9 hours by car vs. 100-plus by rail

,” Nov. 10).

I had just finished trying to book train travel on Amtrak’s website. I somehow imagined that my family might save money and also have fun traveling from Palm Springs to Reno by rail instead of our usual nine-hour road trip.

I typed in our origin, Palm Springs, and destination, Reno. The itinerary they presented: First leg, 63 hours on train from Palm Springs to Springfield, Ill. Second leg, two-hour bus ride to Galesburg, Ill. Last leg, 43 hours on train to Reno.

I was laughing so hard that I forgot to check the price. L.A. to Sacramento is nearly as funny. I think we have a long way to go before train travel becomes useful in much of the U.S.

Steve Wagaman

Desert Hot Springs