Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Is train travel safe , during snowy weather ? and how safe is it overall? -

i am planning to travel from Michigan to California , it will take 40 hours . have any safe trip advice ? thanks and happy holidays

Ask in Cars Transportation/Rail. There are regular Amtrak travelers there. Train travel is safer than car travel in bad weather. (Well, today Amtrak in NYC is having issues, but it s electrical.) I assume you are taking the California Zephyr, Chicago to Denver to San Francisco. I ve only taken that route in non-winter, but it s by far one of the most beautiful trips in the USA. If you can afford it, the sleepers are by far the most civilized way to go. It s like a very small, very odd boutique hotel.Overall, quite safe. Unlike a bus, every car has an attendant. The train also gets a better class of people than do buses. You are free to move your seat if you are near anyone who makes you uncomfortable. I ve traveled that route a few times (and Amtrak itself many tens of thousands of miles) and never had any safety issues. It s also much less stressful than flying. However, realize that the chances of you getting to your destination on time are laughable. Make sure you don t have theater tickets for the day you arrive.