‘I paid £400 for railway ticket of freedom which stops at 500 destinations’
Experience an epic railway journey like no other with this holy-grail ticket tourists can’t stop raving about. Stretching a whopping 9.867 million km² and six times zones, the sheer size of the United States of America can be pretty hard to fathom.
It’s no surprise many of its 340.1 million residents fly from state-to-state, spending a mere hour in the air opposed to trekking for days in a car along endless motorway and petrol stations. The country’s railway system is often dismissed and scrutinised, seen as reliable as the delayed-riddled services in the UK.
However, Luna Buttiens has inspired thousands to give Amtrak – the national railroad passenger corporation – the benefit of the doubt. In fact, the 25-year-old, from Belgium, said spending $499 (around £387.68) on a multi-rail pass was worth every penny.
“POV: You buy a USA rail pass and this is what you see,” Luna captioned her TikTok video, which has gone on to garner a staggering 1.5 million views and 407,000 likes. The tourist showed off the dramatic contrast of America’s scenery: from snow-capped mountains and frozen lakes to unspoilt, lush greenery, and even golden sunsets that make the desert look like it’s glowing.
Luna also showed the tranquil setting of the carriage, which boasted huge windows for tourists to admire the endless vistas, comfortable chairs and huge tables perfect for those wanting to enjoy lunch or kick back and read a book. From the comments section, it’s clear her video made swathes of viewers green with envy.
“I’ve literally only been on the Amtrak once and it was from Los Angeles to Seattle and it was the most life changing experience ever,” one person raved. Another agreed, branding the views ‘so beautiful’. A third added: “I don’t understand why we don’t have more railways in the US for passengers. People would pay crazy money just for the views, not even the transit,” while a fourth penned: “It’s been in my head to do this since the year started. It has to happen.”
Others were less positive about the train journey, arguing the price was far too expensive. “$500 is crazy though, like thatâs more than a damn plane ticket round trip.” Another fumed: “$499? In this economy?” while a third dubbed the ticket ‘daylight robbery’.
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Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass allows customers to take 10 rides (known as segments) over a 30-day period. A travel segment occurs any time you board and disembark one of our trains (or other scheduled services). If your trip involves making one connection, you will use two segments of your USA Rail Pass.
Potential stops include the palm-tree streets of Florida, the sunny bay of San Francisco, and the gloomy forests of Seattle. If you’re struggling for inspiration, you can chose one of Amtrak’s suggested routes, such as the California Zephyr. This 51 hour and 20 minute journey, that departs every day, will zip you through the heart of the Rockies and into the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. You’ll then melt into pure desert as you reach Salt Lake City and make your way onto Reno and Sacramento.
“Craving some adventure for semester breaks or vacation? Hop from town to town across the country,” Amtrak said. “Or maybe you just want to spend your long weekends away. Go from downtown to out-of-town as soon as the workday ends. Whether you’re looking to discover hidden gems or just want to visit some friends in the next city over, the USA Rail Pass makes it easy to get more getaways.”
You can buy the USA Rail Pass here.
Is Amtrak’s rail pass worth the money? Have your say in the comments section below
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