I just took the Amtrak from Southern California to Seattle.
Pros:
- space! wide seats and leg room are awesome (I'm 6'5" so this is everything)
- Freedom to move around and explore. Lounge car, dining car, snack bar
- Spectacular views
- Train stations are much more pleasant than airports
- Opportunity to meet people from all over the place. On a plane everyone is going from A->B, people on the train could be starting/ending anywhere along the route, including small towns you've never heard of.
Cons:
- 32 hours of travel
- Pay an extra ~$500 to get a bed, or sleep in your seat
Overall I have no regrets but I'll probably not do this again until I'm retired or extremely bored.
Pros:
- space! wide seats and leg room are awesome (I'm 6'5" so this is everything)
- Freedom to move around and explore. Lounge car, dining car, snack bar
- Spectacular views
- Train stations are much more pleasant than airports
- Opportunity to meet people from all over the place. On a plane everyone is going from A->B, people on the train could be starting/ending anywhere along the route, including small towns you've never heard of.
Cons:
- 32 hours of travel
- Pay an extra ~$500 to get a bed, or sleep in your seat
Overall I have no regrets but I'll probably not do this again until I'm retired or extremely bored.