Amtrak Furs
I am braving a 43 hour 45 minute trip to get to Anthrocon this year and I was wondering if there are any other furs who are traveling on Amtrak.
I haven't made a final decision but I am considering taking Amtrak. I'd be on the 9+ hour overnight trip from Chicago. And yes, part of the fun may be in finding out who else on that train ride is a furry en route to Anthrocon.
Thank you for the reminder. I need to contact Amtrak to see if they'd like to give us a group discount again this year.
Yeah, the discounts! I remember Amtrak had that discount deal for those riding to AC by train. If I can go to AC this year, I'll focus on going Amtrak this time whether or not we can get these discounts. I thought it'd be better than by bus.
Amtrak is definitely better than a bus. If you're taking an overnight train, I would highly suggest you bring your own pillow because sleep would be pretty much impossible with the pillows they provide in coach class.
Here's a $248 (one-way) Amtrak trip from Santa Ana CA to Pittsburgh:
583 Pacific Surfliner
Departs: 4:50 PM
Mon Jun 11 2012
Santa Ana, CA (SNA)
Arrives: 5:45 PM
Mon Jun 11 2012
Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX)
Duration: 0 hr, 55 min
4 Southwest Chief
Departs: 6:15 PM
Mon Jun 11 2012
Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX)
Arrives: 3:15 PM
Wed Jun 13 2012
Chicago, IL - Union Station (CHI)
Duration: 43 hr, 0 min
30 Capitol Limited
Departs: 6:10 PM
Wed Jun 13 2012
Chicago, IL - Union Station (CHI)
Arrives: 4:35 AM
Thu Jun 14 2012
Pittsburgh, PA (PGH)
Duration: 9 hr, 25 min
Over 53 hours on the train, with a half-hour wait in LA and a three hour wait in Chicago. 56, 57 hours if there's no delays anywhere. Still pretty close to two-and-a-half days...
Sigh I loved takeing the Amtrak train. If only it wasint too damn pricey to take a "joy ride" on one.
I'll be taking Amtrak! I'm coming from NYC and the trip is just LOVELY! I can't wait! We need to commandeer a car and make it a fur train. LOL! No, seriously, though, I'll be on the train coming to Pittsburgh on Thursday evening!
YES! We must take over a car like an Amish group of people did when I went to FC.
I have received the 10% discount code to use when booking your rail travel! Please see the (now updated) rail travel page. The code only works if you make your reservation by phone, so start dialing!
I /love/ taking the train. The scenery is usually amazing and you have tons more room than on a plane/bus. I personally would probably find a 43 hour train ride pretty enjoyable. I don't live along a train line that goes to Pittsburgh, so I'm stuck on the bus this time.
For those of you looking to take over an Amtrak train, remember the following:
A) Others will have to be on the same LINE as you. Riders on the Capitol Limited can't join up with riders on the Pennsylvanian since the trains only meet up in Pittsburgh.
B) Others will have to be on the same DIRECTION as you. Riders taking the Capitol Limited FROM Chicago TOWARDS Washington DC will meet at Pittsburgh the riders taking the Capitol Limited TOWARDS Chicago FROM Washington DC.
C) Others will have to be on the same DAY as you. Wednesday night riders won't be able to ride with Thursday night riders, and Sunday afternoon'ers won't ride with Monday morning'ers.
D) If you ride the Pennsylvanian, you will not know which is the "front" or "first" car. I shall explain.
NYC law states you can't drive a diesel engine in NYC. So, the locomotive of the Pennsylvanian leaving NYC is a clean, electrical one. At Philadelphia, there's a "layover." The train temporarily loses power (lights, A/C) and then regains them, while sitting for maybe 15 minutes. That's because the electrical engine is uncoupled and the diesel is coupled. When that's done, full power resumes. To make this efficiant, the engines are attached to OPPOSITE SIDES of the train. When it leaves NYC, the train is going BACKWARDS and the BACK of the train is pulling. Seats face backwards. When the train leaves Philadelphia, it is pulled FORWARD and the train transfers tracks so it can turn around and go forwards while going west.
