So I can't believe it took me this long to discover domestic train travel. I always trains were slow and not really a good option for traveling. But here's what I realized - yeah trains are slow, sometime painfully slow, but they are a good alternative to driving and flying:
- can jump on and bring a couple bags and set of golf clubs with no problem
- No security check or baggage check
- if you use your phone as a modem like me, you can jump online, catch up on email, watch an episode of Lost, etc...
- the views are pretty awesome - postcard-type stuff
- seats have plently of legroom and you can also sit at a table
- there isn't this period of time on departure and arrival where you are locked down in your seat incapable of using anything electronic (for some reason I don't like that)
- train stations (at least for this seattle to portland trip) are right in the cities I'm departing from and going to - better location than the airport
- trains run late but not as late as planes it seems like
- The train took 4 hours total - 3:30 on train, 20 min getting to/from train station and 10min standing around
- A flight would have taken 4 hours - 1 hour to/from airport, 1 hour waiting at airport - checking in if you still do that sort of thing in person, security line, waiting to board, waiting in that line to get on the plane after they announce all remaining rows can now board, 1 hour of flying (40 minutes of which would be subject to those "stay in your seat/electronics moratorium" take off and landing rules and then 30 minutes of getting off the plane out of the airport
I'm guessing that there's some diminishing returns on trains if you use them for trips that would take more than "4 train hours"/"one flying hour" but if you're going from Seattle to Portland or maybe even Seattle to Vancouver (that'll be be my next test), I think the train is the way to go.
