problem with my itinerary

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tahoejeff

Train Attendant
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
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34
Location
Wisconsin Dells
i have a problem with my upcoming ski trip from chicago to reno on the zephyr.

i had purchased (but not printed) tickets on the zephyr from chicago to reno, and planned to ride the CoachUSA bus from the bus terminal in Janesville WI to Union station in Chicago.

i've been watching the arrival times for the eb zephyr at chicago, and it is averaging 8 hours late, which means i would miss the last return bus from chi to janesville (JVL).

i just entered a new trip, with the bus ride as part of my amtrak ticket. i actually save a few bucks by doing it with amtrak as a thruway bus. i'm thinking since it's part of my amtrak tickets, if amtrak's lateness causes us to miss the bus, amtrak would put us up in a chicago motel. is that correct?

now the real problem: since the bus doesn't officially offer checked baggage (and i do plan to check 1 bag besides my 2 carryons per passenger), it says carryon rules apply. does this mean the bus driver will not let us ride with 5 bags, since it is over the 2 bag carryon limit? my wife will carry 2, i will carry 2, and we will have one additional suitcase, to be checked once we get to chicago.

i am now stressing. please help.
 
i just entered a new trip, with the bus ride as part of my amtrak ticket. i actually save a few bucks by doing it with amtrak as a thruway bus. i'm thinking since it's part of my amtrak tickets, if amtrak's lateness causes us to miss the bus, amtrak would put us up in a chicago motel. is that correct?now the real problem: since the bus doesn't officially offer checked baggage (and i do plan to check 1 bag besides my 2 carryons per passenger), it says carryon rules apply. does this mean the bus driver will not let us ride with 5 bags, since it is over the 2 bag carryon limit? my wife will carry 2, i will carry 2, and we will have one additional suitcase, to be checked once we get to chicago.

i am now stressing. please help.

AFAIK, if you purchase a thru ticket which includes a Thruway Bus, the bus WILL be there to transport you. The bus does not run empty, the bus waits for the train. SO...you will not be left behind and not put into a hotel.

The checked baggage only indicates you will have to transport you bags from train to bus. The bus will have space to store your bags during the ride, you just have to get them there.
 
i have a problem with my upcoming ski trip from chicago to reno on the zephyr.i had purchased (but not printed) tickets on the zephyr from chicago to reno, and planned to ride the CoachUSA bus from the bus terminal in Janesville WI to Union station in Chicago.

i've been watching the arrival times for the eb zephyr at chicago, and it is averaging 8 hours late, which means i would miss the last return bus from chi to janesville (JVL).

i just entered a new trip, with the bus ride as part of my amtrak ticket. i actually save a few bucks by doing it with amtrak as a thruway bus. i'm thinking since it's part of my amtrak tickets, if amtrak's lateness causes us to miss the bus, amtrak would put us up in a chicago motel. is that correct?

now the real problem: since the bus doesn't officially offer checked baggage (and i do plan to check 1 bag besides my 2 carryons per passenger), it says carryon rules apply. does this mean the bus driver will not let us ride with 5 bags, since it is over the 2 bag carryon limit? my wife will carry 2, i will carry 2, and we will have one additional suitcase, to be checked once we get to chicago.

i am now stressing. please help.
Jeff,

Don't worry about missing the connection; your assumptions are correct, in that since Amtrak is issuing the thru-ticket to janesville, they're responsible for getting you there on their dime. In most cases, the bus is an Amtrak passenger-only bus, which means it will wait a considerable amount of time for the train to show up. There's a chance they'll throw you into a local hotel in Chicago until the next day if you're extremely late getting into CHI, but odds are you'll make the bus on the same day.

As for the bus and the bags, others can probably give more first-hand knowledge, but in my experiences with thruway connections (primarily out of Newport News, VA), the driver didn't really care how many bags I had, as the big ones just went in the luggage compartment under the bus.

-Rafi
 
thank you both for the fast replies. this has put me at ease. i just ordered new tickets, including the bus portion. the bus departure times are the same as they were when i was going to purchase the bus tix on my own, so it's very likely the same bus.

i did have another scare: after purchasing the new tickets at amtrak.com, i saw a message on my confirmation page that scared me. on the old tickets, and the new ones, i used promo code H644 for the AAA half price companion fare. the message said: please note that the use of a promotion code may affect your ability to get a refund or exchange your ticket.

for a minute, i thought i would be stuck with 4 tickets instead of 2! i quickly entered the old reservation number, and it let me cancel for a full refund. wow, what a day!
 
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