Amtrak - Texas Eagle to Chicago - Joliet

Hi K.,
I flew from DFW to Columbus last February when my aunt passed away. American gave me and my husband a great price with the bereavement fare. When I looked online at tickets, they were 700 each, but when I called and talked to them, we both went for 500 total (so 250 each). They were AWESOME, not just with price, but very compassionate, did everything they could, got us on whatever flight we wanted. We just had to call them the day before the flight left to let them know we'd be on it. They were amazing, can't say enough good things about American.
J.

I hear its really not bad at all. Train is the only way my father-in-law likes to travel and he takes the Texas Eagle to come see us. The train can be late sometimes though I think they have been more on time lately. I'm sure you will end up with an entertaining story or two but it is safe from everything I have heard.

My mother took this trip this spring just to see what it was like to travel by train. She got on the train in Mineral Wells I think but by driving out to east Texas her fair was a little bit cheaper. She loved it, although she did say that it tended to run a little behind because of having to give way to the freight lines. She had a roomette and said that it was not that comfortable and that she probably could have slept in the just as well. Other than that she was very happy with the experience and was glad that she was able to meet all types of people and chat with them for a while. There is no smoking on the train, or my mother would have never gotten on it. She lost her husband to lung cancer four years ago and is very adamant about not being in public places that allow smoking. I say go for it and talk to Amtrak about the fares and why you are traveling up there, they may be able to help you out. Hope this helps and may God Bless you and your family in this time of need.

22 hours is a long ride on a train. I took my first AmTrack in June from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City. The ride was only 3 1/2 hours long and it went by pretty fast. I traveled coach and there was no smoking. There was a mix of different classes of people -- everyone from retired couples to young teenagers, military guys, moms and kids, etc. The seating was very roomy, not at all like an airplane. You can bring your own food. The one thing that gave me pause was how friendly everyone was. People trying to make small talk and entire groups forming in sections where people yammered on and on. Definately take an Ipod. But other than that the ride was fine. I will do it again.

Hey K.,
We recently went through the same thing with my mother in law who lived in North Dakota. Northwest offered a very good family emergency fare for us (basically 1/3 price tickets). So if Northwest flies to Chicago, you should check with them. Hope this helps you out. Take care.
A.

i worked for american for 8 years and never quite figured out how they calculated the bereavement fare! in some markets its good, in others its like whats the point.

wish i could give some insight on the train but i have never had that experience..

K.,
My family has taken the train between Dallas and Chicago many times. There is no smoking in the coach car nor in the sleepers. We always get a sleeper which makes the trip much easier since you have a quiet and private compartment as well as a bed. If you can afford the sleeper I think it is worth it especially if you want quiet (meals are included n the price of the sleeper and you have the option of eating in your sleeper for privacy). If you cannot afford a sleeper or one is not available (a roomette would be all one person would need), the coach cars are not really full of people drinking and having a party. It simply gets a little messy with all the items people take out to make it through the night.

The trip is long, but it goes by fairly quickly if you think about it in segments. Once you get on in Dallas you relax for a few hours, spend time in the observation car reading a book (it is quiet there as well), have dinner and go to sleep. Once you wake up, you'll have only a few hours until you are in Chicago and you can spend that time reading at your seat or in the observation car. As long as you have a good book I don't think the trip is bad at all.

People on the train include those who simply love trains, those who don't like to fly (us), people with young kids who want the kids to be able to walk around on the trip (used to be us), and those saving money. We have never had any bad experiences with the people. The trains can run behind schedule since the tracks are not owned by Amtrak and they have to give right of way to freight trains, but generally you arrive within an hour or so of the scheduled time. I wouldn't call the travel luxurious but it is pleasant and the amenities on the train are comparable to a plane, you just spend a bit more time there.

Hope this helps. You might try Southwest Airlines since I believe they fly into Chicago Midway but I'm not 100% sure of that.

My family is in Lombard so I have been making the drive myself often straight-through for the last 16 years on a regular basis. My brother made the trip around 20 years ago by train but of course, his reason was wanting to party on the train, lol. If you want to find out about that particular run I would go down to the Amtrak terminal and talk to porters and other people you would not encounter on the phone that will tell you the truth.

Also, if you are doing this with kids I would suggest shopping around for better air fare. All airlines have bereavement fares with the exception of possibly Southwest because they don't do discounts, however, I know they are compassionate employers so even they may have discounts in the case of bereavement. If you fly odd hours, like 3-4 a.m. flights are cheaper and connecting flights usually also are cheaper and while all of the above would be a pain, it would beat the time for the drive or train.

Twenty-two hours is a long time to be trapped on a train with two active little girls. I feel for you in a big way. My father had open heart surgery 9 years ago, things were dicey but he recovered only to be killed in a car wreck 9 months later. We found out after making the drive that wealthy friends would have put us on a plane :)

Look at Southwest Airlines. I saw some fares between Dallas and Chicago for as low as $258 round trip.

Yes, I've taken the train several times. Recently in July. The trip is a minimum 22 hours. Ours going up was 26 and coming back 30. The most comfy way is to take a bedroom car cause it is more comfort and food is included. As for coach there is no smoking allowed on the train so that is not a problem and the people are all kinds so that is no problem. Take an extra blanket or ways to get warm at night and something to read or a DVD portable player with movies. It is doable take snacks and drinks to cut costs. Prices change daily as to how full the train is. Another option is Airtran--there prices are very reasonable to fly to Chicago. A.

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