Is traveling by train any more convenient than traveling by plane?
This specifically relates to traveling between states in America.
Not so much.
Pros:
Less security
More legroom
Better baggage policies
Concessions available
Scenery
Cons:
Travel time much greater
Intermediary stops (if you get annoyed by that kind of thing)
Less accessible (far fewer stations than airports/many places don't have one anywhere near)
Stations located in "the bad part of town" (not always)
Overall is say the train in more leisurely and perhaps more adventurous, but far less efficient pruely as transportation.
Amtrak is for the poor. Enjoy your crying babies and smelly people
It depends.
Northeast corridor (DC - Baltimore - Philly - NYC - Boston) - Amtrak is generally better than flying (although bus may be even better than Amtrak). Pretty much anywhere else, Amtrak is not worth taking... unless you have plenty of time and want to enjoy a scentic route.
>>922137
>yet it costs more than flying
fucking idiot
>>922160
I'm a frequent commuter in DC-NYC-Boston area, and I have to say Amtrak is fantastic. I recommend it for that, as I hate driving on NJ turnpike during rush hours.
>>922137
that's greyhound you flying tard.
Boston-NYC-DC yes if the price makes sense. Acela is worth the money; once. Amtrak is expensive during peak hours but at least the ride is comfortable and the trains leave from proper stations.
The bus network on the Northeast Corridor is cheap and frequent as others have mentioned. However the bus is the most ghetto means of transportation and the distribution of journey times can be a sick joke. I've traveled route ~25 times with journey times from 2:45 to 7:00. These trips have included a fender bender, a hit and run and a complete engine failure. None of these were the longest journey. Which brings me to...
>>922133
>Less accessible (far fewer stations than airports/many places don't have one anywhere near)
>Stations located in "the bad part of town" (not always)
Many of the bus services don't have stations. You wait on the curb and a high school dropout with an bright vest grunts at you. At first I dismissed this as a logical consequence of a rock-bottom fare. But then I discovered their poor maintenance and operations management. You can easily be stuck sitting on a curb for 1:30 in be a cold, raw rain while your possessions are damaged. For this reason I no longer ride Megabus or "Chinatown" services.
Amtrak elsewhere: no comment except than you'll occasionally be driving on the highway and overtake a train running parallel to you...and despair.
>>922164
Poor people are fucking dumb and pay more for less you faggot, don't you know anything
>hurr durr flying is cheaper so obviously poor people fly
You need a fucking passport to get on planes plus a lot of people are scared of it. Amtrak is as pleb as it gets.
a few more points:
getting from NYC to/from any airport is very painful. Also most other large cities.
Even if you take the nicest bus, you'll still be stuck in traffic just as if you were driving yourself.
If you take a low-end bus, you're not just risking getting delayed. They have fatal accidents every few months
I've taken Amtrak a few times outside the north-east corridor (Montreal, Virginia...) one major inconvenience is that every once in a while the train just stops to yield to a freight train. Still more comfortable than airplane delays.
Having encountered crying babies both on airplanes and Amtrak, I estimate them to be at lrast 10 times as frequent on airplanes. Moreover on Amtrak I can just pick up my ass and move.
>>922192
>you need a passport to get on planes
Not for domestic flight bro
Trains are nicer but not cost/time effective
>>922294
You need to show an id (which can be drivers license, does not have to be passport) both for Amtrak and airplane. No difference. Bus doesn't check id.
Amtrak doesn't have metal dtectors or xrays and you don't need to take off your shoes.
>>922304
Amtrak doesn't always check id -- my last excursion on the NE Corridor, they just scanned my ticket. It might be different on the longer runs.
>>923491
The terrorists have won.
In practice, in NYP there's one staircase with a guy on top checking ids, comparing the name with that in the ticket, and lettinf people through very slowly. There are a couple more staircases going to the same platform with no one checking ids, giving smarter passengers the chance to get there first and pick nicer seats. (They do check the tickets once the train starts moving.)
I suppose it depends on the distance, after a certain mileage you save time on the plane. But once you factor in check in and screening time, as well as transfers to and from the airport, train would come out on top in some circumstances. Also train is most likely going to get you closer to where you want to go since airports are usually out away from everything.
Debating between going by train, bus, or plane to Spring Break destination place. I'm looking at the prices and the differences is huge. I'm not quite sure what the big deal is? Are the former two that much more dangerous?
>>924723
Train, for sure, even if your "destination" doesn't have a train station.
>>924723
I'm not sure "danger" is a big factor insetting the price..
>>924723
As a rough rule, a car is ten times more dangerous than a train, and a train is ten times more dangerous than a plane (measured in deaths per kilometer).
A bus driven by a professional will be much safer than a car though...I think buses are close to trains in safety.
>>924723
>Debating between going by train, bus, or plane to Spring Break destination place.
take the train man, fuck airports, fuck the bus.
>comfort (compared to shitty coach/tiny bus seat)
>can walk around, proper sized bathroom
>much more space
Like I said before.
>>922133
Train=more comfy
Plane=more economical
If you're not going straight down one of these lines, you're going to be fucked for price and time (but it will be a fun adventure!)
Whereas, if you're more interested in just getting there
>>923729
>hope they don't hassle me due to my expired id.
Instead of taking chances, it's smarter to renew it. There's non-zero probability that some asshole on power trip with give you trouble over this
>>924971
takes weeks for the damn state to send it to me, but i suppose that the paperwork they give me if i renew before going, might temper the power trip.
>>925381
They will staple a permit that says you have renewed your license to your expired license.
>>925402
don't know how renewing works and I've got a university ID I can use too if they are really anal about it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/multiple-people-stabbed-on-board-amtrak-train-in-michigan/
>>925416
Ah nice, always need a good stabbing to occur in the otherwise safe train system. Wonder what set him off.
>>925452
>Wonder what set him off.
take that to /pol/ :)
>>922120
>Is traveling by train any more convenient than traveling by plane?
Not. At. All.
There can be some train-expresses like up in the northeast, DC-NY, but not any cheaper or better than grabbing a Delta Shuttle or similar.
People who take trains are afraid to fly, or have a single moment away from the internet. People who want their full size liquids/no major security hassles like remaining in your seat or standing in multiple queued lines, people with medical reasons to use a restroom every 15 minutes, for instance who don't want to sit down before landing.
There is an advantage to taking an auto train, like FL-VA...you get to rest yourself from night driving and take your own vehicle with you on your trip. Rather than a hotel stop midway, someone drives for you. But, cheaper it is not.
