Chicago

Of Interest: downtown Chicago which includes the theater district, the Chicago Board of Trade, museums, and several universities

Hotels: Of course, at all prices and qualities

Grocery Store: Several small markets downtown. A Whole Foods is visible from the tracks, but not from the station.

Other Transit: City buses run by the station. Buses in Chicago run in a grid pattern. An El station is a short walk to the north. The loop is across the bridge. Just walk straight ahead. Besides the "L", multiple bus lines also end at the loop

ATM: in station

Lockers: yes, but $3.00/an hour

Chicago's original downtown is the to east of the station. Many commercial offices have moved north to the Golden Mile, but the futures market, the Chicago Board of Trade, is still here. Most of this area is now devoted to shopping. Chicago's theater district is to the northeast of the station while bars that serve the student population are to the southeast. The lake, and the park that runs along it, is a 30 minute walk to the east.

If you are walking to the South Loop are, Van Buren is the southmost street you can walk east without having to deal with a highway or a major road. All "L" trains meet at the Loop. The red subway line runs underneath.

Amtrak and Metra trains run from Union Station to neighboring states and the rest of the country.

Chicago is the transfer hub between trains heading east and trains heading west. Daily Amtrak trains run to New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, and New Orleans and all major locations in between. Amtrak also runs multiple trains within Illinois and to neighboring states. A daily train runs to Indianapolis, IN in six hours. Also daily is train that takes four hours to get to Grand Rapids, MI. Running to the other end of Michigan, a daily train takes seven hours to get to Port Huron while three trains a day run to Detroit in five and a half hours. These two lines split at Battle Creek which is three hours from Chicago.

Trains run twice daily to Quincy, IL (four and a half hours). Along the way they stop in Galesburg where Illinois service splits from the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief. Lincoln Service runs four times a day along the Texas Eagle route to St. Louis, five and a half hours away. The last stop within Illinois is Alton. Carbondale is also five and a half hours away, although this train runs less often, three times a day, and follows the route of the City of New Orleans.

Probably the most frequent interstate train coming out of Chicago is the Hiawatha which runs seven times a day in each direction, taking an hour and a half to get between Chicago and Milwaukee. This route parallels the Empire Builder and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.

Metra operates eleven train lines into Illinois suburbs to the west, south, and north of Chicago. The last stop of one line, Union Pacific North, is in Wisconsin at Kenosha. Metra does not run to anywhere in Indiana. Six of these lines run from Union Station while another three run from Ogilvie Transportation Center, a short walk to the north. The other two run from stations that are just south of downtown.

Most lines do not connect. Exceptions are the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor lines which both end in Joliet, a little more than an hour away. Only Rock Island runs from Union Station and it is peak hours only in the direction of commuter traffic.

Pittsburgh

Of Interest: downtown, multiple theaters, Pitts Fort, PNC Park, Andy Warhol museum

Tourist Office: no

Restrooms: cleaned with bleach just before the first train arrived at 5 am

Hotels: multiple

ATM: several banks are a 15 to 20 minute walk away

Groceries: There are a couple of small markets downtown. There is a regular-sized grocery store is back along the tracks across a highway. This may or may not be walkable.

Other transit: Bus bay parallel to the tracks. Regional and local buses stop here. Greyhound is across the street from the station exit. There is a subway stop within walking distance, but it is not easy to find.

An amazing number of people are awake early in the morning in Pittsburgh, but there are not many businesses open early. If you are looking for a place to eat after getting off the early morning train, walk down Liberty Avenue to Smithfield. Walking further down Liberty will take you further into downtown. Liberty Avenue ends at Point State Park which is the location of Fort Pitt, where Pittsburgh was founded.

PNC Park, the home of the Pirates, is just across from downtown via the Roberto Clemente (6th Street) Bridge. The Andy Warhol Museum is on the same side of the river.

