Amtrak VS Marriott

[skidmark22]

I seem to have a big problem with Amtrak pricing. Why does this cost $400+ per night.

And this only cost me less than $100.00 per night (with military discount)?

My wife and I can drive me car round trip from central Virginia to Denver Colorado for around $600.00. That is allowing $240 for gas (24mpg at $1.75/gal.) $160 for food and $200 for 2 nights in a hotel (that includes breakfast). If I leave on Monday morning, I will arrive in Denver on Tuesday afternoon or early evening.

It I go by Amtrak, I leave DC on Monday evening and arrive in Denver on Wed. morning. The ticket with sleeper (round trip also) would cost me $2400+ plus when I get there, I will have to rent a car to get around. I think Amtrak is VERY expensive way to travel. I guess if you commute from Philly to New York every day, it might be okay but just to travel on vacation, I can't see how anyone can justify the cost.

One more thing. A 5 day cruise out of Tampa to the western caribbean on Carnival for 2 (with a suite) only cost $1600 plus tips. If I get an interior cabin, I can take 3 cruises for what that one amtrak ticket cost.

 

[aardvark1]

I seem to have a big problem with Amtrak pricing. Why does this cost $400+ per night.and I can drive me car round trip from central Virginia to Denver Colorado for around $600.00. That is allowing $240 for gas (24mpg at $1.75/gal.) $160 for food and $200 for 2 nights in a hotel (that includes breakfast). If I leave on Monday morning, I will arrive in Denver on Tuesday afternoon or early evening.

.

Not sure where you will get gas at $1.75/gal.

AAA price chart below:

http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/

Have fun,

 

[Gandalf0444]

You have to think about the size proportions here. The reason pricing for rooms on a cruise ship is less, is because there are a lot more rooms which allow for overall lower pricing. Same goes for hotels, more rooms.

A train however has very limited space and room, there are only so many sleepers on a train, driving up the price. Kinda an obvious reason in my opinion as to why the price is so high.

 

[skidmark22]

Yea, I screwed up and used a 1 instead of a 2 in the gas price. Sorry about that. Still the prices are FAR apart.

As far as the ship and the motel being bigger, you are absolutely correct but I will bet you one thing, the cost to build each unit per the square foot is about the same. NS and CSX both advertise on TV about how cheap it is to move cargo per mile by train. Either they don't share their secrets with Amtrak or that doesn't apply to warm bodies. I guess if I ever do have to go to Denver by train, I will have to spend 2 nights with my tail in a coach seat. (one way)

 

[GS41995]

It also has to deal with how busy the trains going to be. If I were to book a train in October for a trip the weekend before Thanksgiving then the price will be lower. Though if I make my reservation a week in advance of my trip then I will be paying a higher fare because of extra accomdantions on the train they have to provide. Since theticket was more last minute!
In summary it has to do with how busy the train will be and how far in advance you make your reservations!

 

[transitguard]

well, the difference between freight and passengers is that the passengers need more room than they actually physically occupy. If we did away with seats and just wedged everyone in as tight as possible...It might be cheaper.

Out of curiosity, how does that compare to a airline ticket?

 

[skidmark22]

The cost of an airline ticket and the cost of a coach ticket to denver are comparible if you don't include the sleeper. Amtrak makes the sleeper almost a necessity because they only go between Washington, Chicago, and Denver at night. All night from DC to Chicago then all night again between Chicago and Denver. In the daytime, I could stand to spend 12 to 14 hours in a coach seat but at night with nothing buy black outside the windows, that for me would be tough.

 

[gfisher]

The cost of driving is going to be $0.40 to $0.50 a mile if you include all the costs associated with driving..maintainance, insurance, depreciation, etc. Since it is a 3400 mile round trip, the cost of the trip including four nights in motels at $100 ea coming and going would be about $1,760.00. If you look at Amtrak a little more closely it told me that round trip for 2 people using superliner roomettes was $1,486.00. That doesn't sound quite so bad, although you still will have car rental if you take the train.

 

[skidmark22]

I don't know how you got $1486. I checked their website and it gave me a price of $2400+ for 2 people round trip.

 

[gfisher]

That's where I got it...their website.

 

[TRAINMAN206]

AMTRAK SLEEPER PRICE

hi skidmark

i had a blast when going cross country by train in coach.you would be very suprised how fast the time goes.i have made many of friends staying in coach.and honestly suprisingly-i heard more people who were in sleepers
complain of the space and wish they had booked in coach,when i was on the california zephyr.go figure!!!!you also need to remember,that the price that they (amtrak)state to you is the accomadation fee and the price for the room.the accomodation fee being the attendant service to your room and the meal service in the dining car.just think that most hotels do not include the meals in with there service.lol.hope this helps you out.

 

[chunkpowers]

you should book as far ahead as possible.if you go coach you can always ask the conductor if there any rooms available say if someone cancels or a no show. i have done it it would have cost me $400 and change for a roomette from greenville sc to ny but i waited till i got on the train and got it for like $130 bucks so sometimes it is worth the wait but there is no guarantee it's a risk