All that means that there's two "fronts" two "first cars", two "backs" and two "back cars". You will need to figure out WHICH one you want and how to specify it to each other.
("The car where all the seats face towards," "The car where the seats face the back of all the others,")
For the Pennsylvanian, how about if the people boarding in NYC pick the furry car, and put a few pawprint placards in the windows on both sides of the car? Then folks boarding later would look for those.
For the Pennsylvanian, it won't be the riders picking the car so much as the crew--and this car will be all/mostly folks headed to Pittsburgh, Anthrocon-bound or not.
---PCJ
my sister and I will be taking the train from NYC around 10 in the morning wensday. Ill wear my cat tail so anyone can come say hi xD
I'm on the California Zephyr from Salt Lake to Chicago, switch to the Capitol Limited and then head to Pittsburgh.
In some ways I wouldn't mind taking the train but I'm so used to flying out to PIT, then renting a car and spending a wk or so
between the Con, other Pitt. stuff, and a side trip to Akron OH to visit friends. I suppose some yr I could take Amtrak then rent a
car from a downtown location rather than at PIT airport (and for those of you who ARE flying and not renting a car, there is a bus
from the airport to downtown etc.)
A couple yrs back I went to San Francisco and saw the area with a friend of mine from southern Cal. who met me there, and we
took public transit everywhere (bus, train, light rail). At one point I think we did Amtrak from Hayward to San Jose, etc., not bad.
Isn't the Amtrak station nr that Greyhound sta./parking garage, etc.? Don't we hear or feel the trains passing by during panels?
IIRC, the Greyhound and Amtrak stations in Pittsburgh are next to each other.
As I'm writing this post, I'm actually riding an Amtrak train from Portland, Maine to Boston's North Station. I'm doing this as an experiment (and also to see if the Maine Red Claws basketball team's box office was open). I actually like it so far. I was even surprised to see that they sell liquor at the cafe on the train, something Greyhound wouldn't even allow on their buses! Plus, now that the discount deal is available (Thanks, Kage!), I am definitely doing Amtrak as my first choice of travel if I can go this year! 
Greyhound station is across the street from the office tower directly behind the Westin. The Amtrak station is across the street from that, diagonally from the rear entrance to the Westin's 'food court'.
I don't recall hearing trains from any of the panel rooms, although you can hear them (faintly, as in "if you're listening for them") screeching through the curve from east-facing rooms in the Westin, and from street level. From the eastern end of the DLCC they're close enough that the crews of eastbound freights can see you wave at them as they come across the bridge
---PCJ
(edit: corrected typo)
By the way for those flying, Southwest is eliminating some routes including Boston-Philadelphia, Manchester NH to Philadelphia,
and Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. In the past I've flown SW from Manchester to Pitt. with a stopover in Philly (or sometimes Baltimore).
NOW I can hope that I could fly SW from Bos. or Manchester to _Baltimore_ and then grab a connecting flight to Pitt from Balt.
Otherwise I may have to pay TWICE AS MUCH by going US Air. (Other flying options may include flying to Akron or Cle. and
driving a rental from there...and other transit options could include Megabus, or Amtrak)
Now, I don't know if they are offering nonstops from Bos. or NH to Pittsburgh (if they do they may be at inconvenient times)
but anything routed through Philly (see above), nope!
http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-07/business/31030353_1_chris-mainz-jetblue-airways-flights
>>
Round-trip airfare between Boston and Philadelphia is doubling as Southwest Airlines discontinues the route this week and once again leaves US Airways as the only carrier flying nonstop between the two cities
The lowest regular round-trip nonstop fare will jump to $520 from about $260, according to airline websites. Southwest will discontinue the Boston to Philadelphia route as of Saturday. Southwest has dropped five routes out of Philadelphia this year, including Manchester, Providence, Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville.
(Or I could drive my own car but it takes longer and puts a lot of miles on it!)
