Which would you take? SWC or CZ?

[spinnaker]

I have an opportunity in late October to take either the Southwest Chief or the California Zephyr for the entire route distance, but only one way (from CHI to the west coast or vice-versa, but NOT both ways).

My options are:

1. CHI-LAX departing Fri Oct 19 or

2. CHI-EMY same date

3. LAX-CHI departing Saturday Oct 27 or

4. EMY-CHI departing same date

Price is a factor but far from the #1 factor. A roomette on the Chief is about $400 cheaper.

If price wasn’t your #1 factor - which of the 4 options would you choose and why?

I'd take the SWC because I like the scenery a lot better. But scenery is a matter of taste. If you like repetitive mountains and rather same-y canyons, take the CZ. If you like the red rocks of New Mexico and the cactuses of Arizona and the tumbleweeds of Kansas, take the SWC.

"Repetitive mountains" Oh the horror!

Each and every cactus as well as each and every tumbleweed is unique and well worth seeing. !

 

[LookingGlassTie]

On the basis of just getting where I need to go, I'd flip a coin and take either train.

On the basis of what others have said about views, I'd take the CZ.

 

[cpotisch]

If it were me, given the current situation with the SWC’s future, I would ride it while I could.

What's the likelihood of the SWC's future at this point? Are there problems? I honestly haven't kept up with these things.

Anderson has been pushing for buses the replace the train between Albequerque and Dodge City, Kansas.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/72947-southwest-chief-news-future-operations/

 

[cpotisch]

Thanks again for everybody’s feedback – here is where it ended up. Like everything else life is a compromise

As it turns out, I need to start my week in Northern California, and my wife and I really want to see Los Angeles on this trip – so we are flying to LA for a long weekend. We are not taking the Chief because my wife couldn’t get that many days off of work – so she needed to be involved in the flying portion of the trip.

Sunday morning – she is flying back to home, and I am hopping the Coast Starlight LA to Emeryville. I then have a full week of business in Northern California. As it turns out, my boss wants me back to work on Monday – so I won’t be able to take the Zephyr all the way back home. However – as a compromise I am taking the Zephyr Emeryville to Denver, and then flying home from Denver early Monday morning. That gets me to work by noon.

Overall I am pretty happy with that result. I am picking up two segments which I have not done before which are known for excellent scenery. I’m sure westbound on the Zephyr would be preferable, but I’m confident this will be quite good. As a sidenote, I previously did Chicago to Denver as part of the Desert Wind route back in 1992, so I’m not too disappointed that I won’t be doing that segment.

I got what I thought was an acceptable fare. $180 LA/EMY in a Roomette on the Starlight, and $550 EMY/DEN for the same on the Zephyr. My flights IND-LAX & DEN-IND added up to $400. Financially SWA is hard to beat, but there is more to life and travel than dollars and cents. I will truly enjoy the journey, just like I have on many past rail trips.

Have fun! Ain't nothing wrong with one ride up the coast, and then another ride running through the Sierras and Rockies! Please do a trip report after!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Well the Rockies and the sierras are 2 totally different mountain ranges. Comparing the Ruby canyon and the glenwood canyon seems hard to do by any standards. And then there is the dessert in Nevada, a view of arches national park in the distance, the big 10 curves, the Colorado River.... Hard to say those views are repetivite! Ha.

 

[user 6862]

Agree with Penny the route along the shore to just before San Luis Obispo is as good as anything I have seen and prefer the Sierras to the Rockies, Utah desert is special too. Neroden has a point re the SW scenery being fascinating, you'll just have to make two trips!

Looks as though you have a very good compromise, be interested to read your take on it.

 

[AutoTrDvr]

So, let me ask, then, if I were to take the CZ as opposed to the SWC, would I miss much on the Coast Starlight run between LAX and EMY? Would I lose any sleep over not seeing that stretch of the coast?

In my opinion, yes. I think the scenery along the coast near Santa Barbara is magnificent.

