Train vacation

Just ran across an article about train vacations across Canada. Or how about the US. Anybody do this? How did it go? thanks, DK.

I rode Amtrak from mlps to Havre, MT.
It sucked, I would rather hitchhike.
Have you ever rode a train, if not I would suggest trying a short trip prior to a long one.
Never again for me.

Mark – Curious, why didn’t you like it?

I thought the same thing but have never stepped foot on one…not sure I want to.
Just wondering what the ride was actually like?

The Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle) is frequently disrupted by freight trains (they have priority on the tracks), often runs out of food and drink and the cars are not especially nice.

Taking the train from Winnipeg to Vancouver with a stop over in Banff/Lake Louise is on my bucket list. Friends who have done it rave about the train itself as well as the landscape.

My MIL/FIL took the Empire Builder from St. Paul to Seattle, they were really looking forward to the trip and seeing the northern Rockies. As Brad says, it turned into a complete cluster ####. Clapped out old train had locomotive trouble staring in Chicago, but the Amtrak crew elected to press on because it would get easier in the mountains.

Predictably, the train crapped out completely just as the much-hoped-for scenery started getting good. So they sat for half a day at a scenic siding outside of Buttrot Butte waiting for help. Finally, Amtrak figured out that both locomotives had sh!t the bed and instead of another train, they organized crapped out Greyhound busses to take the passengers the rest of the way to Seattle.

Of course, by the time the busses arrived, the entire journey through the scenic Rockies took place–wait for it–at NIGHT. So the whole trip was a complete waste, they say nothing of what they paid for. To add insult to injury, Amtrak would not give them a refund because, after all, Amtrak got them to their destination eventually.

Mrs. Grouse and I have taken the train in Canada from Montreal to Quebec City and then back to Ottawa, and it’s been lovely. But these are short rides.

The best train trip ever IMO is the Deerstalker Express sleeper train from London to the Scottish Highlands. Leave London from Euston Street at 9:00 PM, enjoy coctails and watch the lights of UK go by, go to bed in your compartment and wake up for a early full Scottish breakfast as the Scottish Highlands glide by. Off the train in Ft. William at 9:00 AM. Wonderful.

Not in the US but I’ve been on a few trains & ferries in the Nordic countries. Seemed a lot like like transportation although better than sitting on a plane. I thought they stopped the Canadian National trans Canada run some time ago but I could be wrong. It would make sense to me to consider a vacation train if you were in a scenic area (i.e. Vancouver to Banff). I might consider something out west.

I believe you can charter the Alaska Railroad. Basic run from Anchorage down to the Kenai Peninsula. That could be an interesting overnight trip. I believe there are other short line runs one could look into. Colorado comes to mind.

My manager just got back from a train trip from MSP to Chicago. He took his family there over Christmas. They hadn’t been on a train before. Train was delayed on their way down so they switched them to a bus. They did take a train home but were disappointed in the trip down.

My buddies took a train from MSP to Devils Lake several years ago. They were delayed for almost a full day on the way there. They missed a day of fishing. They were also delayed close to 12 hrs on the return. I’m guessing they would prefer walking before getting on another train to Devils Lake.

My family took the Amtrak to Montana for my 8th Birthday (30 years ago). I recall that being around 12 hours late for pickup as well. Same thing when we went to Chicago a few years later, haven’t been on a train since.

Sounds like everything else the federal government has control over.

haleysgold wrote:

Mark – Curious, why didn’t you like it?

I thought the same thing but have never stepped foot on one…not sure I want to.
Just wondering what the ride was actually like?

Pretty much the same experience as those other listed.
Train only made it to Minot.ND then they shifted us to the bus.
Loud, rickity, it was late, surrounded by people, seats sucked and can’t sleep in them or with all the commotion, random ppl walking past while trying to sleep hitting you with all the crap they are carrying.

I’m dead serious, I would rather give a trucker cash and ride along before being on another train.

Being stuck on a train with other people sounds like a nightmare

Bearcat89 wrote:

Being stuck on a train with other people sounds like a nightmare

As would a cruise ship. I cannot wrap my head around how anyone would ever go on one after all the horror stories.

Amtrak St. Paul to La Crosse was an interesting and fun trip along the river.

Would guess it gets a lot more crowded and delayed with the additional stops betweem La Crosse and Chicago….

Only trains I’ve been on were in Alaska. The one from Fairbanks to Denali and then to Anchorage was a great 2 day trip.

For some reason people get a romantic idea about trains, but as others have said if we’re talking Amtrak your going to be sorely disappointed, its straight ghetto. I’ve taken it to Whitefish a few times to ski, it can be fun with a few buddies sitting in the lounge car drinking and playing cards, but just know what your getting yourself into. No way would I want to do it with a family or be on it any longer amount of time than the 12 hour trip I’ve been on. Also, yes most of the trip through the mountains is after dark so good luck with sightseeing.

