I live in Philadelphia and sometimes need to go to New York or Harrisburg, the state capital. Although I always enjoyed driving on the Interstate highways of the Eisenhower era, I decided to try taking the train instead. Between gas, tolls and parking, it cost about the same for one person as it would to drive. The luxurious part was just sitting back and being able to read, work on the computer, talk on the phone or just sit back and close my eyes for a moment. You can get up just to stretch your legs or take a walk to the dining car for a snack, a soda or even a cold beer or two. Just leave the driving to the engineer. The train takes you through the scenic old railroad right-of-ways and deposits you right in the center of the your destination city. It’s worth it for its own sake; never mind the fossil fuel that you save.
I have always loved trains. Riding a passenger train is like riding a giant American Flyer toy train and reminds me of my childhood holidays.
Affordability: 5 Luxury: 8
Plan your trip with Amtrak here.
