Budget Train Vacation
Sunday September 28, 2008
In the midst of all the turmoil about gasoline prices and faltering airlines, have you ever thought about a train vacation? Grab some train tickets! Inter-city trains in combination with public transportation will get you almost anywhere you want to go in some cities, and you don't have to be in Europe for it to work. Read more about how catching trains can do wonders for your budget without cramping your travel style.
Comments
Growing up in SoCal (Southern Calif), the automobile was considered supreme. Buses, bicycles, and certainly trains were beneath our transportation standards. Then I went to work for the Calif Dept of Transportation and found my responsibility was to make multi modes of transportation work.
I spent most of my time in the funding, planning, design, construction and maintenance of transportation projects.
But, I wanted practical experience to see first hand if multi-modal transportation worked. So I started taking buses and commuter trains.
I found it was important to study the
train routes and schedules first before taking off. Another important requirement is to be FLEXIBLE. Allow extra time for appointments. Take alternative trains if desired or necessary. Be willing to walk a little.
Working in Transportation HQ in Sacramento, I had frequent meetings in Los Angeles. I would fly to Burbank, walk about 100 yards to the Metrolink train stop, then arrive at LA Union Station. In front of the station is LA’s DASH bus system. For 25 cents the DASH loops around downtown Los Angeles about every 15 minutes.
With practice anyone can learn to use multi-modal transportation and take on new adventures and experiences.
Ray, I love your comment about landing in Burbank and getting to downtown LA using mass transit. Budget travelers need to do this kind of research when they go to a city. We need to take advantage of these systems and the prices they offer.
A couple of years ago, I had to travel from Minneapolis to Chicago for a convention. Especially with my AAA discount, Amtrak was about half the price of a flight, and a lot more fun, plus I ended up only three blocks from the convention hotel. The trip was relaxing and scenic as we rolled down the Mississippi River and crossed over into Wisconsin, passing through Wisconsin Dells and the backyards of small towns. The return trip was delayed by bad weather as the train slowed to a crawl, but I just relaxed, had dinner with some interesting people, read a book, and reminded myself that the alternative was sitting around in O’Hare, waiting for the storms to pass.
I’d like to add that Japan is also an excellent place for a train trip. The Japan Rail Pass for foreign tourists is such a good deal that Japanese people practically weep with envy, and all of the stations in Japan’s amazing rail network are connected to subways and commuter trains in the large cities or buses in the smaller cities, and even in the smallest towns, there’s likely to be a taxi or two waiting to take you where you need to go.