Third Time a Charm? Another Review of the Amtrak USA Rail Pass

For the third time in the past four years, I’ve utilized an Amtrak USA Rail Pass. This pass grants a passenger the privilege of embarking on ten train journeys within a 30-day timeframe at an affordable price. Typically, the pass costs $499. However, during the past four Januarys, the pass was on sale. This year, it was briefly reduced to half-price at $250, likely in celebration of the United States Semiquincentennial. I promptly purchased one and meticulously booked segments weeks in advance to minimize the risk of being stranded. A limited number of seats are available for rail pass users.

My latest train pass was activated on February 7th in Tampa. From there, I embarked on a journey along the Floridian route to Richmond, Virginia. The conductor initially assigned me an aisle seat. Fortunately, the man occupying the window seat next to mine offered to switch seats. That made it easier for me to catch some sleep during the lengthy train ride. However, the train arrived in Richmond over two hours late. The train remained stationary on the track for approximately half an hour, just a short distance from the station. 

After three days of attending meetings at Calvary Campground in nearby Ashland, I departed Richmond once more for Texas. Given Amtrak’s limited route options, the quickest route to the Lone Star State was to take the Floridian route again to Chicago, and then transfer to the Texas Eagle route. During this latter journey, a young Muslim traveling to St. Louis sat next to me. This encounter presented an opportunity for witnessing. Subsequently, I continued my train ride to Austin, where I spent five days with friends.

The fourth segment of the pass was used to ride the Texas Eagle once more to Tucson, Arizona. There, I stayed with a couple who had also been part of Living Word Christian Center’s evangelism ministry. Initially, I had planned a four-night stay in Tucson, but I decided to extend it by three more days. One downside of the southeastern routes is they operate only three times a week.

My next trip was to San Antonio to stay a couple of days with a pastor friend of mine. I wasn’t aware until I was on my way that my friend had moved an hour away from the city. Because the San Antonio station closed shortly after my arrival, I waited a few hours at Denny’s until someone could give me a ride to his church. To avoid making a late night ride back to the train station, my friend bought me a hotel room. I ended up leading the desk clerk to the Lord. His name happened to be Jesús. From the Alamo City, I went to Houston to attend a four-day church convocation.

I had four segments left on my pass, but I only managed to use three of them. First, I took a Thruway Bus from Houston to Longview, Texas, as there are no passenger trains connecting those two cities. From there, I boarded the Texas Eagle train again and headed to Chicago. Finally, I returned to Washington, DC, on the Floridian train. I was fortunate enough to secure window seats once more, but the latter train was quite full, necessitating someone to sit in the aisle seat next to mine. Despite this inconvenience, I managed to get a limited amount of sleep.

Amtrak’s food prices are quite high. A small cup of coffee in the café car costs $3 each! To save money, I packed some snacks and MREs. I also got some food from “the Burrito Lady” in El Paso. Despite these efforts, I still desired to have breakfast in the dining car. On two of the trains, I was told that meals were reserved for passengers who paid for a sleeper car. However, on the final train to Washington, DC, an Amtrak employee said I had been misinformed. I finally got to sit down in the dining car after the sleeper passengers were served. I was disappointed to find that the breakfast quesadillas were no longer on the menu, so I opted for an omelet. The waitress made up for it by offering me two extra cups of coffee to go.

Most of the trains I traveled on this time were punctual, but the last one was delayed and arrived in Washington, DC, 1½ hours late. Although I have one segment left on my USA Rail Pass, I won’t be using it since it expires today. I’m staying at a friend’s house in Northern Virginia for a few days before heading to my next destination. Despite its limitations, the USA Rail Pass is an excellent way to experience America at a significantly reduced cost if you’re flexible and patient. It’s also wise to pray over your itinerary to ensure you’re always in the right place at the right time. 

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” - Proverbs 16:9