Take me home, to the country road, to the place I long for. If you've ever sworn off a cross-country road trip or seriously used the #wanderlust hashtag, this is the trip for you. One of the biggest barriers to travel is money, money, money—travel can be very expensive, especially if you want to travel long distances, which for many people is out of reach. Well, you can now take a train across America on the cheap, thanks to travel blogger Derek Low. Low found a way to travel 3,397 miles and visit 11 states without breaking the bank.
According to his blog, you can go from coast to coast—from California all the way to New York—for just $213. While prices will vary slightly depending on when you're trying to travel and where you want to stop along the way, it can still be done on a budget. According to Low's website, a typical trip costs between $200 and $400, depending on your travel dates and the cities you want to visit. The trick is to break your trip into two main parts, the first from San Francisco to Chicago and the second from Chicago to New York. Since round-trip fares are so affordable, you'll be able to take a big trip on the cheap in no time. The California Zephyr Line will take you through the first part of your journey, then transfer to the Lake Shore Limited Line, which will take you all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Sure enough, when I was wondering how much a trip would cost in April, I found fares on the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago for as low as $139 and from Chicago to New York as low as $88. Just a quick search brings the total up to $227. It would take about four days without stopping. As Low points out, you can also buy Amtrak's 15-day rail pass for $429, which lets you break your trip into eight different train rides. This means you can get off at various stops along the way and get a real taste of America. Lim's journey included stops in Salt Lake City, Denver and Chicago.
Lowe believes that not only is it an incredible journey that allows you to see a lot of the country, but traveling by train allows you to see the United States in a different way than by flying or even driving. “Traveling by train can give you a glimpse into the soul of America,” he wrote on his blog. “This experience will leave you with far more stories, experiences and sights than you could ever witness alone in your car, eyes on the road, or on a five-hour flight across the country. If If you want to see the touristy parts of America, rent a Cadillac and drive along Route 66, stopping at some cute restaurants and motels. If you want to see the real America in all its spectacular, crazy, wacky glory, Just take the train." I was sold.
If you love traveling but don’t want to spend too much money – or you just like to take your time and really soak in the experience – then this train journey looks pretty epic. For $213, you'll have enough money in your pocket to stock up on snacks—off-road snacks, in fact.
