Would a train trip be romantic?
I love trains and go on them frequently, but I somehow doubt they are all that romantic, given the above mentioned factors. Plus, Amtrak is really late. REALLLLLLLLLY late. I’ve heard they’ve been days late on the Zephyr line alone, which has discouraged me from taking a long-distance train trip so far. If you want to do anything else besides sit on the train and watch scenery, I wouldn’t pick a long-distance train trip for it. Or if I did, I’d plan a few days extra to be taken off from work due to likely train lateness. But if time isn’t a factor for you, then eh, go ahead.
I did a similar thing (Chicago->San Francisco) when I was 20, and didn’t feel out of place 95% of the time. When we ate dinner in the dining car — that was awkward. If you’re not a group of four, you have to share a table, and we definitely ate with old people, and it was uncomfortable for everyone. Other than that, I don’t think looking out a train window, reading a book, playing cards, etc. has to be an age-related activity. I had a great time.
I echo the positions stated above: if you like a bit of challenge, it is romantic. If not, it ain’t. I moved to Seattle from the midwest via the Empire Builder about 15 years ago and we were several days late, at the height of summer. At one point, the lead engine caught fire and everyone on the train had to debark into the -insert random high-prairie location here- early evening, to lounge on the high grass in the heat. Multiple cars had failed air conditioning and no openable windows. etc. Since then, having a taste for this sort of tomfoolery, I can report that several trips up and down the west coast have not revealed similar issues. I find sleeping in coach pretty uncomfortable but a midnight (post-film) walk up to the observation car has always been fulfilling. It’s very different than a road trip or a plane; things are as much beyond your control as on a plane, but it takes days and days. If you can deal with indifferent service and technology breakdowns for days at a time, yes,
