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Amtrak to Glasgow?
Jan. 27th, 2024 10:07 pmOf course Amtrak doesn't run overseas, but when Lisa and I started making our Worldcon travel plans, we decided we'd like to go via Iceland again, and the nearest IcelandAir "gateway" is Denver. Now we could of course fly to Denver from Reno (I've done this most recently on my trip to SMOFCon in Providence), but Lisa hates airports and avoids them when possible. Then we got an idea.
Amtrak runs between Reno and Denver daily. The timings are such that I could work on the Friday before we leave, then drive to Reno and park the car in the garage across the street from the station ($5/day as I recall, no limit on parking), catch the California Zephyr, the take the ~28-hour train ride to Denver, overnight across Nevada and Utah, through Glenwood Canyon, and arriving in Denver on Saturday evening. Then we only need stay overnight in Denver and take the "A" Train out to Denver airport and catch the IcelandAir flight.
28 hours in a coach seat isn't fun, but a roomette would cost more than $1000. But then I realized that I still have Amtrak points, and it turns out that I had enough to buy a bedroom one way to Denver. And to my immense surprise, the Amtrak website actually let me purchase that bedroom on points. Previously, I've never been able to make it use points online and have always had to call an agent.
So now aside from booking the hotel stay in Denver, we have everything set up: Amtrak to Denver, IcelandAir DEN-KEF, four nights in Reykjavik at the City Center Hotel where we stayed the last time we were there, Icelandair KEF-LHR, four nights at the Crowne Plaza Kings Cross on IHG points, and then the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Glasgow, arriving the day before the Worldcon starts.
Getting back we haven't booked yet. Lisa has plans for post-Worldcon travel that haven't solidified yet that involve her going on to Europe while I head home. Thus we can't book anything just yet. But I'm really looking forward to beginning and ending my trip to Glasgow on a train.
Amtrak runs between Reno and Denver daily. The timings are such that I could work on the Friday before we leave, then drive to Reno and park the car in the garage across the street from the station ($5/day as I recall, no limit on parking), catch the California Zephyr, the take the ~28-hour train ride to Denver, overnight across Nevada and Utah, through Glenwood Canyon, and arriving in Denver on Saturday evening. Then we only need stay overnight in Denver and take the "A" Train out to Denver airport and catch the IcelandAir flight.
28 hours in a coach seat isn't fun, but a roomette would cost more than $1000. But then I realized that I still have Amtrak points, and it turns out that I had enough to buy a bedroom one way to Denver. And to my immense surprise, the Amtrak website actually let me purchase that bedroom on points. Previously, I've never been able to make it use points online and have always had to call an agent.
So now aside from booking the hotel stay in Denver, we have everything set up: Amtrak to Denver, IcelandAir DEN-KEF, four nights in Reykjavik at the City Center Hotel where we stayed the last time we were there, Icelandair KEF-LHR, four nights at the Crowne Plaza Kings Cross on IHG points, and then the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Glasgow, arriving the day before the Worldcon starts.
Getting back we haven't booked yet. Lisa has plans for post-Worldcon travel that haven't solidified yet that involve her going on to Europe while I head home. Thus we can't book anything just yet. But I'm really looking forward to beginning and ending my trip to Glasgow on a train.
