Getting to Glacier

It is a 16 hour drive from the Twin Cities to the eastern edge of Glacier National Park.  The Amtrak Empire Builder route runs from the Twin Cities out through the park, so I thought it would be a good idea to research possibility of taking the train out there and then compare that to the cost of driving.

Driving Cost:  From Elk River to East Glacier is 1075 miles (16 hours), @ 20mpg in the Sportage that would be 54 gallons of gas at $3.50 a gallon is ~$190 each way, with the additional cost and down time of getting a motel room half way.

     ($190 + $50) x 2 = $480

Amtrak Cost:  The Amtrak from St. Cloud to East Glacier is $167 one-way (19 hours) and there would be no motel needed.

     $167 x 2 = $334

One of the potential downfalls of the train is that their website says that this route does not allow checked baggage, so I may need an extra seat for my backpack, but I need to call Amtrak to confirm.