11 mistakes people make when taking a cross-country Amtrak


Olde Hornet

Well-Known Member

You’ll find many different types of people on Amtrak trains, from oil workers commuting to remote areas for work to families traveling to visit relatives to high school and college students with a lot more time than money. Of course, you’ll also likely meet travelers from both the US and abroad who are traveling the train’s entire multiday route more as an experience than as a form of transportation.

My husband, JT, and I certainly fell into the “traveling for the experience” category when we decided to book travel on the Empire Builder Train 28 from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago, Illinois during Amtrak’s buy one, get one roomette sale last fall. We both enjoyed the 45-hour train ride — but it can be a long ride if you’re not prepared or have incorrect expectations.

Regardless of why you’re traveling, here are 11 mistakes people make when taking a cross-country Amtrak as well as how to avoid making these mistakes yourself.

Choosing the Wrong Route
Amtrak travels to over 500 destinations in 46 states on 33 train routes, some of which reach into Canada. Not all of these routes are cross-country routes though, and some travel much farther than others.
 
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