The Travel Thread

[Bui]

While there are some threads on the forum relating to the topic of travel, they generally had more specific focuses within the topic of travel. This thread is instead meant to be a sort of general travel discussion type deal rather than focusing on a small subsection of topics related to travel. Feel free to discuss any upcoming travel plans, travel wishes, or past travel experiences (and maybe some pictures/videos if you'd like), as well as anything else travel related!

I currently have an upcoming trip that is larger in scope than any travel vacation I've ever done in my life, and on top of that I'm doing the entire thing solo! It is a 5-part trip that is scheduled to span the course of 10 days and includes the following trip legs:

1. Trip to Los Angeles, California, where I will be staying the night.
2. Amtrak "Coast Starlight" train from Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington. The trip is 2 days and one night on board, and I'll be staying the night in Seattle.
3. Amtrak "Empire Builder" train from Seattle to Chicago, Illinios. This trip is 3 days and 2 nights on board, leading to an overnight stay in Chicago.
4. Amtrak "California Zephyr" train from Chicago to Emeryville, California (San Francisco Bay area, just North of Oakland). This particular route is considered by many to be the most scenic passenger train route in the entire US, especially the stretch through the Rockies just West of Denver, Colorado. This trip is also 3 days and 2 nights on board, and I'll be staying the night in Emeryville.
5. Finally, a trip back home bringing the grand total to 10 days (well, 9 and some change anyway).

The scenery is the main draw here (well, that and the rail ride experience in general too!), and offers just about everything, from ocean views to forests, mountains, canyons, lakes, plains, deserts, and everything in between. It gives a great opportunity to see so many parts of the United States that you would never see from an airplane, or even from the highways as the tracks diverge on their own paths away from the roads. And it doesn't include any of the stresses of air travel or long distance driving (though I personally enjoy both of those travel methods too!). Granted, it certainly isn't the fastest way to travel, but the length of time isn't a problem to me since the ride is my vacation, and the connecting cities are more like intermediate stops rather than vacation destinations, though I will spend some time exploring a bit of what each of the cities has to offer while I'm there!

Each overnight leg of the rail trip (legs 2-4 above) will be in a private room (a roomette, which is the smallest and "cheapest" sleeper room they offer) and with the room all meals are included (and we're talking actual food prepared in an on-board kitchen, not the microwaved hamburgers and hot dogs offered in the standard on-board café). I've been wanting to take an overnight Amtrak trip for most of my life now so I'm really excited that my chance to finally do so is quickly approaching! I made an attempt at an overnight Amtrak trip last year, which would've been just the segment between Denver and Emeryville (2 days and 1 night). Unfortunately, mudslides in Glenwood Canyon West of Denver ended up shutting down the tracks West of Denver for all trains, including the one I was going to be on. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time. Less than 40 days to go now!

 

[Croconaw]

Man, I love Amtrak. The train is my favorite mode of transportation. For one, you can get up and walk around. I like how much leg room you get in the seats. Although the seats are sometimes assigned, you can move to the observatory cart if you don’t want anyone sitting next to you. You can also spend the whole trip there and nobody says anything. I think my only complaint is that Dr. Pepper is only available on the Texas Eagle. It’s not a huge deal, though, as I usually end up bringing my own drinks anyway. The ice is free in the snack cart, which is great, because I prefer my drinks ice cold. Plus, you don’t have TSA asking you to throw soda away because of some rule.

I’ve been on several Greyhound bus trips. I actually have one coming up in about three weeks. I think the bus is super uncomfortable, but it’s definitely not as bad as people say. I’ve seen a few altercations, but I personally haven’t come to any physical harm on the bus. My favorite part about the bus is the frequent stops. My station is Pittsburgh, most of the time, so the bus is usually empty whenever I get in. The busses originating in New York means that I’m only two stops away at the most. It beats getting picked up somewhere in St. George, Utah where the bus is packed, especially when it’s contracted with a gas station and leaves you stranded for ten hours. If that’s specific, this actually happened. My dad will tell you, I was ****ing livid.