I just did a fare-search for Boston, MA to Pittsburgh, PA for AC. For direct flights, round-trip.
Fares begin for JetBlue at $118.60, and fares begin for 145.60 for USAir.
That was leaving Boston Wed and leaving Pittsburgh Sun.
If leaving Boston Thu and leaving Pittsburgh Mon,
Fares begin for JetBlue at 127.60 and 140.60, and begin at 151.40 for USAir,
but with 1 stop in Philly.
What website are you checking? It seems determined to hose you on prices.
I wasn't talking about Bos-Pit., I was talking about how SW is getting rid of the route to Phil. and from Phil-Pit. and how it could
affect me (Bos or NH to Pit by way of Phil., which now won't happen). If there's a non stop to Pit. or a Bos or NH to Pit by way of
Balt., great, and it could be affordable, yes. I haven't checked the actual sites yet.
Planning to make Anthrocon for the first time this year. Never been on Amtrak before, but checking things out. Cheapest round trip flights at the moment $285, plus add in baggage fees both ways....Amtrak on the other hand, with the discount, $110 and free bags. Looks like Amtrak just became my new best friend. Cheaper then driving actually.
Long as plans don't change before the time comes to book everything. I'll be taking the 30 Capital Limited, boarding in South Bend, Indiana Tuesday night (12th). Bringing the 29 Capital Limited back, most likely Sunday night since the train doesn't leave Pittsburgh till midnight.
Only downside to taking the train, getting into Pittsburgh Wednesday morning around 4:30AM...can't imagine theres much to do at that hour.
-----
i belive the westin has a lounge area in the lobby. you might be able to grab a bite while you wait
As I think about taking Amtrak to Anthrocon, I'm a little concerned about what I'll call the 5am arrival dilemma.
So I arrive from the west on the Capitol Limited early Friday morning, with a scheduled arrival time of 4:35am, probably with a gaggle of other furries. You figure by the time we collect luggage and make the short hike to the convention center, it's 5:00-5:30am. I've probably gotten some sleep on the train but not enough to qualify as a full night's sleep, and I've got all of my luggage in tow. What do I do?
It's Friday morning and the sun is rising. Do I put my stuff in my hotel room and sleep some more? This may or may not be an option. If none of the occupants of the room I'm planning to stay in arrive until Friday, I won't have a room until that afternoon. But if others I'll be rooming with have spent Thursday night there, would they count me as being there Thursday night for the purpose of splitting room share costs if I drop my luggage and crash out there for a couple of hours early Friday morning?
If I don't have a room to put my stuff or myself in, then what? Registration doesn't open for a few hours. It may be an hour or two before restaurants open. Since I haven't had a full night's sleep I may inadverdently fall asleep anyplace I sit down for more than a couple of minutes. Public places like the convention hotels probably frown on people sleeping in public places, and my stuff could be at risk of theft.
What other options do attendees in this situation have? How have people typically handled this in the past?
It's Friday morning and the sun is rising. Do I put my stuff in my hotel room and sleep some more? This may or may not be an option. If none of the occupants of the room I'm planning to stay in arrive until Friday, I won't have a room until that afternoon. But if others I'll be rooming with have spent Thursday night there, would they count me as being there Thursday night for the purpose of splitting room share costs if I drop my luggage and crash out there for a couple of hours early Friday morning? If I don't have a room to put my stuff or myself in, then what?
Registration doesn't open for a few hours. It may be an hour or two before restaurants open. Since I haven't had a full night's sleep I may inadverdently fall asleep anyplace I sit down for more than a couple of minutes. Public places like the convention hotels probably frown on people sleeping in public places, and my stuff could be at risk of theft.
