Derek Low’s American Train Journey: The Route Behind the $429 Ticket

Watching the landscape change through a train window gives a long journey a different character. Derek Low's photographs of travelling across the United States made that experience feel both inviting and surprisingly attainable.

His account became widely shared with prices under five hundred dollars in the headline. Those were historical rail-ticket figures, not the complete cost of two weeks away today.

Derek Low’s route and historical rail-pass price

In Low's own account, the journey crossed the country using Amtrak, with time off the train in places along the way. He described paying $429 for the rail pass then available.

That amount did not turn accommodation during stopovers, food and every other holiday expense into included services. It also should not be confused with the lower point-to-point fare discussed elsewhere in his article.

The Bay Area leg uses Emeryville as the California Zephyr rail terminus. San Francisco can be part of the overall journey through connecting transport; it is not the same station as the long-distance train's departure point.

Choosing the stopovers before the tickets

The California Zephyr links the Bay Area and Chicago through very different landscapes. An onward eastern journey can extend the trip towards New York, with the exact service and schedule chosen for your dates.

Decide where you want to spend time off the train before selecting tickets. A stopover changes the experience from watching a place pass to exploring it, but it also adds accommodation and local transport to the plan.

Allow room for delays and avoid tying an important onward flight to a tight same-day rail arrival. A slower journey is most enjoyable when the rest of the itinerary gives it space.

Checking today’s pass conditions

Amtrak's current pass information describes the USA Rail Pass around ten segments within thirty days, rather than the older fifteen-day product in Low's account. Check the full current conditions and reserve the journeys you intend to take.

A pass does not mean unlimited boarding of any train or automatic access to a sleeping compartment. Compare its eligible services and seating with the individual fares for your actual route.

For overnight travel, think carefully about the comfort you want and the total price. A seat and a private room provide different experiences.

Making time for the window view

Bring a manageable bag, something to read and a little flexibility about how the day unfolds. Keep essential items accessible and enjoy the changing scene without trying to photograph every kilometre.

Our guide to comparing air fares can help if you are choosing between transport options; the cheapest advertised number is only one part of the decision.

Low's story remains appealing because the journey itself becomes a destination. Give the current costs and logistics their proper place, then leave room to enjoy what passes beyond the glass.

Counting the journeys between the stops

The original itinerary ran from the San Francisco area to Salt Lake City, then Denver, Chicago and New York. Low spread the journey over fifteen days rather than treating the continent as one uninterrupted ride. Those stops are part of the story: they distinguish time spent exploring from time spent in transit.

For a current pass comparison, count boardings rather than only the cities on your wish list. Amtrak defines a segment as boarding and leaving a scheduled service; a journey with a connection can therefore use two segments. Its published USA Rail Pass information also distinguishes the 120-day period after purchase from the 30 days available once travel starts. Those details can change which plan fits. Put the intended trains, connections and stopover nights in one list, then compare the eligible pass reservations with individual tickets before deciding. Low’s historical $429 figure remains part of his story, not the price of that new itinerary. ^[1]