My trips are usually three days minimum, so I’m used to those long trips. I love being stuck on the train or bus for extended hours, so long as we’re moving. I was stranded in Dallas for a few hours, as well, thanks to a late bus. Greyhound has a little problem with driver shortages. It wasn’t fun. I love the journey and the scenery you just can’t get from an airplane. I still have a grudge with TSA, too.

 

[CrankyCupcake]

That's breakfast from way back in 2019. It was a delicious chestnut pastry, it was autumn, and we were in Ikebukuro in Tokyo. That's the view from our hotel room. We travel out of the country every year (but the pandemic has grounded us for 2.5 years now) and Tokyo is one of our favourite destinations. Can't wait to visit again whenever Japan decides to open up to tourists.

 

[Bui]

@Croconaw - I agree, while I haven't ridden any Amtrak trains beyond regional corridor services I've always enjoyed it and would probably consider it my favorite form of transportation. I guess we'll find out for sure after my trip since at that point I'll have been able to experience their long-distance offerings rather than just the local stuff. However, I tend to find enjoyment in every form of transport. If anything, I almost find the journey between destinations to be more enjoyable in a way than the destinations themselves, though I can't exactly explain why.

Yeah, that definitely does not sound like a fun Greyhound experience! I've never taken a Greyhound bus, though I have been a bit curious about it at times.

@CrankyCupcake - Great picture, that looks really good! I'd love to be able to make my way to Japan one of these days. It will likely be a very long while before that's able to happen though. I actually haven't been outside of the US at all in my life, save for one instance when I was too young to be able to remember anything about it.

 

[tiffanistarr]

As of right now I think my only travel plans this year are going to Virginia for vacation later in the fall. I had a couple weekend trips already this year which have been fun!

I know it’s only just now Summer, but I like to plan my trips way ahead of time. I’m already looking into trips for next year. I’m hoping to hopefully make it up toward the PNW for some whale watching/studying. I’d also really love to go to Maine. I’m also looking to do a volunteer trip in the States next year. Preferably with native wildlife/small mammals.

I’m also looking into doing some volunteer work abroad. My dream volunteer trip would be to work with sanctuary cheetahs, birds, and primates in Africa. There are so many animals in sanctuaries that rely on volunteers for up keep and enrichment to make sure they have a positive life, since they are not able to be released back into the wild. It’s also a goal of mine to do work with anti-poaching patrols at these sanctuaries. I would love to spend a night with a patrol unit tracking and watching out for big game species.

 

[hakutaku]

I have one confirmed trip coming up, which is a trip to Berlin! Both excited and nervous, I'm going with my university and don't know anyone, but it's only for 4 days and I've always wanted to go to Germany! I haven't been overseas since 2019 so I'm pretty hyped.

I may be going to Italy with my family later in the summer too, we're just waiting on my brother to get his travel documents sorted out.

I'm also seriously thinking of visiting Japan + South Korea next year or the year after (whenever they allow tourists again). It would be a combined trip, 1 week in Japan and 5 days in South Korea, just because it's much cheaper to fly from Japan than to get to South Korea from the UK. They're both dream travel destinations for me and I don't think I'll have a better time to visit than now when I'm a student.

Your plans sound great btw! The US is another place I've always wanted to visit, and every destination you have planned sounds super interesting,,

As for previous travels, my last holiday was in Edinburgh last summer. I love Scotland and Edinburgh in particular was a wonderful city. I also went to Amsterdam in 2019. I've been to France twice, once to Paris when I was really young, and again for 2 weeks in a little village in Brittany, which was the best vacation of my life tbh.

 

[Bui]

@tiffanistarr - I also try to plan my trips way ahead of when I actually take them. This trip was planned and booked all the way back in August of last year, and I have one for April of 2024 already planned as well, which is for the upcoming total solar eclipse. I ended up missing the one in 2017 unfortunately because life ended up happening right around that time keeping me from being able to go. That really sucked, as I had been looking forward to that one since all the way back in 2005 when I first started getting into astronomy. I also have a couple of potential international trips in the early planning stages to destinations including Japan (particularly Okinawa) and Peru, though if those happen they likely won't be until around the late 2024-2025 range at the earliest.

Those volunteer trips sound great, especially the one in Africa! I hope that trip is able to happen for you, it sounds like it would be a great time, and it's definitely an important service!

