vacation train ride must include ride on talgo

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Bigval109

OBS Chief
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Jul 25, 2006
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Richmond VA
I'm trying to plan my May vacation for 2010 saw the talgo and want to include a ride on it as part of my train ride around the country. I will be using my points so I can have a sleeper where possible. Any ideas with my start from rvr. :)
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.

The simplest thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
 
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I'm trying to plan my May vacation for 2010 saw the talgo and want to include a ride on it as part of my train ride around the country. I will be using my points so I can have a sleeper where possible. Any ideas with my start from rvr. :)
You may want to start out somewhere else because you can only get to the Talgos by going to the Pacific Northwest which means a three-zone reward no matter how you work it...

Or else reconsider your choice to just want to ride the Talgos because you're spending a massive amount of points to ride a train with relatively cheap tickets.

I would at least start your reward in a city in the midwestern zone..
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.
The logical thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.

If you want to buy your own Talgo tickets, then you can use silver service to WAS. However, again, that's an expensive three-zone reward.
 
Pay for RVR-TOL and then redeem a 2-zone TOL-CHI-PDX-SEA bedroom. That's what I'm doing from BWI for my honeymoon (I think, we're still working out the details at the PACNORWEST end.

You can also drive yourself to CVS and then pay for CVS - CIN and then do the 2 zone deal, but that's more expensive.
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.
The logical thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.

If you want to buy your own Talgo tickets, then you can use silver service to WAS. However, again, that's an expensive three-zone reward.
Sorry I didn't make my self clear but you have provided me with valuable info. I'm going to ride the train around the country anyway. That is what I do on my vacations. So if I ride the train to seattle I can buy a ticket to ride the talgo. I didn't know where to catch it. I saw it in the news and wanted to ride it. Thanks Then use my points for the return trip home using the atlanta loophole a two zone reward.
 
I would opt for a 2 zone reward using the SDL loophole to SEA. Book RVR to NOL on cash, spend the night in NOL-- board 20 in coach to SDL. Then book SDL to SEA on points. You can take 20 to WAS, 29 to CHI, 3 to LAX, and 14 to SEA. You'll ace the CL, SWC, and CS. NEVER underestimate 30 hours of the PPC up the CS route... it's wonderful. You can go back and forth between PDX and SEA on your Talgo then take 8/30/regional back to RVR. It may cost more out of pocket but you'll have a lot more fun with a better use of your precious hard-earned points!
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.
The logical thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.

If you want to buy your own Talgo tickets, then you can use silver service to WAS. However, again, that's an expensive three-zone reward.
Sorry I didn't make my self clear but you have provided me with valuable info. I'm going to ride the train around the country anyway. That is what I do on my vacations. So if I ride the train to seattle I can buy a ticket to ride the talgo. I didn't know where to catch it. I saw it in the news and wanted to ride it. Thanks Then use my points for the return trip home using the atlanta loophole a two zone reward.
Look at my above suggestion... you want to talk about going around the country? Heheh-- 20/29/3/14 to get there and 8/48/regional back to RVR... you would go all around the country.
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.
The logical thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.

If you want to buy your own Talgo tickets, then you can use silver service to WAS. However, again, that's an expensive three-zone reward.
Sorry I didn't make my self clear but you have provided me with valuable info. I'm going to ride the train around the country anyway. That is what I do on my vacations. So if I ride the train to seattle I can buy a ticket to ride the talgo. I didn't know where to catch it. I saw it in the news and wanted to ride it. Thanks Then use my points for the return trip home using the atlanta loophole a two zone reward.
Look at my above suggestion... you want to talk about going around the country? Heheh-- 20/29/3/14 to get there and 8/48/regional back to RVR... you would go all around the country.

Except, he would have to stay overnight in NYC(other than 67, which is not a good choice), but if he takes a longer route on 448 to Boston, he could possibly make it from there and explore even more of America.

cpamtfan-Peter
 
You need to get to Portland, OR or Seattle, because the only Talgos in service right now are in Amtrak Cascades service betweened Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.
The logical thing would be to get to Chicago (Silver Service to WAS, Capitol Limited to CHI). Then Empire Builder to either Portland (27), or Seattle (7). Go to the other one (Portland or Seattle) on one of the Cascades, then take the Builder back.

You do have to get to the PNW, though. Once here, you can ride Talgos to your hearts content.
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.

If you want to buy your own Talgo tickets, then you can use silver service to WAS. However, again, that's an expensive three-zone reward.
Sorry I didn't make my self clear but you have provided me with valuable info. I'm going to ride the train around the country anyway. That is what I do on my vacations. So if I ride the train to seattle I can buy a ticket to ride the talgo. I didn't know where to catch it. I saw it in the news and wanted to ride it. Thanks Then use my points for the return trip home using the atlanta loophole a two zone reward.
Look at my above suggestion... you want to talk about going around the country? Heheh-- 20/29/3/14 to get there and 8/48/regional back to RVR... you would go all around the country.

