Re: [at-l] Re: Amtrak

[DataBook97@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/30/99 3:00:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
skyline@shentel.net writes:

<<  I suspect that the cost of a sleeper car is not that much more expensive 
than a plane ticket, and certainly cheaper than driving and staying in motels 
along the way. Sharing a sleeper berth get the cost down further.
 
 [Reply:]  The extra cost of a sleeping accommodation on Amtrak is close to 
that of a luxury hotel.  Sad but true.  Didn't used to be that way.  A 
supply-and-demand thing.  And sleepers are often sold out months in advance. 
>>

    Unfortunately, the latter statement regarding the cost of sleepers is 
pretty much true.  And it is also true that it wasn't always that way.  
Nowadays, you should be prepared to pay at least $200 for a night in a 
sleeper.  Although you can share the room, that applies only if you have 
someone else traveling with you. Amtrak does not assign strangers to share 
rooms with you, and given the small size of the rooms, you wouldn't want to 
share a room with a complete stranger.  

    Up till about five years ago, Amtrak operated a cheaper alternative, 
called a Slumbercoach.  Those rooms sold for only about $70 a night, and were 
quite adequate.  But these cars have been retired and their replacements, 
while very comfortable and even luxurious, are priced at a much higher level.

    That having been said, sleepers are a lot of fun to travel in, and if you 
can afford the prices, I highly recommend them. Whether it is cheaper or more 
expensive than traveling by air depends on how much you are paying for your 
plane ticket.  If you have to pay full fare coach, then the train would 
probably be cheaper, even with a sleeper.  But if you get a bargain rate 
(and, remember, Atlanta is a hub for the low-cost AirTran Airlines), the 
plane will be significantly cheaper than traveling by sleeper on a train.

        Daniel Chazin
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