loose. You might want to bookmark amtrakdelays.com

 

[AlanB]

Why I even got my one and only speeding ticket, in nearly 46 years of driving, on Rt 30 between Long Lake and Tupper Lake!

One reason that I never go through Tupper and along 30. It's also just faster to come into Upper Saranac Lake via Placid and the Northway.

 

[AlanB]

When I read your post above, I had to shake my head a few times in confusion because I had typed an almost identical sentence in preparing my last post, but because of a glitch (my fingers) I had to retype it and forgot to include it in the retype.

Actually Joe, you aren't having deja-vu. Birdy tried to quote your posts and through some computer glitch ended up not adding anything to the post, so only the quotes came through. I saw that, and like I normally do, checked the post over looking to see if she had accidentally typed her message within one of the quotes. I thought that I had found just such a message, but now in hindsight realize that I was wrong.

Therefore I've deleted that post in question and apologize for the confusion.

 

[sky12065]

When I read your post above, I had to shake my head a few times in confusion because I had typed an almost identical sentence in preparing my last post, but because of a glitch (my fingers) I had to retype it and forgot to include it in the retype.

Actually Joe, you aren't having deja-vu. Birdy tried to quote your posts and through some computer glitch ended up not adding anything to the post, so only the quotes came through. I saw that, and like I normally do, checked the post over looking to see if she had accidentally typed her message within one of the quotes. I thought that I had found just such a message, but now in hindsight realize that I was wrong.

Therefore I've deleted that post in question and apologize for the confusion.

OMG, that means that I WAS RESPONDING TO MYSELF! This is the first sign that I am developing a split personality! Aaaaah!

 

[inspiration100]

What age are you guys as students? If you have an adult going with you, one of you can get half price if you visit a college... http://www.campusvisit.com/amtrak/

I used this last year since I was visiting colleges and it deducted the price for both me and my brother with 1 promo code!