Amtrak Guest Rewards - Scenic Train Trips

I have been asked to put together a team building meeting for a new group. There would be 10-12 people...and I was thinking a day or two on a scenic train ride would be a good way to start/end the meeting. I checked Vacations by Rail - most of which are long trips with a lot of extra's I don't really need. Any ideas on a scenic, 1-2 day trip? (the team can easily fly into one city and out of another)

I have only been on a train once in my life, so am struggling to understand the routes, seating, etc.

Help and ideas greatly appreciated.

TIA.

I have been asked to put together a team building meeting for a new group. There would be 10-12 people...and I was thinking a day or two on a scenic train ride would be a good way to start/end the meeting. I checked Vacations by Rail - most of which are long trips with a lot of extra's I don't really need. Any ideas on a scenic, 1-2 day trip? (the team can easily fly into one city and out of another)

I have only been on a train once in my life, so am struggling to understand the routes, seating, etc.

Help and ideas greatly appreciated.

TIA.

Try

http://www.traintrips.biz/railcar.html

I have been asked to put together a team building meeting for a new group. There would be 10-12 people...and I was thinking a day or two on a scenic train ride would be a good way to start/end the meeting. I checked Vacations by Rail - most of which are long trips with a lot of extra's I don't really need. Any ideas on a scenic, 1-2 day trip? (the team can easily fly into one city and out of another)

I have only been on a train once in my life, so am struggling to understand the routes, seating, etc.

Help and ideas greatly appreciated.

TIA.

I have held meetings on the train back in the days conference rooms were tough to come by. Being in the Bay Area, CA, I was lucky to have the Capitol Corridor train between San Jose and Sacramento. It's about a 4 hour ride each way and Old Town Sac is a block away from the train station. Also, the Capitols have tables with facing seats so we could sit together and talk. Get to Sac and have lunch and then back to San Jose.

I would suggest looking for a short segment that has a mid-morning departure and a stop down route by mid-evening. You might try using the Interactive Atlas on Amtrak.com to check out some potential routes. To complicate some things, you may be able to do a train-air package to get good rates.

Also, you might get better suggestions if you list some more details like where everyone would be coming from and the size of the group.

Good luck with your search.

Roger, I did state the size of the group (10 - 12), but did not include the origins as they are fairly well spread across the US.
3-TX
2- MA
2-GA/FL
1- MN
1- KS
1-AR
1-NC

Additional members, if any, would come from TX. Age range is late 30's to mid 50's; spread fairly evenly across the group. Completely different personalities, which is why I was thinking something scenic (rather than something like Golf)....and is also why team building is needed.

Have to stay in US.

Thanks to you and darden for your suggestions. Helpful and a great starting points.

Roger, I did state the size of the group (10 - 12), but did not include the origins as they are fairly well spread across the US.
3-TX
2- MA
2-GA/FL
1- MN
1- KS
1-AR
1-NC

Additional members, if any, would come from TX. Age range is late 30's to mid 50's; spread fairly evenly across the group. Completely different personalities, which is why I was thinking something scenic (rather than something like Golf)....and is also why team building is needed.

Have to stay in US.

Thanks to you and darden for your suggestions. Helpful and a great starting points.

I have taken several train trips in the US and still think the most scenic train trip is between Denver and Salt Lake City on the CA Zephyr. This train leaves Denver early in the morning and arrives in SLC late in the evening. Depending on your budget and end destination goals, the same train continues to Reno and San Francisco with an overnight travel. Denver is an easy starting point with Sourthwest service, and Park City would be a great meeting location. The Zephyr travels along the Colorado River for most of the day and the scenery is spectacular. If you choose this option, I can provide my hotel suggestions in Denver (I'm also lifetime Marriott platinum).

I have been asked to put together a team building meeting for a new group. T
Help and ideas greatly appreciated.

TIA.

RT LA to San Diego or vs vrs would be a good choice, as would LA to San Fran.

both routes go along the ocean in daylight.

There's a Hampton Inn in San Diego that we've used -- has airport trans. and is walking distance from Amtrak and there are some interesting places to eat near by.

Bob H

I have taken several train trips in the US and still think the most scenic train trip is between Denver and Salt Lake City on the CA Zephyr.

Seconded, with a modification: start in Denver and end the trip in Grand Junction. That's ~eight hours on the train, there's some appealing scenery not too far away, and GJT has non-stop flights to major hubs DEN, SLC, PHX, LAX, DFW, LAX, and IAH.

Please reread OP's original message.
STATES: "and I was thinking a day or two on a scenic train ride would be a good way to start/end the meeting"

Done, and that's why I suggested the routing I did. For non-train types (not a majority on this forum, but certainly the majority of the U.S. population) an Amtrak compartment overnight may as well be a prison cell.

A work-mandatory 36-hour train trip is not team building.

Road trip rule #2: There's no such thing as a scenic route after dark.

Please reread OP's original message.
STATES: "and I was thinking a day or two on a scenic train ride would be a good way to start/end the meeting"

Done, and that's why I suggested the routing I did. For non-train types (not a majority on this forum, but certainly the majority of the U.S. population) an Amtrak compartment overnight may as well be a prison cell.

A work-mandatory 36-hour train trip is not team building.

Road trip rule #2: There's no such thing as a scenic route after dark.

You are both correct...I DID say " day or two" until Mr Sophie asked me if I had gone insane and was using this as an opportunity to get kicked off the team...:D

and based on the research to date, definitely think a day trip is the way I would go. Longer seems fraught with possible issues - food shortages, hours of delays...not a big deal if one is choosing the trip, but otherwise...

thanks to everyone for the ideas, quite honestly, some of these appeal to me enough that I am considering them for a vacation in 2013.

A few I find exceptionally scenic:

The Surfliner, either Los Angeles - San Louis Obispo, or Los Angeles - San Diego

The Coast Starlight: LAX to [San Louis Obispo, San Jose, Emoryville]

The Southwest Chief: Albuquerque, NM - Pueblo, CO

The California Zephyr: Emoryville, CA - Reno, NV, or Denver, CO - Grand Junction, CO

Done, and that's why I suggested the routing I did. For non-train types (not a majority on this forum, but certainly the majority of the U.S. population) an Amtrak compartment overnight may as well be a prison cell.

A work-mandatory 36-hour train trip is not team building.

Road trip rule #2: There's no such thing as a scenic route after dark.

eight hours on a train is PLENTY or even too much. It gets BORING after awhile. It's one step away from Greyhound bus, a lot of the people have BO, the food sucks. You know your group better, but I can't think of much worse of an experience than being trapped on a train for 1-2 days. If you want to put them all in a sleeping car, that might be a bit better but even still....

eight hours on a train is PLENTY or even too much. It gets BORING after awhile. It's one step away from Greyhound bus, a lot of the people have BO, the food sucks. You know your group better, but I can't think of much worse of an experience than being trapped on a train for 1-2 days. If you want to put them all in a sleeping car, that might be a bit better but even still....

Go back and read post 10 again....

It all depends on where and when you go.... and what class you ride on some lines once you've gone 5 miles the rest is the same ... on others.....

Same applies to some flights and some cruises

Bob H