The Canadian is the best you can get today. The Rocky Mountaineer is probably just as good in the daytime....but lacks the classic sleeper experience of climbing into a Budd Chateau, or Manor car and hitting a lucious open section...after hitting the on-board shower ! Ohhhh joy ! Pop on the blue light, draw the curtains, and all is right in the world ! This would be even better on jointed rail, but yunz can't have it all !
Just changed our roomette to a bedroom. Expensive but worth it.
Good choice Eddie
Took the TGV from Zurich, Switzerland to Lyons, France. Did Zurich to Hamburg Germany. And Hamburg to Zermatt. Also did Connecticut to Virginia. But the TGV high speed train was the most impressive.
Peter
We'll 
Be on the way very soon.
All I can say is, We had a great trip to California. Taking the Zephur thru the rockies & along the Colorado river was unbelievable. San Francisco was great. Loved Alcatraz, The Bay bridge impressed me more than the Golden gate. The drive down the Pacific coast highway route 1 to LA was breath taking. My daughter had a private tour of CBS in LA and watched The Young & the Restless being taped. The actors hugged her and took pictures with her. She has been watching that show for over 30 years. My highlight was the Magic Castle, Venice beach, Rodeo drive & the restaurants we ate at. Coming back on the SW Chief we were 5 hours late into Chicago (rivers overflowing). We did alot more, but I won't bore you with it. Between the 2 of us we must have taken 1000 pictures.
We took the kids cross country via Amtrak back in 1998. A figure-eight route took us through most of the US over three week period. It was a blast!
One night in coach is fine. After that we needed to get off an enjoy the sights, or get a sleeper. The stretch between Chicago and Flagstaff was almost two days and that was rough.
We took the Silver Service from VA to FL a couple times, too.Just not worth driving that far when the car sits most of the time once we get there. And flying is a real hassle, especially with kids.
More recently, my wife and I took the train to Montreal last Summer, and NYC this year. I'd really like to take the Zephyr as that's one segment we missed in our travels.
We took this photo from our bedroom window on No. 6, Amtrak's eastbound ZEPHYR, in western Colorado
Attachments
Images (1)
Back in 1970, I was laid off from work temporarily at Williams Can factory. I boarded the train in Oakland I think around early afternoon. Sacramento to Auburn and up to Donner pass. At that time Norden was the top of the hill. I was amazed because we stopped at Norden which was inside a snow shed (long since gone). Night fell as we dropped down into Reno. We hightailed it across the desert and the sun came up in Ogden. Then through Wyo. in daylight and to Columbus Ne. at night. I hitched a ride home from there. The return trip saw me board in Columbus at night, I can't recall much from that trip west until we rose out of Reno in the morning light. Truckee at about 9 AM and then up the hill. I shall never forget climbing up over Donner Lake, I was able to stand in the open air next to the Dutch door all the way. Snowsheds tunnels and all. Glad I made that trip when I did. Being young and pretty scotch with my money, I rode coach all the way.
Originally Posted by wb47:
I was amazed because we stopped at Norden which was inside a snow shed (long since gone).
Still very much there.
Welcome home Eddie
The longest train trip I have taken is the Auto Train. When our kids were younger and my parents were alive, we took the Auto Train to visit them several times.
My wife and I have been to Europe a couple of times in the last few years. All I want to do when we are there is ride trains. 
We rode the Eurostar from London to Paris (through the Chunnel). We've taken the TGV a few times, and we have ridden on local trains in Spain and Switzerland.
Los Angeles to Seattle (then by bus to Vancouver, B.C.) back in 2007. Went from Los Angeles to Dallas by way of Flagstaff, AZ via Amtrak back in 1999. The Southwest Chief was great -- left and arrived on time. The trip from Tucson to Dallas via the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle was delayed. Trip back to Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited was also delayed. Found out that the train was chronically late. Still enjoyed the trip and would do it all again.
Some years back I went from Birmingham to Portland and back on Amtrak. I spent 30 years looking down from a United Air Lines cockpit and to this day I can not adequately describe my enjoyment of that trip. I lived in Miami for 20 years and of course got real used to US 1. As we chugged across North Dakota, Montana and Idaho, the highway 100 feet from the rails day after day was great fun to learn that I now knew where US 2 was.Hundrededs more of little goodies like that made the trip a super pile of memories. E.G. Met a Red Cap that had a fantastic memory and was quite an accomplished story teller, and he spent thirty minutes telling about the Elliot Ness shoot out in the Chicago terminal. (And the 261 filming )Many, many more, but I don't usually type this much and doing all these corrections is tiring me out.
