But I did arrive dazed from a strange mix of cabin-fever and exhaustion that had begun to overtake me after about 20 hours abroad the train. I’m happy to report that I rolled into King Street Station precisely on schedule. Even my coach seat cost about had $350 for a one-way fare.Ī few people warned me that the trip might end up taking far longer than 48 hours because of delays. Expensive airfares had been the initial reason I’d considered traveling by train, but peak holiday pricing on Amtrak had put a roomette, the smallest of the sleeping car accommodations, out of my budget. While these questions made me pause, I stuck with my plan, mostly because of stubbornness and high prices. What would it be like remain in the same seat, without privacy, or access to a shower for two full days? The view from my coach seat. He did raise some points that stuck with me.
My husband, in particular, thought I was nuts for having purchased a coach seat. The entire journey from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Seattle was estimated to take 48 hours.Īpart from a few other hardcore transit and train enthusiasts, most people seemed confused by my decision to take Amtrak. Instead of opting to fly home, I chose to buy a cross-country ticket on the Amtrak Empire Builder train line. This Christmas holiday I made an unconventional choice for my transportation plans. Some lessons learned about US train travel from a recent 48 hour trip on Amtrak.
