Hello interesting and active seniors! In this issue:

• More seniors are riding the rails. Amtrak is American transit’s comeback kid.

• While we’re on the topic of retro travel, you have brief chance to try Pan Am again! But it’ll cost you.

• Susan Sontag on travel

Why More Seniors are Riding the Rails

With recent increased investment in Amtrak and travelers getting frustrated with chaotic roads and stressful flights, seniors are taking notice of rail travel. If you have time and want to enjoy the scenery, it’s more comfortable, social, and leisurely.

Why the Train

American train travel has been on a comeback over the last couple of years. It’s accelerated not only by reinvestment and interest in Amtrak (more on that later) but also the fact that driving and flying have become, well, awful.

Seniors especially are taking notice.

• Space: Even in coach class, the seats are massive. It’s easy to get up, move around, grab a snack, or sight-see from the glass-domed observation lounge.

• Enjoy the Pace: This is the ideal mode of transit for people who appreciate taking their time. While delays happen, the experience is nothing like being stuck on a tarmac or in traffic.

• Meet People: At your option, you can meet interesting people in the café car or observation lounge (or at a seated dinner while the scenery rushes by).

• Security: No TSA or long lines here. While the station has security to keep everyone safe, just walk on with your ticket. Nobody will probe you or your luggage with body scans or worse.

• Accessibility: Amtrak has a reputation for accommodating passengers with decreased mobility. If you have special needs, we suggest calling them for your booking (1-800-USA-RAIL) to talk through it.

The Comeback Kid

While the US was once the train envy of the world, after a love of cars took hold non-commuter rail travel declined 84% just between 1945-1964. By the 1970s, the glory days of rail were gone.

But in the past few years, Amtrak was boosted by people fed up with post-Covid travel chaos combined with the Infrastructure Act providing the biggest-ever investment in the company.

Amtrak is asserting itself back into national transit. Consider just these few recent developments (some links may be paywalled by NYT and WSJ – sorry, these are new developments so free derivative news sources available yet):

• Ridership is up over 18% in just the last fiscal year.

• The company recently won a fight to take control of DC’s Union Station, one of the country’s most iconic historic stations.

• The DOJ is (finally) going after freight rail for consistently delaying passenger trains to wait on slower cargo trains.

Private Companies Want in on the Action

While Amtrak is the only game in town for train travel across the country, private companies are building regional and luxury options.

Brightline completed their route between Orlando and Miami with several stops along the way. And, they have an ambitious plan to link Los Angeles with Vegas ahead of the 2028 Olympics in LA for those of us who can’t pole vault there.

Not to be outdone, Dreamstar is building its overnight luxury sleeper train from LA to San Francisco, set to open in the Summer of 2025.

Explore the Options

If you’re new to rail travel you’ll find booking is a bit different than a plane. There are fewer routes, longer timelines, more options to stop along the way, and different (but typically better) classes of travel. You can also consider overnight roomette and bedroom accommodations.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Test out bookings on Amtrak’s website to experiment with pricing for different dates, times, and locations. Or, call them at 1-800-USA-RAIL.

• YouTube is a fantastic source to get a feel for the train from different perspectives.

• Want someone else to do all the planning? Check out Amtrak Vacations, an independent travel agency that will handle it all for you. (We are not affiliated with nor get any compensation from them.)

• Review your options for a regular seat or sleeping accommodations.

• For long haul routes, try booking at least 2-3 months in advance for better pricing and availability, especially for overnight rooms.

• Finally, remember this is a method of travel for someone who prioritizes enjoying the journey.

Do you have a story about train travel or want to learn more about another topic? Reply to this newsletter and let us know!

Today’s Question for You

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Today’s Fun Fact: Wait, Pan Am?

Does someone have train envy?

If you thought you’d never hear from them again, the Pan Am brand is making a guest appearance back in the skies. In the Summer of 2025, you’ll be able to take a European tour on a luxury 50-seater Boeing.

But it might be more expensive than the airline’s heyday. Tickets are going for $60,000-65,000.

We’re sure they’ll chalk it up to inflation.

Your Final Bit of Inspiration

We hope you’ll take a trip and tell us all about it.