amtrak travel?

No suggestions.  But will you please tell us how your trips turns out when you're done?

most definitely   

Sorry this is such a late addition, but I've travelled Amtrack a few times, mostly in sleeping cars, but whenever one thing I really recommend: if you're traveling overnigh in economy BRING A BLANKET or you'll freeze to death. They crank the AC really high in the cabins and I remembered my first trip was utter misery because of that.

thanks BWooster....we're bringing light fleece sleeping bags...i'm always cold! we're headed off next week...for a month! (well not all on the train)

okay...realised i didn't report on our coast to coast trip. so started off in new york ...on thanksgiving...hmmm...not the best timing. but did find a great centrally located hotel...spent 2 nights there and met up with a friend.  off to DC by bus (didn't want to start our amtrak pass since we planned to be in DC for a few days).

stayed in maryland for 3 nights with my dad...then off to amtrak from Union station in DC...i love that place (went to uni near there). crazy train ride. lots of people talking to each other and the topic was mainly the impact of Katrina on their lives. there was a police woman that talked about leading prisoners out on the streets and how afraid she was. long night .....not the most comfortable in our seats (other trains proved to be much more comfortable) and the toilets smelled terrible...i requested that they be cleaned.

arrived in new orleans the next day. amazing...amazing place. lovely warm weather 80+ in december. friendly people, great food, and amazing architecture. we stayed in the french quarter and no recognisable damage from the floods. would highly recommend it as a great place for a holiday. off to texas.

next stop el paso. seats much more roomy. still nice to have a extra layer to keep warm. food...hmmm...better to take your own. although we did have a few nice meals in the dining cars along the way...but i'm sure they were "ping" meals.

stayed in el paso for 2 nights...stepped into mexico! a great experience and i think i might have got my fill of mexican food if that's possible...did you know you can eat mexican food breakfast, lunch, and dinner? most locals don't speak english...i loved it!

off towards san francisco. the train was delayed...first of many. a freight train in front of us broke down (they have priority)...and we waited in amongst one of many trailer parks along the tracks. we changed to a bus in a sand storm in palms springs. as a testimony why not to smoke...one woman asked the bus driver if he would wait while she smoked a ciggy in a freaking sand storm! i had sand in every crevasse...i can't begin to imagine the amount of sand she sucked into her lungs. another delay along the way when a smoker was kicked off the train and turned over to police (no smoking on the train which people struggled with).

san Francisco...lovely of course. after a few days back on amtrak. another delay. a man was drunk...hmm...i think the staff provided the alcohol...and was abusive towards fellow passengers. they ejected him from the train in the freezing weather on the side of a cliff....we waited for hours for the police to come get him...and take statements.

off again...amazing trip through the oregon mountains at dawn. one of the most incredible train trips...such beauty that could not be seen in any other way.

after over 2 weeks arrived in seattle and took a ferry to port townsend. very tired...but well worth the journey.

you definitely need to go with the flow. not a train that runs to an exact timetable...is the most clean...or the most comfortable. but an amazing way to see the states very economically. we would definitely do it again...okay..maybe not straight away...but someday.

That sounds like an incredible trip!

That sounds like an incredible trip!

Does it  ever! If I'm lucky,I might be able to do something like it this summer.

What an amazing trip! My 80 year old grandmother just did a trip from California to NY by herself and absolutely loved it! 

Kerry, thank you for getting back to us to tell about your trip!  It sounds like it went pretty well, and that you got to see a sizeable chunk of a sizeable country!