Scenic Rail Travel for $4 per Hour

One of North America's most scenic and least appreciated rail journeys is on The Adirondack, the Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) train which links two great cities, New York and Montreal. It travels along the majestic Hudson River, then north of Albany parts of the trip are right on the shore of scenic Lake Champlain. The tracks are so close to the lake in some places that you have the sensation of almost falling in.

This spring Amtrak is offering special weekend fares of $89 U.S. roundtrip on the Adirondack. Given that the train makes a lot of stops, the return journey takes about 22 hours, which works out to $4 per hour. The trip both ways is in daytime, so you get a good view out the window. This fare is valid for travel between Thursdays and Mondays only, and all travel must be completed within five days.

Advance booking is required, travel must be completed by April 24 and there are some blackout days. But given that the trip is hardly more costly than gas for your own car for this route, it is a very good deal. And since you arrive downtown in both cities, you save on transportation from the airport or parking fees.