Thanks everyone for bursting my bubble.

bfishn wrote:

For some reason people get a romantic idea about trains, but as others have said if we’re talking Amtrak your going to be sorely disappointed, its straight ghetto. I’ve taken it to Whitefish a few times to ski, it can be fun with a few buddies sitting in the lounge car drinking and playing cards, but just know what your getting yourself into. No way would I want to do it with a family or be on it any longer amount of time than the 12 hour trip I’ve been on. Also, yes most of the trip through the mountains is after dark so good luck with sightseeing.

Once upon a time it was classy. I remember taking trains to North Platte For Christmas in the 60’s and it was a big deal. Movies play a big role in romanticizing trains as well.
Flying used to be a big deal as well. Now it’s just bare bones, get em from pt A to B as cheaply as possible.

Went from Denver to San Fran on a train-sometimes very cool somtimes it sucked-I would not do a long trip.

In some parts of the world, it’s still incredible.

Anyone else see Great Australian Rail Journeys on streaming? Freaking incredible how huge that country is. Add taking the train across the Great Western Desert to my bucket list. Adelaide to Perth, incredible.

Any trip in the Alps is incredible. Mrs. Grouse and I were in northern Italy once and we took a train into Switzerland on a whim. Turned out to be an unbelievable trip through the Alps, we got off at a small village, had lunch, and went back and the return trip was just as good.

Probably a product of my misspent youth, but trains to me still equal adventure. It was crazy to us as Europe opened up in the 1980s and suddenly we could just get on a train and go places I never thought I’d ever go. It used to take years if at all to get a visa to go someplace like the Czech Republic and suddenly we could just go with no more thought than I’d give to going to Wisconsin now.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

In some parts of the world, it’s still incredible.

Anyone else see Great Australian Rail Journeys on streaming? Freaking incredible how huge that country is. Add taking the train across the Great Western Desert to my bucket list. Adelaide to Perth, incredible.

Any trip in the Alps is incredible. Mrs. Grouse and I were in northern Italy once and we took a train into Switzerland on a whim. Turned out to be an unbelievable trip through the Alps, we got off at a small village, had lunch, and went back and the return trip was just as good.

Probably a product of my misspent youth, but trains to me still equal adventure. It was crazy to us as Europe opened up in the 1980s and suddenly we could just get on a train and go places I never thought I’d ever go. It used to take years if at all to get a visa to go someplace like the Czech Republic and suddenly we could just go with no more thought than I’d give to going to Wisconsin now.

John Winger : C’mon, it’s Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick ’em up, we zip right out again. We’re not going to Moscow. It’s Czechoslovakia. It’s like going into Wisconsin.

Russell Ziskey : Well I got the poop kicked out of me in Wisconsin once. Forget it!

Snake ii’s wrote:

We’re not going to Moscow. It’s Czechoslovakia. It’s like going into Wisconsin.

The first time I went to Czechoslovakia, it sure FELT like Moscow. Everthing was a shade of gray. The towns, the buildings, the people. On the train in, the border guards seemed to be having a lot of trouble winding down from the bad old days. They still carried automatic weapons while checking passports on trains.

At one point, a border guard had all our documents spread out on the table in the train compartment and he was leaning over them inspecting them. His submachine gun was swinging from a sling around his neck and the barrel was swinging back and forth about 4 inches from my traveling companion’s nose as the train rocked back and forth. It took on a kind of black comedy all of its own, Matt’s eyes were big as saucers and going back and forth following the barrel of the gun, the guard was asking me questions and becoming annoyed at my poor grasp of Czech (“Why do they not teach the importance of language in schools in America?”) and the other guard was attempting to get Matt’s attention to beg for a cigarette or perhaps a chocolate bar.

Thanks for the input, Seeing the Canadian Rockies would be a trip.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

In some parts of the world, it’s still incredible.
Anyone else see Great Australian Rail Journeys on streaming? Freaking incredible how huge that country is. Add taking the train across the Great Western Desert to my bucket list. Adelaide to Perth, incredible.

Any trip in the Alps is incredible. Mrs. Grouse and I were in northern Italy once and we took a train into Switzerland on a whim. Turned out to be an unbelievable trip through the Alps, we got off at a small village, had lunch, and went back and the return trip was just as good.

Those sound awesome, and definitely something we plan to do on the Werm’s European Vacation someday. My only experience on a train was from St. Paul to Minneapolis on the light rail, which was pretty slow and the only thing offered in the lounge car was drugs (that last part is a joke)

Just before Covid. I dropped a buddy off at Amtrak. He went to Phoenix from Illinois. He thought it was great. But they never ran out of Budweiser. So, any other problems took care of themself. I was surprised to find it’s no cheaper than flying.

This thread just keeps reminding me of a great movie. Planes Trains and Automobiles.
If the guy you are sitting next to tries to sell you shower curtain rings. I would move seats.

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Canada by cargo train,by stobe the hobo on YouTube is
Worth a watch…