'Twould seem so. The CS from LAX to EMY is, really the only stretch of the entire route that's actually "on the coast." If the SWC is killed, then it might be worth, perhaps, considering the "Sunset Ltd." instead from NOLA. That said, I might even consider taking the CZ and then hoping a quick flight to LAX from SFO or OAK, just to get on the CS.

So if they do the Bus service, Are there just going to be separate train sets on each of the two segments... one that goes round trip between CHI and Dodge City and the other between Albq to LAX? I don't think I'd be missing much between Kansas and Albuquerque....And it's probably better to see the Rockies in Colorado and the Sierras.. I guess the only reason for wanting to take the SWC is that it does represent the old "Super Chief" route by the ATSF.... That, and it gets one to LAX. So, we'll see. I have time to think about it... Heck I might even fly OAK--->LAS---->LAX. Might layover a few days in Vegas. Never been there, and I want (finally to check out the "Heart Attack Grill..." See if I can wolf down one of their "Quadruple Bypass Burgers..."

 

[Woodcut60]

I'd go for the California Zephyr, for all the reasons mentioned above, but I must say, I had a marvelous time on the Southwest Chief as well.

 

[cpotisch]

Well the Rockies and the sierras are 2 totally different mountain ranges. Comparing the Ruby canyon and the glenwood canyon seems hard to do by any standards. And then there is the dessert in Nevada, a view of arches national park in the distance, the big 10 curves, the Colorado River.... Hard to say those views are repetivite! Ha.

Where did I say that the two are repetitive or at all comparable? I was simply remarking on the wonderful scenery on both routes.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

You didn't, Neroden did. Ha.

 

[neroden]

I was just expressing my personal POV. I saw a *lot* of mountains as a kid (we typically went through the Rockies and the Sierras twice yearly) and they kind of bore me. I live in an area with gorges, so the canyons don't impress me either.

The SWC scenery still wows me.

Like I said, it's a matter of taste. The SWC is substantially more at-risk at the moment, though, so if you want to "get them all", I'd do the SWC first.

 

[chakk]

The one potential problem with a roomette from LA to EMY is that it might be on the east side of the train. Still, you could spend much(most) of the coastside trackage between Ventura and San Luis Obispo in the Sightseer Lounge car to compensate.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

The one potential problem with a roomette from LA to EMY is that it might be on the east side of the train. Still, you could spend much(most) of the coastside trackage between Ventura and San Luis Obispo in the Sightseer Lounge car to compensate.

The lounge has bigger windows, so I'd try to do that either way.

 

[AutoTrDvr]

Anderson has been pushing for buses the replace the train between Albequerque and Dodge City, Kansas.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/72947-southwest-chief-news-future-operations/

I think I may have an updated solution that might resolve several issues at once.

1) CZ: CHI---> Reno NV

2) Fly Reno --> Las Vegas (I've seen some really cheap fares)

3) Layover a couple of nights in Vegas (so I can have my BTDT moment for Vegas)

4) Fly Vegas --> LAX. (Similar cheap fares)

5) Continue on the original plan (Coast Starlight --> EB --> CHI)

That would complete the trip and add a good layover in Vegas, which I always wanted to do. I might miss the Sierras but I'd be willing to sacrifice that for the coast line.

 

[cpotisch]

The one potential problem with a roomette from LA to EMY is that it might be on the east side of the train. Still, you could spend much(most) of the coastside trackage between Ventura and San Luis Obispo in the Sightseer Lounge car to compensate.

The SSL is always the best place to view great scenery anyway. It's certainly nice to have be on the scenic side of the train, but for the most part it doesn't really matter.

 

[KleShreen]

Great plan. I was originally going to say fly to LA, take the Coast Starlight to EMY, and then spend a lot of time in San Francisco if you could.

I just took the CZ from CHI > EMY, spent a day and a half in SF, and then took the CS from OAK > LAX and spent four days in the LA area. I enjoyed SF a lot more than I did LA. Seemed like a lot more to do in SF along Fisherman's Wharf and the downtown area.