Issue Date: December 14, 2008
TravelSmart |
EVERETT POTTER |
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When to take Amtrak
The high cost of air travel has made many travelers consider a trip on Amtrak, which can sometimes be cheaper. But total travel time is also a big factor in the decision.
Choose the train for short trips.
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Using Amtrak to get from New York to Chicago, for example, takes 18-plus hours on the Lake Shore Limited, while a non-stop flight averages 2 1/2 hours. Train travel works best when you're going between two cities that are relatively close together, such as New York and Washington, D.C. After you factor in travel time to the airport and the security wait times, the one-hour flight between those cities is really closer to a three- or four-hour journey -- pretty much the same length as a train trip.
Good train options: the 90-minute trip between Chicago and Milwaukee on the Hiawatha or the 3 1/2-hour Cascades from Seattle to Portland, Ore. The Pacific Surfliner takes you from Santa Barbara, Calif., to San Diego in less than six hours.
There aren't any security lines for trains, and unlike planes, trains don't have middle seats.
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