[ElijahLynn]

Ahh, yes, I remember thinking that it was roughly the same time. Still much better without the traffic, but significantly more expensive if one has access to a vehicle already. I found myself thinking I would like to take it more, but it wasn't that fast, plus with having to get to the train station ahead of time and then get transportation when I arrived, it was actually more time consuming.

It was very scenic though and I very much enjoyed being able to walk around and also walk to the food car to get a beverage and sit at one of the tables there.

[throwaway-blaze]

You must also add on the time to get to the station from home and the time to get to where you're going in the destination area from the station there.

For instance, if I live in Bellevue or Redmond and want to go to Portland, I can drive in the same 3hrs as it would take someone who lives in Downtown Seattle to take the train. But if I were to take the train, I'm looking at a 20-30min taxi or uber ride first, plus the cost.

[mulderc]

I've noticed that people often underestimate the actual expenses associated with driving.

For instance, the Amtrak Cascades ticket from pdx to Seattle is only $26. On the other hand, when you calculate the IRS mileage rate of 66 cents per mile for the 161-mile distance between Portland and Seattle, driving adds up to $106. This calculation doesn't consider the opportunity cost of driving, as it limits your ability to do other things while operating a car. Additionally, it doesn't factor in externalities like pollution. Considering the challenging driving conditions in Seattle, avoiding the hassle of driving and parking there is a definite positive in my opinion.