@hakutaku - That sounds like fun! I won't lie, I am a little jealous of your travel plans and potential upcoming trips! Japan in particular is one I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I've unfortunately never been able to travel overseas besides once when I was too young to remember anything. I've spent my entire life in the US and have never been any further East in the US than Chicago which was for boot camp, or Dallas which was on my own accord. Have fun with those trips!

 

[Croconaw]

I think my favorite part of traveling is visiting little towns nobody has ever heard of. When someone tells me what town they are from, I can almost always say “Oh, I’ve been there!” It’s a nice feeling.

I also travel very light. All of my stuff fits into my 46L backpack, and there’s still lots of room. I don’t understand how lots of travelers have two large suitcases and a bag. That is way too much stuff and gives me anxiety seeing other people do that.

 

[tiffanistarr]

@tiffanistarr - I also try to plan my trips way ahead of when I actually take them. This trip was planned and booked all the way back in August of last year, and I have one for April of 2024 already planned as well, which is for the upcoming total solar eclipse. I ended up missing the one in 2017 unfortunately because life ended up happening right around that time keeping me from being able to go. That really sucked, as I had been looking forward to that one since all the way back in 2005 when I first started getting into astronomy. I also have a couple of potential international trips in the early planning stages to destinations including Japan (particularly Okinawa) and Peru, though if those happen they likely won't be until around the late 2024-2025 range at the earliest.

Those volunteer trips sound great, especially the one in Africa! I hope that trip is able to happen for you, it sounds like it would be a great time, and it's definitely an important service!

@hakutaku - That sounds like fun! I won't lie, I am a little jealous of your travel plans and potential upcoming trips! Japan in particular is one I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I've unfortunately never been able to travel overseas besides once when I was too young to remember anything. I've spent my entire life in the US and have never been any further East in the US than Chicago which was for boot camp, or Dallas which was on my own accord. Have fun with those trips!

I hope you get to see your eclipse! I live in a state that was in the path of totality and I was fortunate enough to be able to experience it at a campus that was hosting some very great speakers, professors, and a couple folks from NASA. It was absolutely a once in a lifetime experience. Though I hear the next one will also fall close to the same path, so if i’m still living here then i’ll be able to hopefully enjoy it once more! I hope no life gets in the way of the next one for you! Japan is definitely on my travel bucket list! Even if it’s one of those guided 10 day Japan vacation tour packages, I just have to go to see it. All the things, games, art, anime and everything that has come from Japan has shaped me so much. I would absolutely love to take in the culture any way i can get it.

 

[hakutaku]

@skweegee
Aaa thank you! I think it's a lot easier to travel overseas in the UK than it is in America! America's so big so all the flights out must be really long and expensive. But there's also so much diversity within the US that you don't really need to leave the country to have a great time travelling.

 

[VanitasFan26]

The last time I traveled was way back in 2012 when I went to my home state California for my Sister's wedding. It was interesting for the most part, but as an introvert I still felt uncomfortable being at a wedding. To tell you the truth my parents made me come because they wanted to see my sister get married.

Since then I haven't really done much traveling. I was planning to go to Canada to visit my Aunt but because of what happened in 2020 with the pandemic my plans were canceled. Tried again in 2021 but canceled again because of new Covid strains. Now I am unsure if I want to travel given how things in the world have become too hard. Before anyone asks I am vaccinated (2 doses) and boosted (1 shot) so I know I'll be protected from getting Covid its just.......I don't feel too comfortable about it.

 

[Bui]

The last time I traveled was way back in 2012 when I went to my home state California for my Sister's wedding. It was interesting for the most part, but as an introvert I still felt uncomfortable being at a wedding. To tell you the truth my parents made me come because they wanted to see my sister get married.

Since then I haven't really done much traveling. I was planning to go to Canada to visit my Aunt but because of what happened in 2020 with the pandemic my plans were canceled. Tried again in 2021 but canceled again because of new Covid strains. Now I am unsure if I want to travel given how things in the world have become too hard. Before anyone asks I am vaccinated (2 doses) and boosted (1 shot) so I know I'll be protected from getting Covid its just.......I don't feel too comfortable about it.