Two daily Amtrak routes pass through Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvanian leaves early in the morning and then returns late in the evening. This train takes five and a half hours to arrive at Harrisburg, seven and a half to get to Philadelphia and finally ends in New York City, nine and a half hours later. Pittsburgh is in the middle of the Capitol Limited. This train takes five and a half hours to arrive at Harrisburg, seven and a half to get to Philadelphia and finally ends in New York City, nine and a half hours later. Pittsburgh is an intermediate stop on the Capitol Limited route. Going north and west, the Capitol Limited is an overnight train to Chicago that stops in Cleveland and Toledo during the night. Going the other direction, it leaves very early in the morning to go to Washington, DC, eight hours away. The train coming into Pittsburgh from DC arrives in the evening.

Washington, DC

Of Interest: Our nation's Capitol, The Smithsonian, historic buildings

Hotels: yes, all expensive

Tourist Office: no, but there is a traveler's aid station

Accessible: Sort of. The station is confusing for people with visual impairments and elevators are sometimes poorly placed, especially for someone getting off a train

ATM: Citibank has a branch in the mall building

Restrooms: clean with multiple locations in the station itself

Grocery store: Some groceries can be bought at a store in the mall, otherwise there is a grocery store in the neighborhood to the left and behind the station.

Other transit: There is a bus bay on top of the station. The downtown circulator stops here. City tour buses stop out front. The Greyhound bus station is to the right, behind the station. Please note that some Greyhound buses stop on top of the train station and that multiple companies provide intercity service to DC. There is a subway station in front.

An entrance to the street will be straight in front of you when you come up from the tracks, you just have to go around the store in between. Most of the station building is taken up with a mall, and exits are not clearly marked. The station management wants you to spend money.

The same goes for finding the Capitol area. It is not clear where it is, but it is basically straight ahead when you come out of the station, maybe a little to the left. Go toward the greenest place you can, and you may come upon something you recognize. There is a circulator bus that goes to all the major DC locations and neighborhoods that leaves from the bus bay on top of the station.

The Smithsonian has a location just to the right of the station and several are within walking distance. The Smithsonian is actually a collection of museums, so not all locations are within walking distance of the station.

Washington is on multiple train routes run by multiple companies. The Union Station website has very little transit information other than that the station is on the red Metro line and a list of the train companies. Management encourages you to drive. (?????)

So if I miss anything, let me know.

As I said before, Union Station is on the red line of the Metrorail system. The red line forms a U shape that begins and ends in Maryland. It takes about forty minutes to get to Shady Grove, MD at one end and 25 minutes to get to the other end at Glenmont, MD. Rockville, MD is one stop from Shady Grove. Several trains do not run from one end to the other, but run between Grosvenor-Strathmore, MD and Shady Grove, MD, a forty minute trip in total.

Union Station DC, Rockville, and Shady Grove are all stops on the MARC's Brunswick line. Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) runs three train lines from West Virginia and Maryland to Union Station DC. All lines run workdays only. Check schedules carefully, especially the farther you get from DC. It appears that each train has a unique set of stations that it stops at so times are approximate.

The Brunswick Line takes two hours to get to Martinsburg, WV, an hour and forty minutes to get to Frederick, MD, an hour and a half to get to Brunswick, MD, an hour to get to Germantown, half an hour to get to Rockville, and twenty minutes to get to Silver Spring. All trains stop at Germantown, Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring. There is a small surcharge for traveling into or from West Virginia. This line runs into DC in the morning and away in the afternoon. This line connects with the red line at Rockville and Silver Spring.

The Camden Line runs both ways during rush hour. This route takes an hour to an hour and twenty minutes to run between DC and Baltimore's Camden Station. All trains stop in Dorsey, Savage, Laurel, and Muikirk (about half an hour away). This line connects with the green line at Greenbelt and College Park.

The Penn Line starts at north of Baltimore in Perry, MD (an hour and 25 minutes) then runs to Baltimore's Penn Station (one hour), continues on to Baltimore-Washinton International (BWI) Airport (forty minutes) and then heads south to Union Station DC. Trains run all day from early morning to late evening. There is work being done on the tracks right now, so times may change with very little notice.

