Such a deal. For the basic trip your fare is $444.00, not including any meals or beverages. Total travel time is 60 hours and 39 minutes, so you would probably like a sleeping compartment for two nights. These cost $313 per night for a shared compartment. You can stay at a very nice hotel for that price and not have to share the room. The total cost of this trip is over $1,000.
Now, you can drive from Austin to Denver in about 16 hours with gasoline cost of about $150. A stay in a nice motel costs about $150.00 max.
Just what is Amtrak thinking here. I was under the misimpression that they are trying to promote train travel. I can understand the train taking a bit longer, but nearly 4 times longer. I can understand travel costs being higher on the train, but 7 times greater.
I can fly from Austin to Denver in about 90 minutes and pay a one-way fare of about $250.00 – $300. I will need to have someone pick me up from the airport and drop me off at the airport, but I would have the same cost under both alternatives.
Why would anyone take the train? I guess the answer is that Amtrak is subsidized by us taxpayers and could care less.
Does anyone else have an opinion on this?
I just wish we could have a train system like the ones in Europe and parts of Asia.
Something about railway issues in Europe:
http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/dutch-free-marketeers-want-nationalisation/
a few years ago my son, daughter & I took the train to Amtrak and it was a very interesting adventure to say the least. Both kids were amazed that it took nearly 20 hours (due to numerous delays) and costed more than had we flown or drove.
I think most European public transport is subsidized in one way or another, the difference is that, because population densities are higher, it is used much more.
One you get out in the sticks, it’s not so good. I just half-killed myself today riding in incredible heat and incredible topography from the Spanish border to Guarda, Portugal, although I would have been smarter to wait for the one remaining train in the day (this was at 11.45 am. On the Madrid-Salamanca-Oporto line, there is one train a day beyond Salamanca, and it leaves at 3.00 am. The ride was so tough I missed the train out of Guarda for Coimbra!
John
Thank you for your comment. How is your trip going? Weather? Stories?
I’ve taken some really expensive train rides in Europe too…more costly than driving even with the high gas prices. So I’m not sure why train travel is so much more than flying or driving…