Except, he would have to stay overnight in NYC(other than 67, which is not a good choice), but if he takes a longer route on 448 to Boston, he could possibly make it from there and explore even more of America.

cpamtfan-Peter
Then you can do 8/30/regional
 
I would opt for a 2 zone reward using the SDL loophole to SEA. Book RVR to NOL on cash, spend the night in NOL
You do not have to buy a ticket all the way to NOL! The Midwest zone begins in ATL (with a 12 hour same day layover), or you could go to BHM for a 3 hour same day layover!

BTW: The Cascades (Talgos) are a special route. Once you get to the NW, you can ride them for only 1,000 points!
 
I would opt for a 2 zone reward using the SDL loophole to SEA. Book RVR to NOL on cash, spend the night in NOL
You do not have to buy a ticket all the way to NOL! The Midwest zone begins in ATL (with a 12 hour same day layover), or you could go to BHM for a 3 hour same day layover!

BTW: The Cascades (Talgos) are a special route. Once you get to the NW, you can ride them for only 1,000 points!
If you do that you can only get the Crescent/CL/EB option... If it were me, I'd go all the way to NOL to get the SWC/CS instead!
 
If you do that you can only get the Crescent/CL/EB option... If it were me, I'd go all the way to NOL to get the SWC/CS instead!
Just picking a random date (10/30), RVR-NOL was $160 for the rail fare plus the cost of the hotel but RVR-CHI was $83. You can get the SWC/CS choice from CHI (I did it a few months ago :) ), but not from TOL. It is also $83 RVR-CIN, but that way you get the Cardinal/CZ/CS with an 8 hour layover in SAC. (You do get the best CZ scenery and you don't board the CS until midnight.) However, you could also buy a RSV (Roseville, CA)-EMY-SAC ticket and board the CS at about 10 PM! :) (The reason for RSV is that the CZ is discharge only starting in SAC.)

If you did want to redeem a 3 zone award and wanted the SWC and CS, you could redeem a 2 zone award RVR-ABQ and a 1 zone award ABQ-(PDX or SEA)!
 
If you do that you can only get the Crescent/CL/EB option... If it were me, I'd go all the way to NOL to get the SWC/CS instead!
Just picking a random date (10/30), RVR-NOL was $160 for the rail fare plus the cost of the hotel but RVR-CHI was $83. You can get the SWC/CS choice from CHI (I did it a few months ago :) ), but not from TOL. It is also $83 RVR-CIN, but that way you get the Cardinal/CZ/CS with an 8 hour layover in SAC. (You do get the best CZ scenery and you don't board the CS until midnight.) However, you could also buy a RSV (Roseville, CA)-EMY-SAC ticket and board the CS at about 10 PM! :) (The reason for RSV is that the CZ is discharge only starting in SAC.)

If you did want to redeem a 3 zone award and wanted the SWC and CS, you could redeem a 2 zone award RVR-ABQ and a 1 zone award ABQ-(PDX or SEA)!
what say I buy a ticket to cin then use my two zone reward to sea can I get then to route me thur Lax to sea as a two zone reward on cs up to sea? Then I could use a two zone reward using the atl loop hole and get off in was then buy a ticket home. of course timing is everything.
 
what say I buy a ticket to cin then use my two zone reward to sea can I get then to route me thur Lax to sea as a two zone reward on cs up to sea? Then I could use a two zone reward using the atl loop hole and get off in was then buy a ticket home. of course timing is everything.
If you were buying a ticket cross country, you could route from CIN to SEA via LAX using a multi-city booking. However, you can't on an AGR award. It routes you directly there, or via PDX or SAC. By going via CHI (and buying a ticket RVR-CHI), you can route via LAX on an AGR award! :D
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
I didn't design the system. But I can tell you what I saw--
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
I didn't design the system. But I can tell you what I saw--
And I can tell you what I've done, which is to book a three zone 35,000 point roomette/business class redemption from Portland to Seattle on a Talgo, followed by the EB and the LSL. That is a valid AGR routing.

From that, since the connection between the Capitol Limited and the Silver Meteor is also considered a valid AGR connection, one can extrapolate that a routing of PDX-SEA-CHI-WAS-RVR is a valid three zone AGR routing that would include a ride on a Talgo train.
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
I didn't design the system. But I can tell you what I saw--
And I can tell you what I've done, which is to book a three zone 35,000 point roomette/business class redemption from Portland to Seattle on a Talgo, followed by the EB and the LSL. That is a valid AGR routing.

From that, since the connection between the Capitol Limited and the Silver Meteor is also considered a valid AGR connection, one can extrapolate that a routing of PDX-SEA-CHI-WAS-RVR is a valid three zone AGR routing that would include a ride on a Talgo train.
But have you begun South of WAS?

