MediaWest*Con transportation musings

[amedia]

I am *seriously* considering taking a train to get to MW*C.

Advantages:
a) I can leave from the town I live in! I don't live near an airport, and we only have one car, and TODS will need it to get to work, so for me to fly, he has to make two five-hour round trips to drop me off and pick me up.

b) It's quite a bit cheaper than flying; airfare has risen at an alarming rate. I'm looking at $262 for train fare vs. $500-something for airfare to Detroit, plus a shuttle or rental car to Lansing.

c) Trains are much more comfortable than airplanes. Honestly, I hate the whole flying experience these days, which is sad because it used to be so much more fun. I've taken short train trips recently and just the amount of legroom seems positively luxurious.

Disadvantages:
a) It will take more than 24 hours each way. Now, I'm not working the week before MW*C, and I'm teaching online the week after, so that doesn't matter very much as far as doing my job is concerned (especially if there's wireless on the train). OTOH, it's a long time to sit still, and I don't know how comfortable it will be for sleeping (I don't intend to pay for a sleeping car). I occasionally sleep in the recliner at home when my back is bothering me, so it doesn't seem impossible.

b) It will drop me in East Lansing, not Lansing proper, although I'm guessing I can get from one to the other for a lot less than the difference in fare.

c) I will have a couple of transfers and I'm not sure how good trains are as opposed to airplanes when it comes to making connections.

Any experienced U.S. train travelers out there want to weigh in? All input welcomed!



I am still working on the REVELcon report, I promise!

Comments

[kamiki-seto.livejournal.com]

1. Amtrack stations are NEVER in good neighborhoods. Make sure someone can pick you up immediately.

2. Whatever you are estimating the trip length at, add several hours on to it. America is the only country in the world where freight train traffic takes priority over passenger traffic. Amtrack's schedules are....optimistic. At best. The train can and will be frequently pulled onto a siding to let freight go first.

3. Track maintenance east of the Mississippi sucks. Expect a very rough ride at least part of the way.

4. Greyhound would probably cost out cheaper, faster, and at about the same comfort level.

All that being said...there is STILL a romance to the rails that just can't be beat. Just don't expect it to be anything close to on-time - fudge at least one extra day on each end if you can.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

This is all very helpful! And I confess to a sympathy for the romance of the rails, perhaps from watching too many episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine. :-)

The track maintenance info is something I didn't know; I've mostly taken trains on the East Coast. The freight-has-precedence is another new piece of information!

I've looked into Greyhound before and tried it again this time, but it comes out slower and more expensive (slower enough to be slower even if their estimate is correct and the train estimate is overly optimistic). Probably some quirk of East Texas.

[(Anonymous)]

As much as I love my wife, I would contest #4. I rode Greyhound twice from Texas to Illinois in college. If you enjoy being cooped up with forty other people who've had no opportunity for hygiene for long stretches, by all means.

(Add to that the fact that I always got stuck next to a little old lady who was out to save my soul for Jesus...)

Everything else she said is spot-on. The St. Louis-Chicago route is predominantly old Illinois Central (now Canadian National) trackage that was never kept up as well as it needed to be. I would hope that by now it's bearable, but...

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

...

When the hell did I log myself out of LJ?

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

The Train Station in East Lansing isn't in a half bad place. We take the train every year from Chicago. The hotel sends a van to pick us up. Just call and make arrangements for the transport and let them know you are going to be at the Train Station.

Honestly sometimes it's the best part o the con for us. :)

I have no idea where you are coming from... but it can take longer than expected sometimes, but... most trains have plugs along the window, so you can plug in your electronics and watch vids all the way there. (Did I mention the train trip is my favorite part of traveling to the con? LOL)

Yeah, it can be a little bumpy. (So can flights) but you can get up and walk around, you can eat, the bathrooms are fairly clean (and bigger than a plane's) and you may have to wait for the odd freight train. But.. with plugs, you can keeo yourself occupied. :)

If you think you will be late, getting in (Which is not unusual, honestly) Just call the hotel, they will happliy re-arrange the transport. They'll ask you to let them know when you get in. You might have to wait for them, but, as I said before... the East Lansing train station isn't in a terrible spot and you can wait inside the vestibule.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

The hotel sends a van to pick us up.

w00t! I did not know that!

