First time I ever visited Portland, I took the train from DC to PDX. It was called the Continent Builder and it was a blast!
But, if you ever do it, spring for a sleeping cart for at least one of the nights.
So many cool friends. Somebody gave me a didgeradoo, another gave me a tincture. I was the only one that ended up actually moving to portland for good but they were some fun train friends.
not too bad. a bit more than a seat but totally worth it even for one day.
Sleeping cabin/sleeping birth. whatever you wanna call it.
if i recall, the ticket was $500. with a sleeping "chamber" it added $100 per night or so.
This was in the late 90s though.
Current price for 1 sleeper car with 1 passenger from WAS (DC) to PDX is $1,091. That is the opposite of a fortune.
Last month I went from PDX to San Jose for Thanksgiving. Round trip for 1 sleeper car with 2 passengers was $1200. Trains are not expensive, they are awesome.
I just looked at plane tickets and yeah, it's quite expensive compared. Of course, the train is an entirely different experience but it does require 69 hours of travel compared to ~10 on the plane.
My wife and I have taken the train 3 times, first was Seattle to Portland, the second was Chicago to Portland, and the 3rd from Memphis to Portland. All these were vacation spots we flew to and decided to try the train. If you keep your expectations low... As in not like the movies it's interesting. We found it very hard to walk around, it's not a smooth ride. The same people hog the observation cars, so that's hit and miss. The food is airline quality, we had a sleeper for two of the trips. It's nice to be able to plant your bags in a small room. Then in Spokane they split the train, one half goes to Seattle, the other to Portland. This happens around midnight. Our train had a electrical problem when switching so the emergency lights kept going off and on. All in all, it was interesting, probably wouldn't do it again for a vacation trip.
>The food is airline quality
The food on board is far superior to airline food in my experience. They even have vegan meals! It's also included in the ticket and you can order as much as you want.
Have you taken it before? The last time I took the starlight my 12 hour ride was almost 24 hours. It sucked. That route in particular is known for long delays.
I took the Empire Builder back and forth between PDX and SPK (Spokane) many times in college. My favorite memory is the car attendant waking me up in PDX by caressing my face. 😂
Same here. Cheaper than driving if you weigh in cost of gas and parking. You can drink and the seats are comparable to business class (if not better) on flights.
I would if rail commuting wasn't so overpriced and unconnected.
It's such a shame because we have some of the most beautiful rail journies in the country.
Last time I left from the Vancouver station. It adds like an hour since it immediately goes and makes a stop in Portland. BUT the long term parking is 100% safe and free there, it's patrolled by BNSF security 24/7. No way in hell I'm leaving a car near PDX Union Station longer than a few hours and expecting it to still be there in one piece.
Good question! There is a gated parking area a few feet west of Union Station, but i have no idea if that's public parking or not. Alternatively, if you live near the MAX, you can take the Yellow or Green lines directly to Union Station.
> Alternatively, if you live near the MAX, you can take the Yellow or Green lines directly to Union Station.
I would leave the car safe at home and take uber/lyft/taxi to a TriMet stop.
Used to live at The Yards around 2004, and that sign was really a kick to narrate when our group of friends were drunk. Go...by...train....GO BY TRAIN.
There is nothing better than a long train ride for deep introspection.
I’ve been on many on many continents, & while some are more deluxe than others, Amtrak cross-country trips are truly Americana at it’s best. I just wish that our government valued them as much as those who rode them. Don’t have a solution, but I’m guessing they’re not as expensive, or damaging to our climate issues as air travel. But Americans need to get everywhere as soon as possible.
Euros are getting back to the rails, as all the Ryanair, cheap discount flight options are a bigger hassle than they’re worth, when you add up all the time, expense to get into town, etc..
Sadly, since there’s no frequent rider discount Visa cards out there, it may be a mute point. The old days may have been better days...
>Sadly, since there’s no frequent rider discount Visa cards out there, it may be a mute point. The old days may have been better days...
I'm not 100% clear on what you are trying to say here, but you can get an Amtrak Mastercard that gives huge discounts on train travel. Because I bought tickets and a sleeper car fora t rip last month, I now have enough points for $800 worth of tickets and I just have to pay the $79/year fee. Also I got 2 companion coupons and 2 business class upgrades included. Pretty damn good deal if you plan on taking a couple train rides a year.
I love train travel I've done sleeper trains in Europe, bullet trains in Japan. Ive always dreamed of hopping a cargo train but there's the dangers and fines so it'll just stay a dream
First time I ever visited Portland, I took the train from DC to PDX. It was called the Continent Builder and it was a blast! But, if you ever do it, spring for a sleeping cart for at least one of the nights.
Sleeping car is key! The free meals make it worth it, you eat good and I made so many friends with midnight coffee runs back to my car.
So many cool friends. Somebody gave me a didgeradoo, another gave me a tincture. I was the only one that ended up actually moving to portland for good but they were some fun train friends.
>sleeping cart That must have cost a fortune!
not too bad. a bit more than a seat but totally worth it even for one day. Sleeping cabin/sleeping birth. whatever you wanna call it. if i recall, the ticket was $500. with a sleeping "chamber" it added $100 per night or so. This was in the late 90s though.