So, either your room is covered all Thursday- and you've paid something for Thursday night and arrive early Friday to nap, shower, change and let your bags stay in the room, or you don't. If you don't, then by Fridsy morning, the Zoo is probably open, and ConOps may need some help right then. Show up, explain your situation, ask if they need anything. They will probably use a hand until later when you can have breakfast. Meanwhile, you've already gone to the Front Desk, shown your name and reservation ID, and had your bags stored until you can get into a room. Check-in is generally around 3pm, they may be able to do something sooner-but don't count on that, it's a courtesy and supply is EXTREMELY limited during AC. So, that's keeping your stuff safe and keeping yourself safe, either way. Again, planning is vital. It's better to ask now rather than Friday morning. XD
here's what I've done in past years... and what I plan on doing for the Planning meeting in a couple of weeks.
1) Get as much sleep on the train as possable. (I do that by having a first class compartment, something I recomend greatly if your budget allows)
2) Amtrak's scheduled time of arrival is 4:35 am. While it's possable, I personaly have NEVER had an "on time" arrival at PGH on the Cap. Limited. eastbound. Figure closer to 5:30-6:00 am on average. If your roomates are checked in the night before, I'd simply have them call you when they check in with the room number, or to leave a message with the desk that they expect an early morning arrival with you full legal name and instructions to give you a key.
3) In the event that your roomates are not checked in, leave your bags with the bell desk and tell them you are a guest of the hotel and will be checking in later that afternoon. This is standard practice in hotels and I've done it myself at the Westin. TIP THE BELLMAN. While the service is free to hotel guests, the person providing the service is of course, human. I usualy tip $5 when I arrive for a pair of suitcases and a carry-on (More if I have more cases and/or oversize parcels)
4) Free of my Baggage and carryons at 6am on a weekday morning, I'd go to breakfast. By that time most if not all of the local resturants will be open catering to the downtown crowd. Take your time and enjoy a bite to eat.
5) After that about 6:30-7 am depends on what I feel like doing. In past years I've chosen to go out to the mall at South Hills Village. Easy to get to and a good time killer. Go to the Wood Street Subway station and board any Red or Blue Line train that reads "South Hills Village". Ride it to the end of the line and pay the fare when you disembark at the station. (I think it's $3.25 now, exact change required) go hang out, do some window shopping or pick up a few of the small things we always seem to forget when packing. (I personaly don't bother packing shap, shampoo, a toothbrush etc when traveling because I'll buy them out there and bring them back with me whan I come home.) While a bit early for any serious shopping, between the ride out and back, plus the time at the mall should take you till about 11am 12 noon. On returing, any train at South Hills Village will take you back to Wood Street.
6) OR..... (My Personal choice. heh, heh, heh,) Go to the Wood Street Station and take the Subway to the Allegheny Station on the North Shore. (This may or may not within the transit "Free Zone" so you may have to pay a fare on exiting, as of this writting there doesn't seem to be an agreement on it yet.) Proceed two blocks from the tip of your nose and have fun in the brand new Rivers Casino. (Provided you are of course 21 and have the ID to prove it.)
Arrive back at the hotel at about 11am and inquire politely about the possability of checking in. I normaly introduce myself with, "Hi, I'm ________ and I just arrived off the Amtrak from Chicago. Is it possable to check in now, and if not what time might it be possable?" This is assuming that the Reservation is in your name of course. Two things, if you arn't a Starwood rewards member, BECOME one a couple of months before the Convention so when you aproach the desk to inquire you pass over both your credit card and your Starwood card. Two: By giving the desk agent a chance at more then a yes or no answer you imply that you know how the system works and that if there in fact is nothing the clerk can do at the moment, you understand. He or she may not be able to get you into the room at the moment but may still be able to get you in eariler the the standard time. I've been told to return to the desk in 1/2 an hour to be given keys hours before the masses. ABOVE ALL, be polite even if the only thing they can tell you is to return at 3pm (Standard check in time)
While the Arrival and Departure times from PGH are a bit of a pain with some planning the time can be comfortable and quite fun.
I forgot to mention something. I got away with suiting on Amtrak (tweet some in suit pics to them, they will love it). That pretty much sealed the deal about me using Amtrak to get to cons.