Honestly sometimes it's the best part o the con for us. :)

I can honestly say that that has *never* been the case for any of my plane trips to MediaWest, so this is good to hear! (Although when I used to hitch a ride from Pennsylvania with the Bunnies from Hell, the Reading O' The Zines on the way back was a heckuva lot of fun.)

ETA: I would be coming in from Texas.

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

Yup.. make arrangements like usual, but be sure to tell them you'll be at the Train Station. :)

I fly to Chicago from San Francisco the day before, and then, suzy_queue and I take the train the next day. We've done this for the last *counts* 4 years? I think. LOL

Gives us a chance to catch up and be all fannish to get into the groove of the con. Plus we can watch DVDs on laptops and iPods. :)

Ah... then say Hi to Centralia, ill as you go past. That's my hometown. I growed up there. LOL I can also explicitly say that the train station there is NOT in a bad part of town. Mostly cause it's downtown. LOL

[kamiki-seto.livejournal.com]

My husband's family (Jeff_Morris, seen posting above) is from Centralia. I've been to Centralia, and Jeff still has relatives living in the area; his father is buried there. Sadly, the entire town is now pretty much crack/meth central and even the locals admit it. The downtown is dead, full of empty storefronts and trash. There are no good parts of town anymore. We keep our visits as short as we can manage. No, the train station isn't safe - a Chicago woman recently disappeared from that station around Thanksgiving under very suspicious circumstances and it's presumed foul play is involved.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

It's sad to hear about towns going downhill like that, especially people's hometowns.

When I hear the name Centralia, I think of Centralia, Pennsylvania, which has gone downhill in a very different way. The coal underneath the town has been on fire for years; the town has mostly been evacuated, although a few locals stubbornly cling on. It's not very far (maybe half an hour or so) from where my son went to high school. The video game and movie Silent Hill are based on it.

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

Our Coal mine exploded in 1948 (or 9) and was one of the nation's worst mining disasters. Still is I think. 101 men died. We buried a lot of them. In fact, going through some stuff I got from the attic at the funeral home (Which was also my Great Aunt and Great grandmother's apartment) I found a newspaper with a list of the casualties, with writing next to each name of whether they were dead or injured, a time listed (their funeral) or another FH's name) It also had a note detailing other info and it was in my Great-Grandfather's handwriting. It was a fascinating find, not jsut for local history, but my own family history.

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

C-town has always had a dead downtown and it's never been the brightest spot on earth. (Can you say BORING???)

My family owns Garnier and Sons Funeral Home, so I've spent my whole life on that corner of town. I don't think I would say there are NO GOOD parts of town. There are still I think. It's not a town I will live in anymore... but chances are good if she's on the train, she won;t get off it if it stops in Centralia.

But... when you go past the woods in Richview... you'll pass one house with a pond in the yard and a big garden. That's my mom's house. :) LOL

[surranndie.livejournal.com]

*points up* Pretty much what they said. I've done the long-distance train thing once - it was Orange County CA to central Oregon for Christmas, the estimation was 24 hours but was actually about 28 due to winter conditions. Trees on the tracks, snow, etc. This wouldn't be a problem for you, I imagine. But the freight train thing was annoying - they do have priority use of the tracks because Amtrak does not own the actually tracks, but rents them from the freight lines.

I did okay with lots of music and computer things to keep me occupied - the nice thing was that there was power outlets available, if you're willing to fight for them, usually in the dining areas with tables. *ponders* Overall, I'm glad I had the experience - it's something I can say I've done, plus you get a view of the route that you can't get by car. Like some really awesome graffiti art going through downtown L.A. That was cool. :)

Pack snacks, drinks, things to keep you going. There's munchies and such available but it can get expensive. That's all I got - In general, if you've never done it, I'd say go for it. Worth the experience.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the helpful info and tips! Snacks sound like an especially good idea. :-D

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

Huh.. on many of the trains I've been on.. there is an outlet strip along the window at every seat... so you aren;t fighting for the outlets. Just possibly reaching across the person sitting next to the window if you're on the aisle. generally, with me it's my friend, so I just ask her to plug it in LOL)

Might be it depends on the train cars you get. :)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

When I took the train from New Jersey to D.C. last year they had the outlet strips, but apparently those are the "Cadillac" trains. I'll have to see what they provide in the "Yugo" trains!

