Why train travel beats flying within the USA

Swap the hustle-and-bustle of crowded US airports, long security checkpoint lines and choked freeways with a train journey instead.

Travelling by rail is a relaxing way to traverse any country and can take in the ever-changing landscape from over-sized windows that capture scenery often missed by the locals.

With America’s wide-open spaces, plains, mountains and desert terrain, train travel is not only an ideal and scenic option to explore this vast land, ticket prices will surprise you. How does New York City to Washington DC sound for AUD72 for a three-hour journey?

We spoke with Rail Plus Commercial Director, Ingrid Kocijan, who of course agrees train travel is much less stressful than flying and also boasts factors including the comparative luxury of space, comfortable seating with plenty of legroom and no set baggage limits all adding to the stress-free experience.

“Apart from not having to endure long queues or waiting times at check-in and baggage claim, and being able to go from city centre to city centre without additional transportation costs and journey time, travellers can also take comfort in knowing that there is absolutely no chance of seat overbooking on trains,” says Kocijan.

“Peak travel times would usually see an increase in capacity via additional carriages on selected trains; otherwise passengers would be informed straight away of seat availability and alternatives when making their seat reservations.

“Also, the level of care and customer service provided on board the trains, at the service counter or on the phone is of a high standard.”

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Exploring the U.S.A.

Australians and New Zealanders are clearly appreciating the advantages of seeing the US from the comfort of a train seat.

Rail Plus recorded a whopping 36% year-on-year increase in AU & NZ travellers exploring the USA by rail, with families and groups making up the majority of bookings.

According to the rail provider, the most popular point-to-point destinations and journeys being booked include:

• New York City – Washington DC, a 2h 53m journey, starting at AUD72
• New York City – Boston, a 4h 30m journey, starting at AUD72
• Seattle – Vancouver, 4 hours of travel starting at AUD47
• Los Angeles – Grand Canyon, a 12 hour journey, starting at AUD159
• Universal Studios: Miami – Orlando, a 7h18m journey starting at
  AUD67
• Disneyland: Los Angeles to Anaheim, a 39min journey starting at
  AUD37

Ms Kocijan added: “While point-to-point tickets have proven more popular among our travellers who prefer to spend more time, in fewer destinations, during their short visits averaging two weeks, Amtrak passes remain popular among travellers planning to hop around the country on longer visits of up to 45 days.”

Benefits of train travel

• Open carriages to walk around
• More legroom compared to airline seating
• No long queues at check-in or boarding time
• No overbooking of trains
• Depart and arrive in the heart of your destination
• Lower cost between points A & B