Are you tossing around ideas for the next family vacation? Are you tired of long lines at TSA checkpoints and having to pay for checked bags for every member of the family? If you answered yes to both questions, consider arriving at your next family vacation by train.
Most people overlook the train as a travel option thinking its not safe, often late or just as expensive as flying or driving. Well I just watched ‘Flight’ with Denzel Washington, we are not going to talk air travel safety here, LOL. The statistics of how often planes are late is another article in itself.
With that being said, here are 10 reasons to consider travelling by train to your next family vacation:
1. Traveling by train offers passengers much more room to relax,
2. There’s a cafe car filled with sandwiches, snacks and more.
3. You can also pack your own snacks and sandwiches and avoid the cafe car.
4. Most trains are now equipped with (free) wi-fi
5. Free wi-fi allows you and the family to watch movies and play your favorite games on an iPad/laptop.
6. For longer trips a full service dining car and sleep car accommodations are also available options.
7. Our favorite reason to travel by train…free checked bags (the first two anyway) and each passenger can also take two carry-on bags.
8. And, the best reason to travel by train (with kids and if time allows) is the mere fact that kids ages 2-15 ride for half off.
9. And, infants ride for free! That can add up to a considerable amount of vacation spending money.
10. Along with all of these great reasons, traveling by train also gives passengers beautiful unparalleled views of the country that you can not get from an airplane seat.
Seriously consider traveling by train on your next family vacation or business trip. Join Amtrak rewards program (it’s totally free), with each trip you take you’ll earn points towards a free trip. Visit www.Amtrak.com today to join!
Follow me on twitter…@thetravelindiva and @Passenger156!
**The children’s discount does not apply to business class or for children traveling alone. **
Love Amtrak! Met some great people traveling back from Montreal…I was able to relax, read, watch my movies…and Sleep! 🙂
This is such a great article. It is the first I have ever seen. You sure hit the key points for families traveling. Thanks for posting this and I also thank Amtrak for passing it along to us. I also have a small travel business that I have been running for the past 36 years. I love my small business and for the past 8 years we have been doing all of our traveling by train. I am going to keep this article and post it so everyone can see it. How can I get copies of the articles you write about traveling? I am interested in reading whatever you write because I am sure my clients would enjoy reading them. Again, thanks for the post and KEEP THE INFORMATION FLOWING.
Thanks Gwen! Please email me so we can chat about your small travel business and sharing my articles with your clients.
[email protected]
Thanks so much!
After 43 years with the airline industry and a lot of flying around this earth, my wife and I now prefer to “ride the rails.” My dad was a boilermaker on the old steam locomotives with the B&O Railroad so I had some experience riding the train. But after a ‘National Train Day’ experience at Tampa Union Station a few years ago, my wife and I were hooked and that year rode the California Zephyr to Sacramento and the Coast Starlight to Seattle, all in a sleeper. Since then we have used Amtrak from Tampa to New York, then the Empire Builder to Seattle, Coast Starlight (again) to Sacramento and again, the Zephyr to Denver. We went through many gorgeous and scenic mountain ranges and met some really interesting people in the dining cars. And believe me, we’re stocking up on Guest Reward points so we can again hit the track. We call these our ‘bucket trips.’
WOW Bill! I love the phrase ‘bucket trips!’ Thanks so much for sharing your train travels! 🙂
My wife and I have traveled from Halifax,Nova Scotia to Vancouver,Wa. on AMTRAK and Canada rail. There is only one route in the US we have not traveled
and that will be done *God’s will* ,soon. Over 40,000 miles Europe Canada and U.S. after 40 years of Air Force duty enough with the airplanes.
Enjoy a luxury vacation, no hassle no rush and the most beautiful country in the world. (inexpensive)
Amen Budd! I agree. I am looking forward to seeing more of the countryside this summer via train. Thanks for sharing!
In addition to these 10 reasons, another reason to add to the list would be the people. You meet and interact with some of the nicest people and it’s very easy to make friends and strike up conversations. Good luck doing this on a plane. People on a plane are so uptight, stressed, and just want nothing to do with anyone. If you so much as even try to strike up something resembling a conversation on a plane, in a lot of cases you can expect some backlash and possibly even looking suspicious.
In our first time time taking a train, my wife and I were a bit nervous about being seated with two people we’ve never met on the dining car for lunch and dinner. But, they were so easy to talk to and we even found some things in common!
People just seem so much more relaxed, happier, and just much more pleasant to be around aboard a train. This is pretty much the opposite on a plane.
You are so right Mike. The people were so nice. You definitely won’t find/get that on an airplane.
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