I can definitely understand why one might not feel comfortable traveling at the time. Covid (and other prominent world circumstances as well) has made travel in general more difficult and unpredictable.

 

[Kitsuragi]

i just traveled in end of feb/early march for a funeral and a visit for my boyfriends family i will say, greyhound is the absolute worst travel experience ive ever had and i'd never recommend it for anything other than same-state traveling, if you're near the station. its so insanely cramped, nobody has ANY sense of personal space and it was super cold the entire time. our driver almost got us into like 3 accidents and we were 2 hours late for the next planned bus on our route so we had to uber to the place we needed to be. it was a $30 uber.

otherwise, i love traveling. flying is super fun. i've been out of state a few times, the first time was with my class to pigeon forge tennesse for a trade show. unfortunately that was right during the wildfires in that area so we didnt do much or stay long, it was too scary. that same school year we went to chicago and it was the coolest experience. we took those same two trips the following school year too.

first time traveling on my own was in 2019, i met my (then) LDR boyfriend for the first time in minnesota. it was so fun and was my first time flying. enjoyed it so much.

i hope to travel again either this year or next year.

 

[Bui]

i just traveled in end of feb/early march for a funeral and a visit for my boyfriends family i will say, greyhound is the absolute worst travel experience ive ever had and i'd never recommend it for anything other than same-state traveling, if you're near the station. its so insanely cramped, nobody has ANY sense of personal space and it was super cold the entire time. our driver almost got us into like 3 accidents and we were 2 hours late for the next planned bus on our route so we had to uber to the place we needed to be. it was a $30 uber.

otherwise, i love traveling. flying is super fun. i've been out of state a few times, the first time was with my class to pigeon forge tennesse for a trade show. unfortunately that was right during the wildfires in that area so we didnt do much or stay long, it was too scary. that same school year we went to chicago and it was the coolest experience. we took those same two trips the following school year too.

first time traveling on my own was in 2019, i met my (then) LDR boyfriend for the first time in minnesota. it was so fun and was my first time flying. enjoyed it so much.

i hope to travel again either this year or next year.

I can't say I've heard much of anything great about Greyhound. Most things I've heard about them have either been neutral or negative. I've personally never been on a Greyhound bus before, though I've seen a few videos of them and some of the things they've encountered on those bus are... interesting, to say the least. I do have to agree with you about flying though, I've only done so a handful of times but I always loved it. Maybe not so much the whole TSA part, but aside from that I do enjoy the experience. I'd like to be able to fly more often, though my currently very limited vacation time and paid time off at work still makes it tough to find enough time to do so. Plus, I want to start saving my money for a couple of larger trips in the future, including my planned vacation for the 2024 eclipse and hopefully my first ever international trip either later that year or some time in the following year.

Glad to hear you enjoyed those trips! Hopefully you'll be able to travel again soon like you're hoping to!

 

[Croconaw]

I’ll actually be on a Greyhound in less than two weeks. I may have mentioned this subtly. I’ve ridden solo with the exception of one time, and I’ve only ever come across one incident. Fortunately, I haven’t ever come to any physical harm. The incident involved one middle-aged man harassing an older gentleman behind him. The person harassing said he was kicking his seat. This was false because I was sitting adjacent to his seat and nothing of the sort was going on. He actually grabbed him and the bus driver had to pull over and step in. It made me very uncomfortable because he eventually looked over at me and asked me “Are you a boy or a girl?” Now, I know most of the time when you’re asked your gender or pronouns, it’s in good nature and with good intent, but this was not one of those instances. He seemed very judgmental. I just responded “female” and ignored him the rest of the ride. Thankfully, his trip ended within three hours of this incident, but it still made me super uncomfortable. I can only imagine how the older gentleman felt.

 

[Neb]

One of my moms and I are planning a trip to the south. We haven’t settled on anywhere specific yet, but I’m hoping we can stop at New Orleans and Atlanta. They both look like fun cities. The drive is quite long, so I’ll probably learn to drive before then. I don’t want to make my mom drive 4,000+ miles on her own.

