I would echo what others have said. The trains aren't cheap and there can be considerable delays, cancellations, etc. You really need to have plenty of time and be patient. My son went from Richmond to Boston a couple of years ago by train (couldn't get a cheap flight because it was last minute) and there were some really pissed off passengers stranded in the terminal because of assorted delays, problems, etc. Some people had been stuck in Richmond for 14 hours.    Buses aren't that cheap either but there are bus passes for unlimited travel so that might be an idea, and they go more places than the trains. You'll meet some real characters on those buses and trains, though. Also, sometimes the bus and train stations aren't in nice parts of towns or cities, and lots of places don't have very good public transport, so you might be stuck once you get to a place without a car. You can rent a car pretty cheaply and gas/petrol still isn't nearly as expensive as it is in the UK - that's what I'd do.