D.C. to Chicago Christmas week

[bethhill]

Hi, am new to this forum and looking for some travle advice for this December. My husband and I are coming over from the UK to visit relatives in DC and Chicago, we're flying into DC on the 17th and leaving on the 19th to head towards Chicago. I have been to the States many times and completed lots of road trips as well as ventured onto the trains for some longer journeys. We were originally going to go by AMTRAK as I was worried about the weather and wanted my husband to get a flavour of travel in the USA! However there's nothing like a roadtrip in the States and I feel like he may be missing out if we don't drive instead. This is going to be his first time in the US and I really want him to love it as much as I do, any advice? Will the weather be too bad? Is there a route I should go to give him the best journey? Or is AMTRAK a safer bet at that time of year? I have driven out of DC and into Chicago a few times so am not worried about driving, just concerned about the weather!

Thanks for any advice,

Beth Hill

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Well since this is a website devoted to RoadTrips, you'd hardly expect us to recommend the train would you? Actually, we do suggest AMTRAK from time to time, but this is not one of those times. Especially if the weather co-operates, taking a couple of days to drive from Washington to Chicago, even during Christmas week, will give your husband a much better chance of experiencing the America that has so appealed to you. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict the weather this far out, but in general I would expect that you should be able to make this journey without serious problems. If the weather does turn against you (and you should be able to know from weather forecasts a few days before you go) then you'll still have time to cancel or return your rental car and book on AMTRAK. Just be aware that AMTRAK is not immune to weather related delays or cancellations either.

AZBuck

[Midwest Michael]

Actually, not only is Amtrak not immune to weather delays, but often times weather can make the trains a bigger problem. Since Amtrak runs on the rails owned by the Freight Railroads, passenger trains get bumped to the back of the line, and if you've got backups due to weather, it can mean some very long waits.