Hey Everyone,
My girlfriend and I are exploring the possibility of taking a cross-country Amtrak trip next year to see what's on the other side of the Hudson River. I've only flown as far west as Indiana once for a trip with the FFA, and she's gone way further east (Ireland, Austria, Germany, Italy, etc.), but never west. I just upgraded my Amtrak MasterCard to the World edition which includes two companion tickets each year.
The routing I'd like to take would be as follows...
Albany - Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited
Overnight stay in Chicago @ Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop (Will Uber from/to station)
Chicago - Seattle via the Empire Builder
Overnight stay in Seattle @ Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square (Walking distance from/to station)
Seattle - LA via the Coast Starlight
Overnight stay in LA @ DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown (Will Uber from/to station)
LA - Chicago via the Southwest Chief
Another overnight stay in Chicago @ Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop (Will Uber from/to station)
Chicago - Albany via the Lake Shore Limited
Has anyone taken this routing or similar before? Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, or otherwise? What would be the best way to save money on train tickets for this trip? I know ticket prices are cheapest the furthest out date-wise, and I plan on using my companion tickets for the two most expensive legs (which appear to be the Starlight and the SWC). I'm also hoping Amtrak will have a promotion for their fiftieth. We would be booking bedrooms on each leg; we think a roomette would be too small for the two of us.
So please, share your thoughts and past experiences. Neither of us have done an overnight train journey, but we have experimented with booking a bedroom on 449 BOS - ALB to see if we could manage it, and both of us are game.
Thanks!
Jesse
My girlfriend and I are exploring the possibility of taking a cross-country Amtrak trip next year to see what's on the other side of the Hudson River. I've only flown as far west as Indiana once for a trip with the FFA, and she's gone way further east (Ireland, Austria, Germany, Italy, etc.), but never west. I just upgraded my Amtrak MasterCard to the World edition which includes two companion tickets each year.
The routing I'd like to take would be as follows...
Albany - Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited
Overnight stay in Chicago @ Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop (Will Uber from/to station)
Chicago - Seattle via the Empire Builder
Overnight stay in Seattle @ Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square (Walking distance from/to station)
Seattle - LA via the Coast Starlight
Overnight stay in LA @ DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown (Will Uber from/to station)
LA - Chicago via the Southwest Chief
Another overnight stay in Chicago @ Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop (Will Uber from/to station)
Chicago - Albany via the Lake Shore Limited
Has anyone taken this routing or similar before? Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, or otherwise? What would be the best way to save money on train tickets for this trip? I know ticket prices are cheapest the furthest out date-wise, and I plan on using my companion tickets for the two most expensive legs (which appear to be the Starlight and the SWC). I'm also hoping Amtrak will have a promotion for their fiftieth. We would be booking bedrooms on each leg; we think a roomette would be too small for the two of us.
So please, share your thoughts and past experiences. Neither of us have done an overnight train journey, but we have experimented with booking a bedroom on 449 BOS - ALB to see if we could manage it, and both of us are game.
Thanks!
Jesse
"That sapling that once grew just south of Wassaic may be long gone, and the Harlem Line’s appearance may have changed over the years, but for decades to come, I can count on it continuing to provide me with funny recollections"