Kelly Johnson
I love train travel but my wife hates it and that is a real pity. In 1989 we took our boys on the Auto train from Virginia to Orlando and the return. My sons and I had a blast and loved every minute of it. The ride was great, the service was great, the food was good and our double room was great. My sons and I still talk about that trip. We all slept incredibly well except my wife who was scared to death the train would derail. Unfortunately she still suffers from that phobia.
If I am still around in 2 years I will take another train trip. Haven't decided yet where.
This Fall, my wife and I are going to be riding Amtrak from NYC all the way to Seattle with a couple we hang around with. I keep telling my wife that she really doesn't understand what she's signing on for, for when (not if) she gets tired of it a day or so into the trip.
A couple of years ago took the amtrak from Orlando area up back up to Philly, great trip, a couple hrs late leaving due to train-assisted suicide a few stations before our stop. We had two roomettes my boy and I ( he was 7 at the time, i think) had a blast and the wife had her own. Everyone had a great trip but we had to take Septa from 30th street back out to the airport to get our car, poor logistics on my part.
In Oct '03, when the Mrs and I got hitched we took a cruise out of New Orleans and then boarded one overnight train to Chicago, a second to Pittsburgh, and then the local to out then-hometown of Greensburg PA. We convinced the station master to open the fence and walked the last 3 blocks home! (Opening the fence literally put us right on our street and saved going down stairs just to walk back up to the same elevation around the outside of the station) Not joking, the food on the train in the dining cars was better quality than what we had on Carnival cruise line.
We were very close to taking the auto train one way this year to FL but decided against it. If we didn't have three kids it would be worthwhile, but by the time you get a large enough room to handle the family it was still a couple hundred bucks cheaper to drive. I still hope to take this ride soon.
My wife and I returned this past week from the TCA New York convention - Amtrak all the way. We typically take one cross country trip each year. This year, it was four trains to the final stop at New Brunswick, NJ - the Southwest Chief from Williams, AZ to Chicago, the Capitol Limited to Washington, DC - NE Regional to Penn Station and NJ transit back to New Brunswick (Amtrak does not stop there) Decided it was a big mistake to go all the way into Penn Station, so on the way home, we took NJ transit to Trenton from New Brunswick and picked up our NE regional there.
Here is a shot at our eastbound stop in Kansas City. Our crew who was to come on duty there was hit by the 8 hour layover requirement as their train coming in was very late. So, we had a full hour in Kansas City till they could go on duty. That was great as it gave us the chance to finally go into the beautifully restored station.
Attachments
Images (1)
Originally Posted by jhz563:
We were very close to taking the auto train one way this year to FL but decided against it. If we didn't have three kids it would be worthwhile, but by the time you get a large enough room to handle the family it was still a couple hundred bucks cheaper to drive. I still hope to take this ride soon.
When I left Florida for good for the Army, I seriously considered taking the Auto Train as my first duty station was in Maryland. I was shocked to find how much it cost (way too much for a brand new 2nd LT) and that dream died quickly.
A pal of mine bought a restored WW2 3/4 ton truck from a collector in Deland several years ago and he lived just South of Baltimore, so he flew down to Orlando, got a ride to pick up his truck, put it on the Auto Train and put less than 30 miles on it. He said renting a prime mover and trailer and the worry of trailering something like that for so far was well worth putting it on the train instead. He said getting it onto and off of the train was an 'experience' as nobody knew what to make of it.
2 summers ago took the autotrain to fla,,,,would do it again in a heartbeat
Here in the USA, head for San Fran. out of Chicago, Cal. Zephyr. And get the trout stuffed, with crab....best meal on Amtrak !
From 1988-92 I was the creative director for all Amtrak advertising. As such, I was lucky enough ride almost every long distance route in the system. If you're thinking of a rail trip, may I suggest some of my favorites:
The Zephyr from Denver to Portland
The Zephyr from Denver to SF
The Empire Builder from Seattle to Chi (this way you go through the Rockies at daylight)
Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA
The Adirondack from NYC to Montreal
The Southwest Chief from Albuquerque to LA
The AutoTrain to Sanford FL
The Cardinal from DC to CHI
Always allow extra time because these trains are at the mercy of the host railroad, although they try to keep to schedule.
Jay
Originally Posted by eddie g:
In June, I am taking the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago and then the California Zephyr to San Francisco. Then I am renting a car & driving to Los Angeles & then taking the South West Chief from LA back to Chicago & then the Lake shore Limited back to Boston. I am doing this all first class. I am staying 2 day's in SF & 5 days in LA. all in 13 day's.