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

LOL! Maybe. :)

[b2creative.livejournal.com]

Trains are wonderful! Granted, I've only been on one for 12 hours at most, but it was still a very enjoyable experience. No rush, no one hour security lines and pat downs, no fuss over your luggage - just a much more civilized experience. Yes, it takes longer. But you aren't squeezed in like a sardine, and no one gives you the evil eye if you decide to get up and walk around a bit. The seats are actually quite comfortable, and do I even need to mention the BAR CAR? I read the entire time, because I couldn't do a darn thing about the dirty laundry, the crumbs on my dining room floor, or the dust on my shelves.

Don't worry about the E. Lansing train station - it's used primarily by MSU students and is in a decent area. I've never seen a scary person there.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

No rush, no one hour security lines and pat downs, no fuss over your luggage ... you aren't squeezed in like a sardine, and no one gives you the evil eye if you decide to get up and walk around a bit.

You've pretty much nailed the reasons I hate to fly, aside from the five-hour roundtrip to the airport and back. :-)

do I even need to mention the BAR CAR?

There's a BAR CAR???!!!! Dude...

[erinm-4600.livejournal.com]

do I even need to mention the BAR CAR?

This also got my attention. %]

[b2creative.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, an entire train car devoted to the leisurely consumption of alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages. A little pricey, but something you will never find on a Greyhound bus!

[chorale.livejournal.com]

I have only made the short trip to LA from San Diego a couple of times, but I found taking the train to be very enjoyable. There were areas with beautiful scenery along the coast in places, and areas that were less lovely but still interesting, like inside the train yards. It is a lot more comfortable than flying, and, like b2creative says, you don't have to go through the TSA stuff.

Snacks are expensive if you buy them on the train, and like surranndie says, it would be best if you brought your own.

Train stations seem safer to me than bus stations are. Just be streetwise, keep your hand on your purse and stay near others. You'll be all right.

(Hugs to you and TODS, and pats to the cats!)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a lovely train ride! I appreciate the input and advice. Hugs back to you & whswhs, and pettings to your dear beasties as well!

[erinm-4600.livejournal.com]

I have nothing entirely useful to contribute... but if you happen to be on the Thursday (5/26) morning train out of Chicago....

*icon*

;) ♥

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Actually I think the itinerary I was looing at does go through Chicago on Thursday! So you never know. I'll keep a good thought! ♥ ♥ ♥

[erinm-4600.livejournal.com]

[sidewinder.livejournal.com]

I've only done a long train trip once - Philly to Cleveland. Can confirm wholeheartedly that while the Northeast Corridor runs smoothly, as soon as you get away from that Amtrak goes all to hell with scheduling. Freight trains get priority on the rails so plan on nothing running on schedule.

Train travel is still MUCH more comfortable than bus, IMHO, especially when it comes to important issues like bathrooms and food availability! Not to mention seat size. I personally can never sleep on a train, bus or plane so any long distance thing like that is kind of hellish for me.

I hate flying too but I guess neither option is perfect. Train is cheaper and more comfortable but much, much longer in time, and being in transit over 24 hours - each way over a short period of time - could be pretty hellish.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

*nodnod* You make good points on both sides! I've taken a number of short-ish bus trips (two-three hours), and equivalent-length train trips were much more pleasant. It's the 24+ hour thing that concerns me. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[maubast.livejournal.com]

Greyhound is AWFUL. I will never ever ever take a Greyhound ever again. Will give details if you would like. But just so you know, it's FAR more crowded than a train. FAR far more crowded. *shudder*

Most of the trains nowadays do have outlets (multiple). I take them (trains, not outlets, sigh) quite often to visit jersey_lion.

Trains also have food! You can also carry food with you. Their website has a lot of good info on it, and I'm glad to answer anything I can for you.

(For MWC, I am taking the train from VA to NY where I'm meeting my friend to drive the rest of the way.)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing your Greyhound experience! And your experience with trains. If I have questions, I'll know who to ask! *hugs*

[maubast.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

I had to share this:

http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Zombieland-Lewis-Carroll/dp/1402256213/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301201625&sr=8-1&tag=dealswoot-20