By Dr. David Eifrig in Retirement Millionaire:
If you’re starting to make summer travel plans - skip the airlines. It’s getting more and more expensive to fly now that you need to pay for each bag, drinks, and even those tiny bags of peanuts. If you want a luxurious way to travel without all the hassle of fees, take Amtrak.
I took a train up to New York City for a conference on health care investing last week. These trips always remind me what a gem Amtrak is. Sure, the trains aren't as efficient and timely as Europe's passenger railroads. But the old-school service and the tenure of some of the workers provide comfort and hominess unparalleled in other modes of travel in the U.S.
I've been riding the rails for more than 30 years (I've even hopped a few freight trains, but that's another story). As much as I love the quick trips between D.C., Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and Boston, the long trips out west have won my heart. It turns out many of the old veterans work on the longer, Western segments. I know some who have worked for more than 25 years on Amtrak and those routes are home. They're the nicest people you'll ever meet.
A couple years ago, a friend and I purchased a roomette - a two-seat room with beds that drop down - for the trip from Chicago to the base of a ski resort in Winter Park, Colorado. Each car is assigned a steward. On that ski trip, our steward, a guy named Joe, surprised us one night with hot chocolate and cookies. The next morning, he brought a paper and coffee just as we woke up - perfect timing. He even took our breakfast order so our food was waiting when we got to the dining car. The service reminded me of other fine dining and hotel establishments, yet it was on the train.
This summer, I'll be testing an idea for Retirement Millionaire readers. I plan to ride the train using a couple of great deals on Amtrak. For example, I plan to ride on Amtrak using its $389 15-day pass. It allows you to travel on up to eight "segments" (defined by their named lines, not by distance). For example, one of my favorite segments, called the Empire Builder, goes from Chicago to Seattle (yep, right across the Rocky Mountains). I'm also a big fan of the Adirondack, which goes from Washington to Montreal.
Once I make my way out West, I'm also going to try the California pass that costs only $159. This pass gives you seven travel days during a 21-day window (the clock starts ticking with your first trip) anywhere in California. You can find these deals on the
Amtrak website under "Deals." I'll let you know how it works out.
Those of you who have, like me, traveled on some of the wonderful European trains, probably think I'm high on drugs praising Amtrak. Trust me when I say I've had many great experiences in the U.S. in the past few years, and I'm looking forward to more this summer.
Crux note: Each month in Retirement Millionaire, Doc Eifrig shows you how to live a rich retirement-no matter how much money you have in the bank right now. Readers get the world's best insights on saving money... staying healthy... food and wine... travel... entertainment... and the absolute safest investments for retirees. Click
here to learn more...
More from Dr. Eifrig:
"AARP is one big lie"
Stop flying these airlines today
Your life savings are under attack
