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shuttle or Amtrak
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Kevin from Trailsnet.com from Colorado on 2/4/2013 3:27:22 PM:
I am planning to bike the Katy Trail in either late March or early April of 2013. I will drive to the western end of the trail, catch a shuttle or train to the eastern end and bike back (east to west). I have been looking at all the shuttle options that are listed on the trip planner page of this website. However, none of them seems to get great reviews and most of them don't even seem to offer the service anymore.
I would also enjoy taking the Amtrak, but what I'm reading is very confusing. I would love to take the train from St. Charles to somewhere near Clinton. However the Amtrak site doesn't show it going to St. Charles. It looks like the nearest train station on the west end is Washington, MO. And on the east end, is Sedalia the best train station or is there one closer to Clinton?
Finally, are most accommodations available in March?
Any and all help/advice is greatly appreciated.
 
MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 2/4/2013 4:11:28 PM:
The closest Amtrak station to St. Charles is Kirkwood and the closest to Clinton is Sedalia. I would contact Lococo House and see about a shuttle for the entire trail or from the Kirkwood station to St. Charles. You would still need a shuttle from Sedalia to Clinton or just ride that section twice.
 
Haank from New Haven, MO on 2/4/2013 8:41:21 PM:
Late March or early April is not high season so some of the services may be hit and miss. Thought I've never used them I've heard Lococo in St. Charles is good. Also Katy Bike Rental in Defiance. Worth a call to both / either.

The closest Amtrak stop to Clinton is Sedalia or Warrensburg. You can catch a shuttle to Clinton from there, just call ahead. Don't worry about the negative reviews. If you make personal contact with people and they say they will be somewhere, they generally will.

It is not an overly difficult ride to go from St. Charles to Kirkwood. I've done it, though not all at the same time. It entails a bit of urban / suburban riding but the routes for the most part are pretty good.

FWIW I think it's generally accepted that riding west to east is preferable. The prevailing wind is generally out of the west.

Loco
 
SofiAndMe from Bettendorf IA on 2/17/2013 8:35:09 PM:
I posted a similar question here about a month and received some really good feedback. The link is here: http://www.bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?thid=6207 ... I do know St. Charles Bike Cafe offers shuttle services. There are located in St. Charles (imagine that). . I plan to ride the trail from East to West (and possibly back) on March ~23-31. Im going to pack everything and camp along the way. I've not yet contacted any campsites because my exact dates are not finalized, and I'm not really excited about having a rigid schedule. There are so many variables that the best laid plan go out the window if there happens to be poor weather, a breakdown, or anything else comes up. All the best. SofiAndme.
 
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