As an eighteen year old I bought an Amtrak USA Railpass ($150 for 14 Days Unlimited Travel). I began my trip March 31, 1976.
"Broadway Limited", New York to Chicago
"San Francisco Zephyr" Chicago to Denver, layover 24 hours.
"San Francisco Zephyr" Denver to Oakland, (via Cheyenne and Ogden)
stayed a few days in San Francisco.
"Coast Starlight" Oakland to Los Angeles, stayed a few days in L.A.
"Sunset Limited" Los Angeles to New Orleans. 12 Hour layover in NOLA
"Southern Crescent" New Orleans to Washington (Southern Railway behind Green and Gold E8s) Washington to New York (Amtrak behind a glorious GG1).
All hand-me-down equipment except for the SDP40F units that handled my trains west of Chicago.
Roughed it in coach and cheap motels the whole way and wouldn't trade a second of it for first class accommodations on today's banal Amtrak trains.
Note: I was aboard the Broadway Limited the day Conrail was born, April 1, 1976. At that time it still ran through Crestline and Fort Wayne on the former PRR routing.
They don't have the trout stuffed with crab anymore/
Here's some good advice, If you take the Zephur from Chicago to SF or the SW Chief from LA to Chicago as I just did 3 weeks ago, and you are 2 people, get a bedroom if you can afford it. You will be sorry if you don't.
Many wonderful trips in the United States, Europe, and Russia. Still my favorite was Oakland to Denver in the full bedroom then a drive to the Cumbres & Toltec.
Attachments
Images (4)
Originally Posted by jhz563:
We were very close to taking the auto train one way this year to FL but decided against it. If we didn't have three kids it would be worthwhile, but by the time you get a large enough room to handle the family it was still a couple hundred bucks cheaper to drive. I still hope to take this ride soon.
Get the Amtrak Mastercard. There should be a points reward for spending $XXX in the first 3 months, and it used to be 25000 points (Its been a while since I looked). Thats a free family bedroom on the auto train. They've changed the rules so that now you can use points for the room and pay cash for the car. So your ~$1500 trip just became $227 for the car (or rack up another 15K points and the car goes free...).
I've yet to pay a dime for sleeper accommodations on the Auto train (6 trips), because of the credit card.
The longest train ride I've ever personally had was a jaunt from Toronto to Niagra Falls one summer day, when I was working in Canada. It didn't last long enough for me, but I enjoyed it very much.
These days, my wife goes to Florida every March, to visit her brother and sister-in-law. She takes the Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia, then the Silver Meteor to Florida, and loves the train. Alas, I have to stay home to take care of the animals.
Originally Posted by Boilermaker1:
Originally Posted by jhz563:
We were very close to taking the auto train one way this year to FL but decided against it. If we didn't have three kids it would be worthwhile, but by the time you get a large enough room to handle the family it was still a couple hundred bucks cheaper to drive. I still hope to take this ride soon.
Get the Amtrak Mastercard. There should be a points reward for spending $XXX in the first 3 months, and it used to be 25000 points (Its been a while since I looked). Thats a free family bedroom on the auto train. They've changed the rules so that now you can use points for the room and pay cash for the car. So your ~$1500 trip just became $227 for the car (or rack up another 15K points and the car goes free...).
I've yet to pay a dime for sleeper accommodations on the Auto train (6 trips), because of the credit card.
Except that you CAN'T currently sign up for the Amtrak Rewards MasterCard. From Amtrak:
No new applications for the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard from Chase are being accepted at this time. More information regarding the AGR credit card will be shared in the near future.
If you have the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard from Chase, you can continue to use your card and will continue to earn AGR points. Nothing will change without notification from Amtrak and Chase.
Anthony Rizos
Director, Member Experience Solutions
Amtrak
Washington, D.C.
We did the L.A. Union Terminal to Pennsacola Florida on the Sunset Limited. about 6 years ago. It was not the best ride, A/C in our car went south, that night we had no air, on the plus side the next day we received a full bedroom. The train was 12 hours late to Pennsacola however we where in no hurry we even got to watch the 4th of July fireworks in Houston which was a very nice show and the station was also nice. We looked at it as a free 12 hour ride.
Being adventurous and flexible are an absolute MUST on Amtrak. The only time your train will be on time is when you want it to be late so you can get a little extra sleep, and maybe breakfast on their dime. East bound Capitol has never been late into Pittsburgh when I was on it. The west bound never O/T into the 'Burgh !
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip!
While it's a few more years before the wife and I retire, we have discussed traveling the country by rail as part of our retirement. I will have to show her this thread. It sounds as though everyone has enjoyed their trips! 
