Ursa_Eagle Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Has anyone ever done it? Is it a viable option for getting across the country? (This needs to be a round-trip venture, I have every intention of returning to the NW.) I just found out that I have quite a bit of time on my hands for the next month, but no money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskeybreath Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 couple wkends. pimpin and you'll be fat trains are fuckin BORING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 As in hoboing? Or Railpass? Remember, you can always go Greyhound... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 It works well for getting around in Canada! If the boxcar you pick doesn't get filled with wood chips that is I rod the rails to Squamish twice but because of where the rail yard was vs. my house it was easier and faster to walk to Horseshoe Bay and hitch I know a guy who regularly hops a freight to the Rockies though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_harpell Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 yeah, but you'd better be packing. especially if you start in Everett. I have done it in Canada. Don't get caught and don't get shot. i only went to Alberta, but be-fucking-careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted December 12, 2003 Author Share Posted December 12, 2003 I just looked at greyhound and amtrak, and it would be cheaper to fly across the country, thus the reason I'm looking to hop freight trains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I've done it locally but never long distance. Rumor has it if you get caught they beat the shit out of you. Always seemed you could outrun most of the guys I've seen in railyards. Enjoy yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_harpell Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 me and a buddy did greyhound thing from vancouver to mexico for $70 round trip. you have to travel with a partner tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskeybreath Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 you won't be outrunnin a bullet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Ursa_Eagle said: I just looked at greyhound and amtrak, and it would be cheaper to fly across the country, thus the reason I'm looking to hop freight trains. http://www.amtrak.com/savings/northeast/promo-passintro.html All you can ride for $500 or All you can ride for ~$300 http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/passes/step1.asp?passtype=9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Lufthansa has deals to frankfurt right now for less than 200 skins. Spend the winter in Chamonix dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I think you want to go South of the border, down Mexico way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted December 12, 2003 Author Share Posted December 12, 2003 $203 RT gets me to Providence, RI on Delta (cheaptickets.com) 200 clams to frankfurt could be worth some splurging... I need to find out how much I'll be gettin' for unemployment, then I can figure out if I could do it. And if I could do Mexico cheap, I'd climb Pico. Anyone else interested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 ONE THING..IS NEVER BUY OFF OF THOSE CHEAPTIX WEBSITES..THEY CHARGE A BOOKING FEE....JUST WRITE DOWN THE FLIGHT INFO AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE AIRLINES WEBSITE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj221 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 If experienced it can be a viable way to go cross-country. I would sharpen my teeth on the local fare before scaling up to a cross-country size. I will assume that you would be bringing some items of value with you on your foray. If it is your first time the chances of you returning home with these same items of value will be very low. Often times you will find that it will be very easy to get off a train and next to impossible to get back on. Invariably it's the rail yards out in nowhere that have the highest security making it next to impossible to get back on. This situation can create the unplanned bivy that can go on for many boredom filled days. When I weigh my rail hopping experience vs. my hitch hiking experience hitch hiking is always easier (and typically faster) but the railways always seem to have a higher sense of accomplishment and adventure. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pencil_Pusher Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Bring a handheld cb radio, find the local truck stops and offer to lump for a ride. 'Lump' means you unload their trailer at the destination. Hard work for a long haul. Whatever city you wind up in you can usually find a Labor Ready job office where you can "work today and get paid today." Wasn't there some train-hopping dude that was robbing or killing people a few years ago? The hobo train was his getaway car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I have done it out West where there are fewer rail lines. If you look at the maps, by the time you get East of the Mississippi it is one massive jumble. I road from Grand Junction Colo to Reno one summer. It was a blast, and weird and dangerous, and beautiful. Doing it in the winter would be brutal on the exposure level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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