Tag Archives: Amtrak

Spend the Summer Riding the Rails

Are you sickened by the prospect of spending $45 to store your carry-on bag in an overhead bin on a flight that already cost you an arm and a leg? Amtrak hopes you are. The national railroad leader is hoping the hassle and growing expense involved with flying to your vacation destination will prompt you to ride the rails this summer… and beyond. To lure frequent flyers to railroad tracks, Amtrak has been working hard to improve its services and amenities. “We are investing in our infrastructure to improve the reliability, safety and security of our operations,” said Amtrak President … Continue reading →

Happy National Train Day

Tomorrow is National Train Day and I can’t help but think of my pre-schooler’s favorite train joke: What kind of train can sneeze? Ah choo choo. My daughter waits for the laughter to die down before informing her “fans” that she’ll be here all week. Okay, back to National Train Day. Whether you are a regular rider of the rails or not Amtrak is encouraging you to visit one of their stations tomorrow. The nationwide campaign includes live entertainment and activities for youngsters. Amtrak hopes the hoopla will inspire travelers to consider riding a train to their next vacation destination. … Continue reading →

Ways to Save on Summer Vacation—-Don’t Get the Massage

For the past several weeks I have been providing tips on how you can preserve your family’s summer vacation plans despite astronomical airfares and record high gas prices. The following tidbits are aimed at helping you save on the road as well, though one is a bit more tongue-in-cheek than the other. These days talk of a recession is on the minds and lips of practically every financial expert paraded on cable news shows; however there are some people in the world who don’t have to worry about pinching pennies during these tough economic times. And no doubt some of … Continue reading →

First Class Eats for Train Passengers

We all know airline passengers get the royal treatment in first-class, but what about high paying passengers who prefer to travel by train? Don’t shed a tear for them, it appears they are making out just as well as their high flying counterparts—especially when it comes to first-class cuisine. The travel world is a buzz with the news that one of Washington’s best-known chefs, Michel Richard, has developed a new menu for first-class passengers on Amtrak’s high-speed Boston to Washington route. For those of you who don’t watch the Food Network or don’t keep tabs on who’s who in the … Continue reading →

Take the Train to DisneyLand!

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You can now take the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) train every hour from the Anaheim Amtrak station to Disneyland and other area hotels. Now, people from all over California can take the train (Amtrak) from places like Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or San Diego, then catch the 15-25 minute ART to DisneyLand for only $3 per day. This makes day trips much easier on families who can take the train because there will be none of that exhausting fighting of traffic or trying to answer the many “Are we there yet?” questions that inevitably come when you pull into a … Continue reading →

Amtrak = Luxury Travel

When I think of Amtrak, the first word that pops into my mind is NOT luxury (wait, maybe I’m thinking of Greyhound). Kidding aside, Amtrak, by all accounts, may be the first name in efficient rail travel, but five-course meals and personal butler service it’s not. Or is it? According to Amtrak executives, it is… and then some. Five-course meals, personal butler service… and mahogany interiors will all be available on several Amtrak routes in just a few months. The nation’s leading passenger train service is teaming up with GrandLuxe Rail Journeys to attach seven special GrandLuxe cars to regularly … Continue reading →

Amtrak Schools on Trains Program Open to Homeschoolers

There’s nothing quite like riding on a train, whether it’s the local steam locomotive or a high speed state of the art passenger car. We were blessed enough to ride the Shinkansen, or Bullet Train, when we lived in Japan. That’s truly like flying 15′ off the ground. It’s one of those must-do experiences when you’re in the Orient. We’ve had almost as much fun, though, riding the steam train around the large community park in our area. Trains are fascinating, no matter what their size. It’s one of the reasons that we’re first in line when an Amtrak trip … Continue reading →

“Rail and Cruise”… Returns!

Mardi Gras, Jazzfest, and Emeril aren’t the only ones returning to New Orleans following the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. In just a few months you will once again be able to “Rail and Cruise” in and out of the Big Easy. Amtrak and Carnival Cruise Lines will resume their “Rail and Cruise” program out of New Orleans beginning in October. Four-and-five-day cruises will depart from the Port of New Orleans. The four-day voyages will take you to Cozumel, while the five-day sailings have you visiting Cozumel and either Calica or Costa Maya. To sweeten the deal Amtrak is offering discounts … Continue reading →