Pullman luxury from the 40s. I've taken a 40 hour-plus cross-country trip on Amtrak and the experience can be a harrowing one when you're travelling coach. I'm willing to wager that it's still better than an equivalent air trip, though. That is unless you really get into surly cabin staff, delays, lack of leg room, having your luggage lost, and being charged for breathable air.
A Pullman car is something different, though. It's like having a rolling economy hotel for the duration of your trip. Consider the cheapest room aboard an Amtrak train runs (as of today) about $350 one way. With the base-level room you get:
- Meals
- Picture window
- Two reclining seats which convert to a bed; upper berth which folds down from wall
- Restrooms, showers nearby in same train car
- Electrical outlets
- Climate control
- Individual reading lights
- Garment rack
- Fold-down table
- Fresh towels and bed linens
- Soap and shower amenities
- Personal service (turn-down, coffee, paper, make-up bed)
- Bottled water
- Daily newspaper
I've stayed in hotels that didn't offer as much.
So, right now you're probably asking, "Who has 40 hours to get to their destination?". The proverbial moose on the table is time, we've become a society that values instant over almost everything else. I concede that train travel to the coast for the weekend isn't viable unless you live, well, on the coast. I submit that as a society we might do well to reacquaint ourselves with time and distance. America is huge, five time zones (counting Hawaii and Alaska) of diversity and difference. Train travel gives you a real appreciation of just how big the US is and, maybe, an illustration of how different we all are.
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