Took one trip from St Louis to Kansas City & back for a tourist weekend.
Did another one where we flew from St. Louis to Chicago & then took the train back.
Waay back when I was a teenager my family did some inter-city railing around Britain, Europe, & Japan, but that was eons ago.
My overall reaction to Amtrak has been: It’s pleasant enough in a run down and not real reliable way. It may be obsolete, but at least it’s inconvenient. As an element of an adventure it’s fine. As an actual way to get someplace on a schedule for a purpose, not so much. At least out here in the middle. I bet it works a bit better in the northeast corridor.
I took the train to Raleigh a couple of years ago to meet up with my wife and kids who were already there. It made much more sense than having two cars out there.
My sister takes the train down here nearly every summer to see her nephews.
Last Christmas, Glasgow to Inverness return journey. I was booked onto the bus but snow caused too much disruption and I had to go for the train at the last minute instead. Cost: £55.
I recently did the same journey on the Citylink Gold bus for £16. The cost includes Wi-Fi access, a sandwich, cup of tea and a couple of squares of tablet. The seats are comfy too.
For the past decade, I’ve taken Amtrak between Kansas City, MO and Chicago, IL dozens of times. It’s a comfortable ride from downtown to downtown, and when you include all the bullshit of getting to and from the distant airports, getting through security, checking and waiting for baggage, etc…the time is nearly the same. The Southwest Chief takes 7 hours. I get on, plug in my laptop, watch a movie, eat dinner in the dining car, watch another movie and I’m at my destination. There is a ton of legroom and I can unfold my laptop and work. The hour and a half the plane actually spends in the air is the shortest, if least pleasant, part of the whole flying ordeal, trying to fit my 6 foot tall, 250 lb frame into a Southworst Airlines seat.
Recently, I’ve been using Megabus, simply because it is cheaper, but it takes a lot longer - 11 hours.
Memorial day weekend I took the train from NYC to Central virginia. it’s a stretch to call it inter-city, since the town where I got off has about 9,000 residents. I go about 2-3 times a year. I love the ride - and, actually, it’s impossible to either fly or drive in less time. (since the nearest airports are 1 hour away at least)
I put 5+, but forgot about International travel.
In the US: BOS-NYC,BOS-PHL in grad school over 5 years ago.
Outside US: Paris-Barcelona about 4 years ago, Paris-Montreux-Interlaken-Lucerne-Zurich-Linz two years ago.
Less than a year ago, for a day trip up to Santa Barbara with my fiancee.
I commute by subway every day, and used to commute through the local commuter rail line daily (Metrolink), but taking a train ride for pleasure is an entirely different (and fun) experience.
The last time was a couple of years ago, from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Zagreb, Croatia, while vacationing there. I have taken trains several times in the past while vacationing in Europe, but never in the US.
February, IIRC. I went to Ottawa to visit a friend, and my car was in the shop. Prior to that was a little over 2 years ago, for a weekend in Québec City. We’ve used the train between Montreal and Toronto a few times, but not recently.
1992 or 1993 - Amtrak - Worcester MA to Baltimore. We took the bus back. I would have preferred the train. My one and only time on a train. I would absolutely love to take a train trip again. It is by far my favorite way to travel.
During that same trip we took the Metro (I think that’s what it was) from somewhere in MD to DC and back for sightseeing purposes.
I have taken the T from Worcester to Boston in the last 6 years or so but I don’t remember when exactly. That was to go to the Children’s Museum (which is nowhere near as much fun as an adult as it was 25 years ago).
For my post-bar trip in 2009, I took Amtrak from DC to Montreal. Long trip (sixteen hours), but I quite liked it. I wasn’t in a sleeper car, but the seat was comfortable, the snack car had beer, and the scenery was quite good. Plus, it was much cheaper than flying, and I got to grab lunch in NYC when I switched trains. I’d do it again without hesitation.
I also took Amtrak from DC to Philly in April 2010 to judge a moot court competition for the weekend - liked that as well. What can I say? I’m an Amtrak fan. I normally take Megabus to NYC, but will probably take Amtrak next time.
Spetmeber 1980. Albany NY, NYC, Atlanta GA on Amtrak. Had to go from Grand Central to Penn Central Station. Only time in my life (after I turned 18, 1979) that i was ever denied alcohol when I wanted a beer. Drinking age was 18 in both NY and GA but Amtrak went with the max drinking age of the states in which the route was on.
I go about 2-3 times a year. I love the ride - and, actually, it’s impossible to either fly or drive in less time. (since the nearest airports are 1 hour away at least)