Both of Virginia Railway Express (VRE)'s line also run to DC and also only run on work days. Unlike the MARC, VRE trains stop twice in DC, once at Union Station and once at L'Enfant. Both trains also serve Crystal City and Alexandria, VA (King Street Station). L'Enfant, Crystal City and King Street are all stops on the yellow metro line The last two are also stops on the blue line. Notice that some stops on some trains are get on or get off only. VRE multitrip or pass holders can use those passes and tickets on Amtrak trains that run along VRE's routes.

The Manassas Line takes an hour and fifteen to get from the Manassas area to DC. Morning trains into DC stop at all stops, the two afternoon trains only stop at select stations. One Amtrak train runs in each direction a day. All trains stop at Manassas, Alexandria's King Street Station, L'Enfant, and Union Station.

The Fredericksburg Line takes and hour and a half to run between Fredericksburg and Union Station. As of July 17, 2010, only one morning train skips some stops. Trains run into DC in the morning and back out again in the afternoon. Four Amtrak trains run along this route daily in each direction. This line connects with the blue line at Franconia/Springfield.

Which brings us to the company that runs the most trains, Amtrak. If you are traveling on Saturday or Sunday, you are going to be taking Amtrak. Also, if you are going to be traveling long-distance. Destinations served both by Amtrak and by commuter rail include Manassas, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Baltimore, and BWI Airport. Long-distance trains from DC go to Lynchburg, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa, Miami, and Chicago. There is even a train that heads north to Vermont. Part of this list is the Acela Express, America's high speed train.

Right now many more people take the train between New York City and Washington, DC than fly. Expect these trains to be crowded and buy early to get a good price. Right now the base price for the Northeast Regional is only $49.

Vancouver, BC

Of Interest: Chinatown, old downtown
Tourist Office: no, but there is an interactive screen with phone numbers you can call for information
ATM: yes, but does not accept international cards
Restrooms: yes, cleanliness so-so
Accessibility: ?

Safe at night: no, but there may be lots of people. I advice walking directly to the Skytrain or the tramway.

Grocery Store: in Chinatown

Other transit: Skytrain and tramway

Minneapolis, MN

Of Interest: deserted warehouses?
Hotels: yes, but the walk is not safe
Tourist Office: no
Restrooms: yes, but in very bad condition (3 of 4 toilets were clogged when I was there.)
Accessible: if you can get driven to the door, maybe. Do not expect the staff to know how to help with anything.
Safe at night: no
Other transit: nothing meets the evening train

If someone on a city council somewhere who thought that the rate of diabetes was not high enough got together with someone who thought there just weren't enough rapes to design a station area, it would be Minneapolis Station.

Fortunately, only the daily westbound train stops at night. Unfortunately, you may be stuck here for up to an hour. The eastbound train passes through early in the morning.

Minneapolis is six and a half hours from Milwaukee and eight hours from Chicago. Heading west, it takes the train four hours to get to Fargo, ND. The train continues on through Montana before splitting in Spokane more than twenty-four hours later. Part of the train continues on to Seattle, while the rest goes to Portland. Usually the section headed for Seattle is the more crowded

Diridon Station, San Jose, CA

Of Interest: downtown San Jose, historic San Jose, HP Pavilion

Lodging: yes

Tourist Office: no

Safe at Night: so-so. Lots of people get on and off here, so you won't be alone. However, the surrounding parking lot creates lots of deserted space to walk through, and I wouldn't describe San Jose as a low crime area.

There is a good map of the area on the Transit Unlimited Wiki. Map of Diridon Station

The station is close to two hotels, both locally owned. The Arena (to the west) is a locally owned budget hotel while the Hotel de Anza is more upscale and dates from 1931. Both are on the same road, although this road is called The Alameda to the west and Santa Clara Street to the east. There are also hotels to the southeast of the station.

