Traveling by train is easy, comfortable and safe. Many stations are located in or near downtown for convenient heart-of-the-city arrivals and departures. And since Amtrak travelers 65 years of age and over are eligible to receive a 10% discount on most trains, it becomes an affordable alternative.

Travel during peak travel periods will usually see you paying more as there is more demand for tickets. For that reason, the best days to buy tickets are generally in the middle of the week between Tuesday and Thursday, the former considered the best of all by several sources.

The train location tracking map on Amtrak.com gives you train statuses, estimates of arrival times and even station information for every Amtrak train across the entire Amtrak system. That means the map covers coast to coast movements, 365 days a year and can be accessed 24 hours a day with just the click of a mouse.

For shorter trips, it is definitely cheaper to take Amtrak than it is to fly. There is also a much smaller chance your Amtrak trip will be negatively impacted by bad weather. Last, you'll be able to redeem your Amtrak points as opposed to your Delta Skymiles sooner.