Go ahead, punch in RVR, there's no way to make a valid AGR routing that includes Silver and Talgo.
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
I didn't design the system. But I can tell you what I saw--
And I can tell you what I've done, which is to book a three zone 35,000 point roomette/business class redemption from Portland to Seattle on a Talgo, followed by the EB and the LSL. That is a valid AGR routing.

From that, since the connection between the Capitol Limited and the Silver Meteor is also considered a valid AGR connection, one can extrapolate that a routing of PDX-SEA-CHI-WAS-RVR is a valid three zone AGR routing that would include a ride on a Talgo train.
But have you begun South of WAS?

Go ahead, punch in RVR, there's no way to make a valid AGR routing that includes Silver and Talgo.
Amtrak.com is unable to show you such a routing, as it is limited in just what it shows. But trust me the routing is available in ARROW and therefore available to AGR agents.

When one types in a city pair to Amtrak.com, A.com asks ARROW for the information. Due to a limitation of A.com, it only displays the results from the first page of info that ARROW sends back. Additional pages that would contain many other routings are discarded by A.com, even though an agent can make such a booking for you as STARS does not have that limitation.

Try using the multi-city function and I'm sure you can create such an itinerary.
 
Amtrak will not allow you to schedule a Talgo-inclusive reward with silver service... you must use a regional to get on to the Talgo. Again, inclusively.
While I won't swear that one can get a Talgo-inclusive reward that includes the Silver service, I for one don't see why one cannot do that. It is within the rules and the guidelines.

I know for a fact that one can get a 3 zone award that includes a Talgo from Portland to Seattle, the Empire Builder from there to Chicago, and either the LSL to NY (which I've done) or the Capitol Limited to DC. Since the Capitol provides a valid transfer to the Silver Meteor, AGR should allow a 3 zone award to continue on the Meteor.
I didn't design the system. But I can tell you what I saw--
And I can tell you what I've done, which is to book a three zone 35,000 point roomette/business class redemption from Portland to Seattle on a Talgo, followed by the EB and the LSL. That is a valid AGR routing.

From that, since the connection between the Capitol Limited and the Silver Meteor is also considered a valid AGR connection, one can extrapolate that a routing of PDX-SEA-CHI-WAS-RVR is a valid three zone AGR routing that would include a ride on a Talgo train.
But have you begun South of WAS?

Go ahead, punch in RVR, there's no way to make a valid AGR routing that includes Silver and Talgo.
Amtrak.com is unable to show you such a routing, as it is limited in just what it shows. But trust me the routing is available in ARROW and therefore available to AGR agents.

When one types in a city pair to Amtrak.com, A.com asks ARROW for the information. Due to a limitation of A.com, it only displays the results from the first page of info that ARROW sends back. Additional pages that would contain many other routings are discarded by A.com, even though an agent can make such a booking for you as STARS does not have that limitation.

Try using the multi-city function and I'm sure you can create such an itinerary.
You can make a multi-city function for almost anything but we've never been able to get those routings before.
 
rvr-pdx.jpg


Granted it's not the Silver Meteor, it's a regional because the system figures that I would prefer sleeping later and having a shorter layover in DC. But if one requested the Silver Meteor from AGR, one can get it, and that's without using Multi-city.
 
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Then I dare somebody to try it because frankly, Alan, I don't believe it-- I have called up that exact same booking myself. But I have never been able to get a Silver/Cascades combo WITHOUT using multi-city.
 
rvr-pdx.jpg

Granted it's not the Silver Meteor, it's a regional because the system figures that I would prefer sleeping later and having a shorter layover in DC. But if one requested the Silver Meteor from AGR, one can get it, and that's without using Multi-city.
Regional is fine with me but I was thinking of the cardinal anyway. Plus I was thinking of riding the talgos as a day trip from sea. Maybe go down to portland for lunch and a little shopping then take the train back to sea. My main intrest now from all this great info is the possiblity of being routed by swc to cs to sea in a roomette as a two zone reward. This just seems so great to me. Plus i have never been that way before. Plus i thought someone said take the TE from chi to Lax and then go up the coast on the CS to sea. That a lot of rail miles but I would love it :) . What do you think?
 
rvr-pdx.jpg

Granted it's not the Silver Meteor, it's a regional because the system figures that I would prefer sleeping later and having a shorter layover in DC. But if one requested the Silver Meteor from AGR, one can get it, and that's without using Multi-city.
Regional is fine with me but I was thinking of the cardinal anyway. Plus I was thinking of riding the talgos as a day trip from sea. Maybe go down to portland for lunch and a little shopping then take the train back to sea. My main intrest now from all this great info is the possiblity of being routed by swc to cs to sea in a roomette as a two zone reward. This just seems so great to me. Plus i have never been that way before. Plus i thought someone said take the TE from chi to Lax and then go up the coast on the CS to sea. That a lot of rail miles but I would love it :) . What do you think?
IMHO:personaly the TE/SL route isnt that great,plus the overnight layover in SAS is not good! :lol: The SWC/CS

is probably the way to go all things considered!
 
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