My overnight ride on Amtrak’s Silver Star from New York to here in Jacksonville was interesting because it came just a few days after an overnight ride on one of Germany’s City Night Line train from Copenhagen to Cologne. In that comparison, Amtrak wins hands down. In terms of the sleeping car facilities, I guess…
I recently received an email from someone asking if I recommend using a travel agent to book rail travel. Good question! My answer was (and is), “That depends.” There’s really no reason why you can’t book it yourself, especially if your itinerary is a simple trip — Point A to Point B. The Amtrak web…
I’m often asked which are the top few scenic train rides in North America. The shorter the list, the harder it is to choose, but here are my picks. 5. The Cardinal. This train operates three days a week between New York and Chicago on a meandering route through some lovely country. After leaving Washington,…
With ridership numbers that have increased in 19 of the last 20 years, Amtrak has a pressing need for new equipment. Many of the bi-level Superliner cars still being used on long-distance trains date back to the 1970s. They’ve been renovated and refurbished, of course – many of them more than once – but they’re…