Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Leavin' on that Midnight Train

I have an alert set up at Travelocity. Whenever flight prices drop to a few key cities, including my home town, I get an email. I was just informed that the price dropped from $330 to $290. I'm not sure if that's a bargain or highway robbery.

One thing's for certain... it's not a train robbery.

(EDITORIAL NOTE: Worst. Segueway. Ever.)

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter, Sporty Girl, and I went on our first ever, long distance train ride. Even with a few mechanical breakdowns and delays which brought us to our destination seven hours late, it was well worth it.

The trains from St Paul to/from Grand Forks run at odd times for most people. We had to depart from St Paul near 11pm and depart from Grand Forks at almost 1am. A little inconvenient, yes, but not a show stopper, by any means.

Why Tracks are Better than Airways

1. Cost - The round trip coach price for one adult and one child was a whopping $141. Compare that to Northwest Airlines coach for the same period - $660 (not counting taxes and airport fees, so closer to $700).

2. Space - We've all dealt with coach seating in the run-of-the-mill jumbo passenger aircraft. It's like traveling in a sardine can with all the accompanying charm. Coach seats on Amtrak were extraordinarily roomy and comfortable by comparison. If I stretched my legs out straight I barely touched the seat in front of me... and I have long legs. And no, you didn't get crowded when the seats reclined.

3. Comfort - Speaking of reclining. You could lay your seat back, lift a leg rest, lift a foot rest, put the complimentary pillow behind your head and be totally comfy. Our last airline trip charged you $1 to use their pillow.

4. Movement - Unless the train was about to come to a stop at the station, you could move about freely from seat to seat, level to level, car to car. No seatbelts. No assigned seats. No stowing your bags above or under your seat.

5. Security - I felt quite safe traveling alone with my daughter and not ONCE were my bags searched, xrayed or swabbed. We didn't have to walk through metal detectors and take off our shoes. I didn't have to get patted down and treated like a criminal. I showed my ID, showed our tickets, and took a seat. Both coming and going, I stood in line for perhaps a total of 15 minutes.

6. Luggage - Don't want to wait at tortuous luggage-go-round? Take the train! Luggage allowances were more than generous for the two of us (2 suitcases and one carry on per person). A checked luggage option is available for long distances or heavy packers.

7. Peace of Mind - Even though, as I said, we encountered some lengthy mechanical problems (7 hours-worth of delay), I was happy as a clam. Really. Unless you're in a big hurry, where's the bad? You're on the ground, not in the air. You're in roomy seating, not crammed into an assigned seat with no elbow room between Chatty Kathy and Mr. Halitosis. At the very worst, they send another train for you.

8. Relaxing vs Rushing - I used to love to fly before the 9/11 "security" bullshit began. Traveling by air went from fun and exciting to hours of paranoia inducing stress. Have trouble in the security line? Get delayed at the ticket counter? Miss your flight? You're screwed, Buster. Miss your train? Take the next one. Then open a book or kick back and take a nap when you get on board.

9. Food - Not every train has a dining car, but ours did. The food was great and worth the price... equivalent to a meal at a chain restaurant... like Perkins. It also had a lounge car where you could buy food and eat there or carry back to your seat.

10. Employees / Riders - Friendly. To a one. I was able to easily strike up lovely conversations with other riders. Employees were courteous and helpful. It was a real pleasure.

I've never come home from traveling so relaxed and refreshed. Nothing like the frazzled airline travel we've experience of late.

A few negative points to consider. To ride the train, you have to have time. They don't run as frequently as planes, and it takes much longer to reach your destination. A trip may take you days instead of hours. Pets, with the exception of animals that assist the disabled, are forbidden to ride. Also, short runs are cheap, but very long runs, especially if you get a sleeper car, can be as pricey as plane flights or more (but your meals are included - not extra). But if you need to stay on the cheap, coach seats are just fine to snooze in.

All in all, whenever I have the option, the train is the way to go! I can hardly wait to climb on board again!

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