Hacker News Reader

Comment by JadeNB | Hacker News Reader

Try taking the train, if you can spare the time! If it goes from near where you are to near where you want to go, it can be great. If it's a trip of less than a day, then you'll wind up where you want to go feeling much more rested and much less stressed. (If it's more than a day, then you'll have to face the question of whether you want to sleep awkwardly in coach or pony up big bucks for a sleeper; but you can get used to sleeping awkwardly in coach—for me, it's much more comfortable than sleeping on a plane.)

View on HN

Also remember that "coach" on a train is at least as comfortable as first class on an airplane. Especially if you're over around 6' tall.

In the USA, long distance passenger trains are very expensive and can have their schedules totally screwed up because they must give way to freight trains.

> In the USA, long distance passenger trains are very expensive …

This is mostly true, but:

1. "Frequent traveller" programs can take some of the pain out of the price, just as they can for flying; and, as msandford (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12663241) points out, it's not entirely unreasonable, if you're optimising for comfort (since it's not for speed!), to compare the price of a coach seat on a train with the price of a business-class seat on a plane.

2. Short-haul trains will usually beat any possible flight; and even relatively long-haul trains can be competitive—an upcoming trip from Michigan to Maryland for my brother's wedding is $81 one way.

> … and can have their schedules totally screwed up because they must give way to freight trains.

This is also true, but, I think, misleading; it's not as if planes always run on time. At least, when the train is stuck, you're on the train, which is nice and comfy, rather than in the airport, which is miserable!

I have also never been bumped from a train due to overbooking, and once had a lovely train ride that simply plowed through snow falling thickly enough that most flights were grounded.

As a point of fact, Amtrak passenger trains have priority over freight trains if they are on schedule. The problem is that if they are so much as a minute late, and have to yield once, they are no longer on schedule for the entire remainder of the route, and just get further and further behind. Amtrak doesn't own much of its own track, and private rail owners tend to prioritize high-value traffic, so the freight generally gets to go first. After all, everybody knows that if you wanted to get there on time, you would have flown, right?

I was once delayed on an Amtrak train for 24 hours. Twenty-four hours, sitting motionless on a siding in the middle of nowhere. A professional cyclist could have beaten me to my destination, even with one 8-hour stop to sleep. Never again. Even a coach bus would be preferable.

Agreed, Amtrak is the most relaxing part of my vacations. Three square meals a day, all the time to read and program, and absolutely no hassles.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com