Booked tickets tonight, and a word of advise to those calling in. The automated system would not accept a convention fare code as an option, and it was just overall giving me a run around for 20 minutes, wrong train, wrong dates, etc etc. Save yourself the trouble when you call the 800 number and just say AGENT, will ask you to confirm the option, YES, might be put on hold for a few minutes, but you will get a real human being and the booking process is SO much easier.
Now that the booking headache is over with. I'll be boarding the 30 Capital Limited Tuesday evening June 12th in South Bend, IN and arriving in Pittsburgh at the unholy hour of 4:30AM Wednesday morning...providing the train is on time, which I doubt. Returning on the 29 Capital Limited Monday June 18th at midnight, getting back to Indiana Tuesday morning.
Excited, found a hotel room, travel booked, now just have to wait till Friday's paycheck and actually register for the con itself...and should probably figure out a ride to and from the Amtrak station, unlike the airport, no long term parking...or at least not a lot I would be comfortable leaving my truck at for a week.
Anyone on the same train Tuesday just look for a guy boarding in South Bend whos a bit tired, toting a laptop bag and a fursuit head haha. Probably sleep for at least part of the ride, have to work most of the day...arg.
Well, that's kinda why we put this statement on our Rail Travel page:
(Convention fares cannot be booked via the Internet. Please be sure to refer to Convention Fare Code X53J-944 when making your reservation.
And THAT's why I recommend EVERYONE read through the entire website once a year, and new people to read it TWICE.
(I read it more than twice when I was new.)
If you're staying in the Westin or Courtyard, you will have a shorter walk to the hotel than you would
to get any taxi. Really. If you're staying in one of the others and have a competent map, you should
be able to manage the walk, but if you'd rather get a taxi, you can probably call for one in the
Amtrak station or something. (It has staff 24 hours so they can probably point you to something if you
ask very nicely- even though it's not the job of the ticket sellers to point you to a taxi.)
Actually I think he's referring to a ride to the Amtrak station in IN where he's departing from
(I had to read his post twice before I figured that out too )
The Pittsburgh Amtrak/Greyhound station is right next to the Westin,
and the Courtyard's only another block away...
I had read the rail page here, however did not see anything about the automated booking system VS human agent when calling. "Julie" the automated agent just didn't like me at all right from the start, had enough trouble before getting to the discount part. Even calling it a "Convention Fare Code" just said invalid and returned to AAA Member or Student as the only 2 options. Took a couple rounds with the help option before I found out you could get a human. Maybe others had better luck.
And Ron is correct, refering to a ride to/from the local station as being on the "to do" list, its about 70 miles away, they offer long term parking but its unattended/not in a good location and would really like my stereo etc to still be installed when I get back :P Had a friend lined up but now he will be in Germany on military orders so have to find another ride. All else fails just brave parking at the station, have good insurance haha. I'm staying at the Westin so no worries about getting to and from the hotel. Was a bit tired when I typed that.
Are you reading a different rail page than I am? The sentence I quoted is taken directly from the same page where the convention fare is mentioned. In fact, the very first sentence of the paragraph where we give out the convention fare code says "Convention fares cannot be booked via the internet,"
Was not trying to book via the internet. I'm refering to the automated system you first get when you call Amtrak's 1-800 number.
I bought my tickets last weekend and simply said "Agent" when first given a chance to speak. 'Julie' verified that I wanted that choice, and connected my call. One does not need to navigate to or wait for a choice to request an agent, you can ask for one at the first opportunity to "talk to the machine".
---PCJ
It appears to be a programming problem. The 'Discount Codes' that are programmed in apparently do not include convention codes like Anthrocon's. The voice response system (AKA "Julia") gets tied up in internal logical knots. As stated, simply asking for "Agent" at the first opportunity is your best choice.
Believe me, there will be plenty, though not many choose to use amtrak if the trip is more than a single day's travel.
Having taken the train many times from philadelphia, i've found that part of the fun is looking up and down the train cars (and the line waiting to get on the train and playing "Who's a furry". We can be easy to spot, so it doesn't take me long to divide the whole group into probable furs, probable nonfurs, and inconclusives.