104 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
104 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Your First Train Trip
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date: 2023-10-28
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tags:
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- trains
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---
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People at work are more interested than I thought in my taking the train.
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One of them might eventually decide to try it.
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Here's my advice to you!
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Start Small
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-----------
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You don't need to immediately try a 3-leg trip.
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The first trip I took by train was Lamy to Kansas City:
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you get on the train around 13:00, have dinner,
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go to sleep,
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then at about 07:00 you've arrived.
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I recommend starting with a short trip like this,
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so you can acclimate to everything.
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Sleeping on a train, for instance,
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is probably not something most people can do right away.
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If you're in Richland, you might try a trip to Portland for the weekend.
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That starts at about 06:45,
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and arrives around lunchtime.
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Plan For Delays
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Delays happen with any type of travel.
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On trains, delays tend to be hours long.
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On my multi-leg trips, they're frequently 24 hours.
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Mentally prepare yourself for delays.
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Pack "buffer days" into your trip:
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whole days where you don't absolutely need to be anywhere.
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Put these on the tail end of each travel day:
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when you arrive at the destination,
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and when you get home.
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That way, if you have a big delay,
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you're just using your buffer.
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Pack Food
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--------
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You can buy food on the train,
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but it's not cheap.
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It's meant to be an upscale dining experience,
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and the prices reflect it:
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$25 breakfast, $35 lunch, $45 dinner in October 2023.
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And that's before you pay the tip.
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There is a café car,
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but the food there is mostly things that can go in a microwave.
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It does have beer and wine, which is nice:
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you're not allowed to bring your own on the train.
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But you can bring your own food.
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Plan it like a picnic for your first short trip!
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Pack Light
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Once you've accepted that delays are going to happen,
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new opportunities open up for unplanned exploration.
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I particularly relish getting stuck in Portland or Chicago:
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both have big ol' downtown areas full of interesting things.
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If you're delayed overnight,
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Amtrak will put you up in a hotel.
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But you're not required to rush to the hotel immediately and watch TV!
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You can get there whenever you like,
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and do some touring.
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If you have a big suitcase to drag around,
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exploration before you get to the hotel is not a viable option.
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And you may find the hotel isn't anywhere interesting.
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I love my REI Ruckpack 28 for travel.
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It's got enough room for 3 changes of clothes (I do laundry every night),
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my laptop, and all my other stuff.
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I've got another blog entry that goes in more depth on
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[what to take](/blog/2023/09-25-business-travel-on-amtrak/).
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Chill Out
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-------
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Trains in the US are slow.
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You're going to have to just chill out and accept this.
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Worrying about whether you'll make it somewhere on time is a good indication that you should be on an airplane.
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I mean, airplanes get delayed a lot, too.
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But at least you won't be upset that they move too slowly?
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I'm not sure. I'm a pretty chill traveler when I go by air, too.
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But the train is going to force you to chill out.
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If you can accept this,
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you'll have a nice time!
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