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Amtrak, Italy or both?

Have traveled extensively by Amtrak. Sadly, I think it will be cut by the incoming administration. If I had your ability to move to Italy, I would leave before sunset.

Amtrak is an interesting beast. I have taken the Coast Starlight once, from Sacramento to Portland. You sleep on it, in your seat, and the Siskiyou Pass is slow going and I believe you can see Shasta. Even the cheap seats are extremely roomy. I have taken the Pacific Surfliner once, from L.A. Union Station to San Diego. It's funny that several subway lines meet at L.A. Union and, even during rush hour, it doesn't feel crowded ... because it's L.A. and not NYC. I have taken the Cascades once from Portland to Seattle. The price was right, the route is clean and green, and the train cars are not as tall and only 1 level. I have taken the train from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa. I don't remember the route's name. It is said to often run late. It did. Lauderdale is next to Metrorail. A real helpful Cuban guy checked you in and a sassy Black guy was the conductor. The people were the trippiest of any train ride I've been on. A little edgier and it could have had some Jerry Springer value. When we were kids, my parents would take us cross-country on the Amtrak Santa Fe to Chicago, followed by another train to New York. The only part I remembered was the eerieness of the Petrified Forest under thunderstorm skies and all the small bodies of water in Missouri. I was told that there would be water moccasins in there. We'd allow for 3 to 4 days in the New York area with relatives as a buffer before sailing from the city to Italy. It was done in reverse if coming the other way. My parents were a little weird this way. (The apple didn't fall far from the tree.) Two segments on TWA or Pan Am 747s would have shaved a lot of time off this trip! The U.S. is way behind in good train service. California High Speed Rail is way behind schedule. They are still working on the Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield segment. The Republicans hate the plan. It's always better to build these projects sooner than later. If anything, this project could further growth in California's interior since its coveted coastal metro areas are not feasible options for most people anymore. Having people trampling along the route and in those inland areas makes for a "multiplier effect." Don't get me started on topics like this.

@A Horse With No Name If you want to see a VAST array of American Iron, take the Amtrak train from Chicago to Seattle. It was AMAZING to see all the lined up trucks and cars from just about every make lined up in the fields by the train tracks heading west. It is an amazing site to see all the old autos rusting away in the fields as well as some of the abandoned small towns that the trains go by. You could also do the Seattle to Chicago ride. Still amazing sites to behold. Empire Builder Seattle To Chicago

"GM is just as reliable as..." Also GM: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/gm-facing-safety-probe-into-870000-suvs-and-pickups-how-bad-is-it-184430468.html

As green as I try to be, there is one thing I disagree with on the side of state/county/city government and that is the let them build 6 ft apart building. Building wall to the property line of 3ft and then another 3ft to the wall of the next dwelling. This close building is also a cause and fault of the politicians who favor more property tax over safety and space. As such, the density has allowed these fires to destroy whole sections of LA and it is not over yet. I have plenty of family impacted in the greater LA area with some having lost their homes. SAD