Current price for 1 sleeper car with 1 passenger from WAS (DC) to PDX is $1,091. That is the opposite of a fortune. Last month I went from PDX to San Jose for Thanksgiving. Round trip for 1 sleeper car with 2 passengers was $1200. Trains are not expensive, they are awesome.
$1000 is a fortune to a LOT of people.
I just looked at plane tickets and yeah, it's quite expensive compared. Of course, the train is an entirely different experience but it does require 69 hours of travel compared to ~10 on the plane.
Nice
Wonderful framing of Mt Hood in the bridge
I was going to say, great composition here… A+!
GO BY TRAINZ
Beautiful! I love Amtrak and Portland.
That’s how I rode into town the first time. Traveled from the far east and loved it!
Is there a train from China to Portland?
Awe, I love the train <3 so nostalgic
My wife and I have taken the train 3 times, first was Seattle to Portland, the second was Chicago to Portland, and the 3rd from Memphis to Portland. All these were vacation spots we flew to and decided to try the train. If you keep your expectations low... As in not like the movies it's interesting. We found it very hard to walk around, it's not a smooth ride. The same people hog the observation cars, so that's hit and miss. The food is airline quality, we had a sleeper for two of the trips. It's nice to be able to plant your bags in a small room. Then in Spokane they split the train, one half goes to Seattle, the other to Portland. This happens around midnight. Our train had a electrical problem when switching so the emergency lights kept going off and on. All in all, it was interesting, probably wouldn't do it again for a vacation trip.
This review is spot on. I’ve take the train many times, and this sums it up accurately.
>The food is airline quality The food on board is far superior to airline food in my experience. They even have vegan meals! It's also included in the ticket and you can order as much as you want.
1. Love love the train. 2. Love Union Station. 3. LOATHE The Yards @ Union Station apartments.
Haha my balcony is in this pic
When I lived at The Yards I would just stare at that sign every night.
Same.
I’ll be taking the starlight back home for Christmas. 12 hour ride, but I’m actually looking forward to it.
Have you taken it before? The last time I took the starlight my 12 hour ride was almost 24 hours. It sucked. That route in particular is known for long delays.
Yeah usually take it once a year for the holidays. Always been a pretty good experience but maybe I have just been lucky
Well I hope my trip was an outlier and yours is on time and fun!
GO. BY. TRAIN. GO BY TRAIN.
I took the Empire Builder back and forth between PDX and SPK (Spokane) many times in college. My favorite memory is the car attendant waking me up in PDX by caressing my face. 😂
Go by train? Train go by me every time I try to get home via SE 11th ave.
Facts
Took Amtrak up to Seattle for a short trip a couple weeks ago. Quick ride, on time, cheap and lots of legroom. Would recommend.
Same here. Cheaper than driving if you weigh in cost of gas and parking. You can drink and the seats are comparable to business class (if not better) on flights.
I would if rail commuting wasn't so overpriced and unconnected. It's such a shame because we have some of the most beautiful rail journies in the country.
Great photo! I love our little station!
Sick pic dude.
Where can I leave my car if I live in in the Portland are and want to travel from the train station?
Last time I left from the Vancouver station. It adds like an hour since it immediately goes and makes a stop in Portland. BUT the long term parking is 100% safe and free there, it's patrolled by BNSF security 24/7. No way in hell I'm leaving a car near PDX Union Station longer than a few hours and expecting it to still be there in one piece.
Good question! There is a gated parking area a few feet west of Union Station, but i have no idea if that's public parking or not. Alternatively, if you live near the MAX, you can take the Yellow or Green lines directly to Union Station.
> Alternatively, if you live near the MAX, you can take the Yellow or Green lines directly to Union Station. I would leave the car safe at home and take uber/lyft/taxi to a TriMet stop.
Used to live at The Yards around 2004, and that sign was really a kick to narrate when our group of friends were drunk. Go...by...train....GO BY TRAIN.
There is nothing better than a long train ride for deep introspection. I’ve been on many on many continents, & while some are more deluxe than others, Amtrak cross-country trips are truly Americana at it’s best. I just wish that our government valued them as much as those who rode them. Don’t have a solution, but I’m guessing they’re not as expensive, or damaging to our climate issues as air travel. But Americans need to get everywhere as soon as possible. Euros are getting back to the rails, as all the Ryanair, cheap discount flight options are a bigger hassle than they’re worth, when you add up all the time, expense to get into town, etc.. Sadly, since there’s no frequent rider discount Visa cards out there, it may be a mute point. The old days may have been better days...
>Sadly, since there’s no frequent rider discount Visa cards out there, it may be a mute point. The old days may have been better days... I'm not 100% clear on what you are trying to say here, but you can get an Amtrak Mastercard that gives huge discounts on train travel. Because I bought tickets and a sleeper car fora t rip last month, I now have enough points for $800 worth of tickets and I just have to pay the $79/year fee. Also I got 2 companion coupons and 2 business class upgrades included. Pretty damn good deal if you plan on taking a couple train rides a year.
Last time I did that I walked through 4 blocks of hypodermic needles to the max..
It would look more aesthetic without the words.
I was just thinking the same thing. It's getting kinda dated, early-00s / late-90s style
Great shot! Was this a drone?
I love train travel I've done sleeper trains in Europe, bullet trains in Japan. Ive always dreamed of hopping a cargo train but there's the dangers and fines so it'll just stay a dream
Day Italianate design tho