Travels with Kev

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Two things this week. One is short, and the other is something I am passionate about. The first is that I have a new post out, and the second is a safety concern about taking videos and photos around trains. New on Travels with Kev: Amtrak in Arizona. Planning an Amtrak trip to Arizona? The Southwest Chief serves northern Arizona, while the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle serve southern Arizona. However, Phoenix can catch travelers off guard...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Today, we’re examining Amtrak’s long-distance on-time performance for April and May. The June numbers are not out yet. For a while, the numbers were trending in the right direction, but that has changed. In this newsletter, I’ll share what the latest numbers show and why they matter for planning an Amtrak trip. I use these on-time performance numbers to set realistic expectations. They do not tell the whole story, but they can help you plan...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, I know many people are busy this week, so I am keeping this newsletter short. There is a new post this week, and I have updated a few others. For the folks in the USA, happy 4th of July. For those outside the USA, I hope you have a great weekend anyway. New post out! The North Charleston station is the only Amtrak stop where I’ve used two station buildings. When I first started traveling between Wisconsin and South Carolina to visit my...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Welcome back if you have been with me for a while, and welcome to everyone who joined this newsletter this week. Is Amtrak Really Competing with Airlines — Or Road Trips? People often compare Amtrak to flying, and I understand why. On the surface, that comparison makes sense. When planning trips such as Chicago to California, New York to New Orleans, or Seattle to Chicago, the first thing many people do is compare the train time with the...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, I want to thank all of you who sent birthday wishes last week. If you didn't, that is okay too. My niece and I made it home on Thursday afternoon. She was glad to see her grandparents, and they were glad to see her as well. I'll share a little more about that later. 6 Lessons from 200,000+ Miles of Travel After more than 200,000 miles of travel, I have learned that the best travelers are not always those who plan every detail perfectly....

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Welcome back! This week, we look at some Amtrak numbers and get an update on my current trip! Hint: if you want to travel on Amtrak, you may need to book early! Amtrak Ridership Booming—Here’s What That Means for Your Next Trip Amtrak’s April 2026 report shows ridership up 6% year over year. That’s 20.6 million passengers—nearly a million more than last year. The network is gaining momentum. Here’s where and what it means for your next...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Traveling can be stressful, even before you leave for the station. Packing used to stress me out, and to be honest, it still does a little. I would pack weeks in advance to make sure I was doing it right (even though I was still overpacking). These days, I often pack the day or night before, after finishing the last load of laundry before the trip. I Used to Be an Overpacker: Here's What Changed I have said in the past that I was a habitual...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you had a great week! After more than a decade of riding Amtrak, I’ve developed a few habits for booking trips. This week’s article walks through how I book tickets, use passes, and plan more complex adventures. How Does Kev Book Amtrak Adventure? There are several ways to book Amtrak trips, and the option I choose depends on the type of trip I’m taking. Online vs. Calling I rarely call unless the booking tools are having trouble...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Recently, Amtrak quietly rolled out some surprisingly fun café car upgrades on the Northeast Regional — including sticky buns, buffalo wraps, and the famous butter cake that sleeper passengers on long-distance trains already know and love. I also had a travel adventure of my own this week, involving trains, planes, a five-hour delay, and forgetting my earbuds at home. So grab a coffee (bonus points if it’s paired with a sticky bun), and...

The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter Hello Reader, Welcome to all the new readers, and thank you to everyone who has been here for a while. I genuinely enjoy putting these newsletters together and sharing stories, thoughts, and travel lessons that do not always fit into a regular post on the site. This week, I want to talk about getting started with travel — and why I think many people overcomplicate it before they even leave home. I know I have. You Don’t Need to Know Everything Before You...