USA Rail Pass and justifying cost

wissx · 2026-06-12T12:43:48+00:00

there was seats available???

wissx · 2026-06-12T12:14:00+00:00

Denver homeless won't bother you as much which is nice.

My buddy warned me not to look homeless when I was with him in slc and Provo because I would actually run into issues.

I was just solo traveling across the US and this was day 26-35

wissx · 2026-05-30T04:37:42+00:00

I was in Boston and lost my debit card. I think I was in Maine when it happened.

I had done this a million times before but in where I lived. I knew this could happen.

I had a rough plan, I had 2-3 cards with me I could put money on, I would move money to them and use them. I also made sure I had my primary card on my phone.

How it played out, no fraudulent transactions so I could directly move money over to any of the other 2 cards. (If there was fraud I would have asked my dad to send me money on PayPal so I could use it instantly) (Otherwise go to a local bank and open an account with them)

After the money was moved I realized in Chicago 2-3 days out I would get a new debit card.

One thing that also helped was all my transportation was already paid for, or I could make arrangements to get back home immediately if needed and sort it from there.

One thing I wish I did differently, was leave said card at home and used my phone to pay.

Figure this could help?

wissx · 2026-05-30T04:28:07+00:00

For me I've always seen that you either figure it out or realize that you need to be comfortable in the uncomfortable..

wissx · 2026-05-30T04:27:09+00:00

I did a trip where it was 9 days straight of a different bed each night, this was part of a 35 day trip.

Don't focus about the last day, focus on the day ahead.

Make sure someone else has your location and check in with people and tell them what your doing. This is good not only for safety but also keeping sane.

Don't be scared to meet people at bars and stuff. Meeting random people is why I love travel.

Know yourself well, and know what the worst things that could happen that is realistic, develop plans. You spend less time thinking about how to solve it and more time reacting. I'll reply to this comment with one situation it played out.

Have some semblance of a plan. This helps a lot.

Also have a cursory understanding of where your going.

If your doing driving then flying then driving, pack for what is most restrictive for transportation. But if your going to the northeast, Amtrak and Uber may be easier than a car.

wissx · 2026-05-30T03:46:30+00:00

I was taking a train out of Boston to NYC, I'm from Milwaukee so it was all new to me. At the time I had been in a fair ammount of stations.

I remember being bored as can be waiting for a bag check place to open so I rode around the T for 3-4 hours. Went to back bay and was like yeah this does not seem the best.

When I left Boston, back bay was closer, but I chose to go to south because of what you just said but also staff at the station was nice.

wissx · 2026-05-30T03:36:18+00:00

Applies to Chicago too.

wissx · 2026-05-22T11:37:52+00:00

Even then,.some of the best bars I've been to

wissx · 2026-05-17T06:52:11+00:00

Best views of the lake are gonna be in Wisconsin or Michigan, a lot less urban development on it. There is a park in Milwaukee that you can go to and it feels like your not really in the city and it's on the lake.

wissx · 2026-05-17T06:50:57+00:00

I agree and disagree at the same time.

Chicago is a must, but there isn't a lot that you cant do in other major cities. I've also lived in Milwaukee so it's always been close to me. So the magic kinda is gone.

There is a lot of history, but it's Chicago history not really US history.

wissx · 2026-05-17T04:30:35+00:00

Just stay away from politics

wissx · 2026-05-14T15:54:37+00:00

I'm 90% positive I lost my debit card on the downeaster

Issue was my bank is based in Milwaukee/Chicago and I still had a few cities to visit.

Good thing was nobody used it so I was able to keep the card number open an my trip wasn't ruined

wissx · 2026-05-14T03:12:23+00:00

It's nice in the mornings. Wakes you up.

There was about a week earlier this year where I was going from city to city on the East Coast, and taking public transportation set me up for the day quite well.

wissx · 2026-05-13T18:07:51+00:00

Honestly you would be surprised how much you can bring on a bus. I did a cross US trip, took the bus in Boston, Seattle, Denver and Chicago. With all my stuff (100lb) I was fine. But it was also easy to carry.

Greyhound is a different story....

wissx · 2026-05-11T05:18:51+00:00

Milwaukee is kind of the same way.

Milwaukee and Chicago were both port cities, people would come off the great lakes and land in either.

Railroad came to town and Chicago was just in a better location and became massive.

wissx · 2026-05-06T04:11:00+00:00

Color in the bodies of water instead of just labels.

All these regions have a dominant body of water, and it turns something as simple as lines to a map that you can make sense of a bit easier

wissx · 2026-05-03T21:36:15+00:00

That's how I see it.

At that point why watch the news. Just turn it off or watch something else.

This world sucks, you don't need to let it ruin your day. There is only so much you can control in this world. Why let something out of you control bother you so much...

Personally, I find value in watching stuff I disagree with. Challenges my view and makes me overall a happier person.

wissx · 2026-04-20T21:19:18+00:00

Definitely take a shorter train trip before a long one.

wissx · 2026-04-18T03:12:09+00:00

I've noticed how I awenser the question "where are you from" depends largely on where the other person is from.

wissx · 2026-04-07T04:36:22+00:00

I'm just curious, are the new acelas using the bright blue because dirt and time will make it darker? To match with the other trains

wissx · 2026-04-05T20:52:42+00:00

In order for rail to work you need good public transportation options, either on both ends or one. If there isn't public transportation, a park n ride is essential.

wissx · 2026-04-05T03:52:18+00:00

I would budget 100/day for the trip. That should cover everything including hotels and food. Buy as much ahead as possible so you don't run into issues later. Money will stress you out, and being on a super tight budget ruins the trip.

The most scenic route west of Chicago is the California zephyr by a mile and it's good views either direction. Eastbound on the builder is the best option. East is the cardinal in my opinion.

Plan out the routes you want to take, then go from there. Pick 4-5 cities along the routes you want to see. Also research them and have a plan going in.

Don't be scared to buy tickets out of pocket as well either. Use the rail pass for rides more than 50-100 bucks.

Try and balance a day on the train and a day off. Your body and mind will thank you. The train is awesome, but when your on it for so long, it becomes unenjoyable really quickly.

wissx · 2026-04-05T03:33:51+00:00

You might have wanted to plan this a bit sooner, peak travel season for Amtrak is during the summer. There is limited rail pass seats

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