Santa Clara Street will take you into the heart of San Jose which itself is the heart of Santa Clara County. The current downtown is to the south of the street while the area where San Jose started is to the north. The downtown is made up of office buildings and public spaces. There is a farmer's market every Friday from May to December. Its route starts at Santa Clara and connects the modern business centers with the old San Jose.

The VTA, San Jose's light rail system, runs through downtown. There is also a light rail station near Diridon Station. The system connects most of the area, including Silicon Valley. Local planners think that there would be more riders if the trains went a little faster, but I the distances in a car-oriented environment are more of problem. One of the busiest stops was within easy walking distance of a supermarket near stops that serve residential neighborhoods.

Diridon Station itself is a major rail hub. Amtrak, Caltrain, and ACE all serve this station.

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor starts here seven times a day. It takes one hour to get to Oakland and three hours to get to the terminus at Sacramento. The Coast Starlight runs through here in each direction once a day. This line starts in Los Angeles, 10 hours away and runs right along the coast before arriving in San Jose. From San Jose it follows the route of the Capitol Corridor to Sacramento before heading on to Portland (20 hours) and Seattle (24 hours).

Caltrain goes north from San Jose to San Francisco which is two hours away. Caltrain connects with the BART if you need to get to the airport. One train in the morning comes into San Jose from Gilroy (forty-five minutes away) and one train goes back in the evening. If you need to get to Gilroy at other times, you can there are buses. Trains are frequent during rush hour, hourly at other times.

The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) runs a two hour commuter route to Stockton. Three trains come into San Jose in the morning and three trains go back out in the evening on workdays.

San Jose Station was named the Diridon Station in 1994 in honor of former Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon, a long-time California rail supporter.

Glenwood Springs, CO

Of Interest: The Hot Springs Pool, scenic location

Lodging: hotel next to the station, other hotels within walking distance

Glenwood Springs is famouns for its outdoor hot springs and its beautiful location in the Rocky Mountains. The station is on 7th Street, which is where Glenwood Spring began. The historic Hotel Denver is right next to the station. There has been a hotel on this spot since 1915 with the present hotel dating from 1938.

Most of the town has since moved to the other side of the river. It sounds like walking over an interstate would be inherently dangerous, but the bridge is pedestrian friendly. Close to the other side is the Hot Springs Pool, the most famous hot springs in Colorado. It is actually two pools. The larger is two blocks long, and its water is 90 degrees. The smaller is 104 degrees.

Glenwood Springs is six and a half hours from Denver and nine hours to Salt Lake City via Amtrak's California Zephyr. All trains arrive and depart in the early afternoon.

Emeryville, California

Of Interest: rail gateway to the Bay Area
Hotels: yes, expensive

Tourist Office: no

The Emeryville Amtrak station is the main station serving San Francisco with Amtrak buses to and from that city. There are also local buses to one of the BART stations which is actually a quicker way to get to San Francisco.

I think the station is next to an interstate exit. There are several chain hotels within walking distance, all lined up along a single road. To get to this area, you have to walk across the tracks. Because of the size of the parking lots, the walk from one end of the hotel strip to the other is probably quite a hike. Most of the hotels are fairly expensive.

Emeryville is the terminus for the California Zephyr which heads to Chicago. The train passes through Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Omaha. It is one of the most beautiful routes in the Amtrak system, but also one of the slowest and least reliable.

The Coast Starlight, San Joaquin, and Capitol Corridor all pass through Emeryville. By all these routes, Oakland is ten minutes away. The Capitol Corridor is the most frequent service. San Jose is an hour and fifteen minutes in one direction while Sacramento is an hour away in the other. The San Joaquin also passes through several times a day, although not all San Joaquin trains go through Emeryville. It takes an hour and a half to go to Stockton, four hours to get to Fresno, and six hours to get to the other end at Bakersfield.

The Coast Starlight is a long-distance train that passes through once a day in each direction. It goes south to Los Angeles (eleven hours) and north to Portland (eighteen hours) and Washington (twenty-three hours). Like many long-distance routes, the ride is stunning, often right next to the ocean.