My Amtrak 30-day NARPass trip around the USA began in Toronto on April 2, 2002. I chose April because, coming from the land of the 50 cent dollar, I could save money by buying my pass for the off-peak season and let’s face it, spring is a wonderful time of the year. I stayed at least one day in each of these cities: Chicago, Memphis (visiting Graceland is a right-of-passage for a man born in the 1940’s.), New Orleans, San Antonio (arrived at 4:30am), Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, St. Louis (7 hours late), Kansas City, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon (rail pass included 80 mile van trip to Canyon), Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo (car rental from SLO to San Francisco), Monterey, San Francisco, Denver and Chicago.
I never got rained on once while off the train. Just a light drizzle en-route to New Orleans and flurries in the Sierras in NE California. Of course, you can never count on such great weather in the future.
Accommodations on the train were Coach all the way. Sleeping in Coach means sleeping in a chair. OK, it’s a reclining chair. It’s a given that you have an empty seat beside you (seldom a problem in April) and have the following: a cheap inflatable neck pillow (my expensive Magellan one broke down); a pillowcase with your jacket stuffed inside; ear plugs (used only once, because a mother didn’t care to give her wailing child a teaspoon of rum to settle him down at 2:00am). It was never chilly enough to require one of those Amtrak blankets.
Accommodations off the train required a bit of advanced planning. If the city had a Hostelling International facility near the railway station , I tried to stay there. See www.hiayh.org or www.hostels.com for a listing. This non-profit organization provides hostels which have dormitory-style, 4 to 10 bed, rooms with the basics..bed, fresh sheets (sleeping bags are frowned upon), hot showers, common room, kitchens , laundry, and lockers….and range in price between US$18 to US$28 per night. These places are, from my experience, very quiet at night and guests tend to turn in awfully early for some reason. (maybe they didn’t travel by train.) Members get a small discount. Guests have an international flavor, mostly youngish but a greyhead would always feel welcome because there’s always someone “older looking” than you.. A photo ID (Passport) is required as they discourage locals from taking up these bargain digs. I would say that you’re more inclined to strike up a conversation here than you would in a hotel. You can reserve via their web sites.
Because you save money traveling in Coach, you should always take meals in the dining car. The prices are reasonable and it’s a chance to meet maybe that special person. Anyway, the dining car is the most democratic part of the train. First Class and Coach passengers get a chance to talk and conversation seems to be easier when it’s over a well cooked meal. After sleeping fully clothed in a chair all night a full hot breakfast is a good thing. And the coffee is the best. I found the evening meals well prepared and tasty, although the service can often be rushed if the train is crowded. The snack bar on the other hand is OK for lunch if you want something light. Often though, the upper level of the Sightseer Car has a video movie playing at each end of the car and the sound is often either too loud or not loud enough.
Here are some general tips for your trip that I learned on mine:
…Never sit near anyone who has a tubercular cough or near any human under the age of 4.
…Trains are nearly always a little bit late, so avoid making connections on the same day. You’ll be in for
disappointment if you have unrealistic expectations about being on time. Relax. Be grateful you’re not
driving.
…Scenery just doesn’t make it. Two hours at the Grand Canyon is enough. I had seven.
…Visit a used book store before your trip and buy 2 or 3 books that you’ve always wanted to read, but
never had the time. When finished with each, just leave it on a bench in the railway station for someone
else.
…Young people on trains are almost universally wired up to a CD player on the train and stare at that same
middle ground that fishermen see at the railing of a pier. They safely avoid talking, which might be the
point as well.
…Transit employees (bus and streetcar) seem to be universally wonderful people. What a pleasure to
see people who clearly enjoy their work and cheerfully greet new and regular passengers.
…Buy the best backpack you can afford, and one that has a detachable day pack. A pack beats a suitcase.
…Make sure your footwear fits. I bought a pair of Gore-Tex lined boots because they looked so sharp in
the catalog (I guess I thought I’d be walking across mountain streams on my trip.), but they made my
feet too hot and eagerly exchanged them for sneakers after boarding the train.
…There are no comfortable chairs in museums and art galleries.
…Amtrak does not sell fresh fruit onboard. Buy some before you leave.
…Before you leave, check out www.chowhound.org for realistic restaurant reviews for regions and cities.