For the price paid, the trip is not worth it. My ...

For the price paid, the trip is not worth it. My wife and I paid $200 each for the Presidential ticket. The trip was very scenic and I enjoyed the ride. I just feel as though the perks for the Presidential ticket didn't justify the cost. My wife and I did our do diligence in researching the ride prior to purchansing, but we noted that there was a dearth of information regarding just what you got for ticket level. There are just two perks for the Presidential ticket: (1) the porter tells stories and points out the sites along the route, (2) free soda drinks. Well, the porter was very entertaining so that was nice. I had two 9 oz cups of soda along the way, so I got three dollars worth of free soda, wow! No food is provided (oops, I just remebered you get a cookie). You don't get the printed trip guide for free, you have to pay another $10 for it. I would regard the fair cost for the trip to be $100, which is equivalent to the least expensive ticket that can be purchased. The rail line follows the Animas River from Silverton to Durango for 98% of the route. You cross the river several times, so in that regard it does not matter what side you sit on, however, the famous side of the cliff pictures you see of the railroad consists of about a 1/4 mile stretch of the ride and so the best view of that means you need to get a seat on the right if going Durango to Silverton (uphill) or seat on the left if going Sillverton to Durango. When you ride the train it surprisingly rocks sideways more than usual, so that adds excitement to ride with a feeling of instability. You can ride both ways, but most people choose to ride the bus one way and rail the opposite way. I don't think there would be any difference in enjoyment either way you go. The rail ride takes 3&1/2 hours one way. The average train speed is 15 mph. The railroad has arranged the times so that no matter which way you go, you always will spend two hours in Silverton which has more eateries per capita than any other place in the USA. No doubt a sweetheart deal between the tourist bureau and Silverton. So in summary, it is a very scenic ride, but you may feel as I did that the extra cost of the Presidential (or 1st class) tickets are a ripoff.