# Travel in America.



## leo r. (Nov 10, 2001)

Can anyone help me with the following questions?
How many miles is it via rail/road from Maine to Virginia?
Is there a direct rail link between the two states?
My brother plans to visit the U.S. in the Summer and would like to see some friends in Lincoln,Maine and Collinsville,Virginia.
I would appreciate any information anyone could give me.

Leo R.:chef:


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

It is very far -- about half the length of the Eastern seaboard, depending on how far north in Maine and how south in Virginia.

Alas, passenger trains no longer go to Maine. We are a *VERY* backward country when it comes to travel: the personal automobile is generally considered to be the best method. (As you can see, I disagree. I'm a train fancier myself.)

Probably what he will have to do is take a bus from Boston to somewhere near Lincoln -- if he's lucky, one may actually go there. Then back to Boston by bus, where he can get a train that will go to Washington, DC and possibly into Virginia. (Check if Collinsville is near any train stops, which are few and far between.)

It will be a difficult, and expensive, trip.

For information, you can tryAmtrak for train information, and Peter Pan for bus information. Let me know if you need help finding what you need.


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## chrose (Nov 20, 2000)

Also try for distances and travel times for anywhere.

Just to give you an idea

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...lr=2&x=55&y=14


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Right, Mapquest is good, very good. But, again, it's for *driving*, which a visitor might not want or be prepared to do.

I looked up Leo's brother's 2 places, and while the one in Maine is probably reachable by bus from Bangor, the Virginia one is a lot more difficult. Maybe he should just ask his friends how _they_ get around the wider region, and take it from there. I'd still be willing to help with suggestions.


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## leo r. (Nov 10, 2001)

Suzanne,thank you for help. I think he should hire a helicopter.Ha!Ha!
He is very grateful and has asked me to thank you for taking the time to look up the information.

By the way,our transport system isn`t that good. We have trains cancelled because there isn`t a driver/guard available.
We also had a senior rail manager claim they could not run a service because of the wrong kind of snow!! What the heck is the right kind? Maybe it was too bright for the driver`s eyes!!!

Thanks once again,Leo.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Yeah, I've heard that the BritRail system is on the skids, so to speak. Pity. Such an efficient, ecologically-better way to go (now that locomotives no longer belch coal smoke). Better than 100 X 1 or 2 people in a gasoline-burning resource gobbler, anyway. Why do people think that getting rid of trains is progress???


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

There is a new train running from Boston to Portland. It started within the last month and is apparently very popular.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Yes, much to my surprise, I just saw that there is, in fact, a train that again runs at least as far as Portland. Hallelujah! So I stand -- or ride -- corrected. But unless we all lobby very hard with everyone in Washington (anybody here a former Enron exec?), we are unlikely to have much train service _anywhere_ in a year or 2 or 3.


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## 724 (Sep 27, 2000)

You can get to Portland, Maine by Amtrak or by air. You can also fly into Bangor. After that, there is no public transportation to Lincoln. It is about 4 hours from Portland and 1 hour from Bangor by car.

If he is interested in driving, rte 95 goes all the way up to Lincoln, about a 5 hour drive north of Boston.

I live in Maine, and applaud your brother for his wisdom in avoiding this God-forsaken place in the middle of winter.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Ah, but in summer... I dream of returning to Deer Isle, or Arcadia, and watching the starfish and crabs, and the barnacles in tidal pools ... of course, I've only gone as a tourist, and for brief visits. That makes all the difference.


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