 

[Bui]

I’ll actually be on a Greyhound in less than two weeks. I may have mentioned this subtly. I’ve ridden solo with the exception of one time, and I’ve only ever come across one incident. Fortunately, I haven’t ever come to any physical harm. The incident involved one middle-aged man harassing an older gentleman behind him who. The person harassing said he was kicking his seat. This was false because I was sitting adjacent to his seat and nothing of the sort was going on. He actually grabbed him and the bus driver had to pull over and step in. It made me very uncomfortable because he eventually looked over at me and asked me “Are you a boy or a girl?” Now, I know most of the time when you’re asked your gender or pronouns, it’s in good nature and with good intent, but this was not one of those instances. He seemed very judgmental. I just responded “female” and ignored him the rest of the ride. Thankfully, his trip ended within three hours of this incident, but it still made me super uncomfortable. I can only imagine how the older gentleman felt.

It makes sense, naturally the videos that get posted are likely ones that the uploader considered noteworthy, and a normal trip without incident likely wouldn't fit that description. Plus, trips with wild incidents and fights and things like that are more likely to be viewed, and therefore more likely to be recommended to viewers. That would certainly help to twist people's perceptions of the service, and I'm sure the actual incident rate is much lower than those videos would have you believe. That being said, the event you experienced seems like a very uncomfortable position to be in, and I'm glad to hear that it was the only incident you've encountered on Greyhound. I hope your upcoming trip goes smoothly as well!

One of my moms and I are planning a trip to the south. We haven’t settled on anywhere specific yet, but I’m hoping we can stop at New Orleans and Atlanta. They both look like fun cities. The drive is quite long, so I’ll probably learn to drive before then. I don’t want to make my mom drive 4,000+ miles on her own.

That sounds like quite the road trip! I've never been in that part of the US, though that is on my ever-growing list of places I'd like to visit some day. Have fun with it!

 

[Croconaw]

This is my tenth Greyhound bus trip, I believe, and it’s the first very poor experience I’ve had. The bus got delayed in St. Louis because three consecutive drivers never showed up for their route. It kept getting delayed longer and longer, so now I’m in the St. Louis airport waiting to catch a flight to Vegas tomorrow. I do not like flights, but my dad paid for the plane tickets and it’s only an hour and a half to get there on a flight. The bus had so many reroutes and problems. I’m actually taking a train back from Vegas. The bus is super uncomfortable and I think this was the worst experience I’ve had. However, one time out of ten isn’t bad at all, given Greyhound’s reputation. I just won’t be taking a bus if my destination is accessible by train. My favorite mode of transportation is still the train. I love Amtrak so much.

 

[Bui]

This is my tenth Greyhound bus trip, I believe, and it’s the first very poor experience I’ve had. The bus got delayed in St. Louis because three consecutive drivers never showed up for their route. It kept getting delayed longer and longer, so now I’m in the St. Louis airport waiting to catch a flight to Vegas tomorrow. I do not like flights, but my dad paid for the plane tickets and it’s only an hour and a half to get there on a flight. The bus had so many reroutes and problems. I’m actually taking a train back from Vegas. The bus is super uncomfortable and I think this was the worst experience I’ve had. However, one time out of ten isn’t bad at all, given Greyhound’s reputation. I just won’t be taking a bus if my destination is accessible by train. My favorite mode of transportation is still the train. I love Amtrak so much.

Sorry to hear that the Greyhound portion had so many issues! It's strange that 3 drivers in a row didn't show up, I wonder what happened there. I hope the rest of your trip goes well! Hopefully future Greyhound trips go a little more smoothly for you as well. Enjoy the train ride too!

 

[Flicky]

I love travelling, although due to finances I haven't been able to travel any further than France for a daytrip for some years. I've visited a fair amount of countries in my life, but my favourites thus far have been Austria and Japan. When they reopen for general tourism, I'd like to save up and return to Japan with one very specific goal in mind:

Climb Mt. Fuji and witness the sunrise.

Unfortunately, I have a physical disability, so I'd need to find someone else to travel with for my own safety. I'm not having much luck though, because all of my rl friends have no interest in climbing it, and only want to visit the Pokemon Centers / anime stores (which, sure, I do too to some degree, but climbing the mountain is my priority).