Riding Amtrak's Empire Builder

There's something about train travel that has always maintained an air of romance about it. There's a slower pace, less crowding, real food, generous baggage allowances and no invasive security scans. Admittedly, not everyone will find those things appealing given the rushed hustle-bustle of modern life, but if you have the time and can afford a bit of extra expense, traveling by train is something I think everyone should do at least once in their life.

In the spring of 2010, the perfect opportunity arose for me to have my train travel moment. I live in Seattle, and had a web editor conference to attend in Chicago in May 2010. As I was searching out airplane fares, I suddenly remembered how several years ago, I had a chance to take the train from San Francisco to Seattle with a friend and what a fantastic day and a half we had getting there. Amtrak's Empire Builder train runs direct from Seattle to Chicago, one train each way daily. The train fare worked out to be almost the same as an airplane ticket. And since I had a good friend to stay with in Chicago, what I would have spent on sharing a hotel room in the city and lots of eating out, I could take that money and instead spend it on getting a private little room on the train for the trip there and back.

My trip took place from May 19th through May 26th, 2010, with the first and last forty-eight hours on each end taking place on the Empire Builder train.

Depending on which way you are going, the Empire Builder runs between Chicago and Seattle or Portland. If you take it to or from Portland, there is a train change in Spokane. But if you ride from the Emerald City to the Windy City, it's one continuous line. Overall, the trip is approximately 46 hours.

The train lines runs across Washington State, crosses the panhandle of Idaho and then runs west through both Montana and North Dakota. At the Minnesota border the train begins drop south and eventually passes through St. Paul-Minneapolis. From there the train crosses into Wisconsin, going to Milwaukee and then heading into Illinois to end in Chicago.

My trip began on a Wednesday afternoonn arriving in Chicago two days later in the evening on  Friday. That works out to two each of breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two nights sleeping on the train. The"roomette" price was approximately $50 per day for both room and food. It's hard to stay in a big city in a hotel and pay that little for a room and eating out. And if you've never been on a big train like this, I have to say it's NOT microwaved, plastic-wrapped, airplane food. There are real plates, silverware and cloth napkins. Dinner options include a vegetarian, seafood, chicken and steak options and with a sleeper reservation all the food is included.  One of the most interesting things about train travel is that the dining car tables seat four, so parties with fewer people get seated with mealtime companions. You never know what sort of people you're going to meet which often winds up being totally fascinating.  Ever have lunch with a secretary who works for a general at the Pentagon?  I have...

Book Early - this is the main tip for not only getting the routes you want, but getting the best pricing for things like rooms if you are doing an extended trip. Amtrak uses a tier pricing structure, and the closer you get to the travel date, the higher prices become.

Travel with Friends or Family - If you are thinking of booking a room for a longer trip, having friends or family to travel with is where you start to save money. Roomettes or bedrooms are the same price regardless if there is one person in the room, or the full capacity. A $300 room will cost a single traveler $300. If two can travel, that becomes $150 each as the room cost remains unchanged. Also, remember that if you reserve a room, all meals are then included.

Look For Off-Season Times and Non-Peak Days - As with any sort of travel arrangements, if you go during the off-season or travel on days when there is less demand, you can often find a lower price.