On my recent trip from Chicago to Port Charlotte, Florida I read 2 books and wrote one paper for my graduate class. You have to have the time but compared being stuffed into one of those tiny plane seats the comfort level if far superior.
This trip I met a federal postal inspector and his son. The dining car is the other big plus of the train. If you consider food on the train the trip is more expensive but I would eat if I was not traveling so there are two ways to look at that. Being a stamp collector for the last 50 years and one of the few on the planet that still writes letters his stories about keeping postal workers honest were lots of fun to hear.
Quality study time is very hard to come by if one is a student or writer so I look forward to my next trip. From Chicago you have to take 2 trains each overnight. The first trip is to Washington DC and the second leg is either to Orlando or Tampa and then a bus trip is part of the ticket price to Port Charlotte.
In the dining car you enjoy diner with the country you are passing through visible through a large window. Going through Virginia you see some historic places and the mountains are very beautiful. Keeping the coffee in your cup can be challenging with the motion of the train but that adds to the experience.
