A bunch of first timer questions

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Irelandvegas65

Irelandvegas65

Train Attendant
Joined
Feb 23, 2021
Messages
41
Location
Rockford
This forum has been great, there are so many knowledgeable members here, its awesome! I have questions that ive tried to find the answers for, but most are not very specific, often Amtrak's site is a bit vague, I am certain anyone who's been on this type of trip will know how things really work while onboard.

Here is the October 2021 intinerary: Chicago Union Station to Seattle King Street Station Empir.. Two nights in Seattle.
Seattle to Emeryville CA two nights in San Francisco Via Coast Starlight and Amtrak Bus service.
Emeryville to Glenwood Springs co, two nights in Glenwood and then on to Chicago via California Zephyr.

My Sister and I will be in our own Bedrooms, 1 person each. How much room would you say there is? Ive seen tons of videos ( most show smaller roomettes) and I am wondering about luggage space. Whats your general recommendation, stow the luggage in the check luggage car or can/does it go to the luggage racks that can be accessed? Can it be kept reasonably in the room? the plan is for one mid sized suitcase, backpack and camera bag.

1 person per full bedroom is a fantastic luxury I am sure. I know they bedrooms "A" are a little smaller and a few legs of the trip will have one of us in that type room.

what are some of the most handy things you recommend bringing with you? Lessons learned and shared are very helpful.

I Often Cruise and know much of the tips and tricks for that but this is new to me!

I have read a good deal about meals during the Covid pandemic, and hope to enjoy the full service style that Amtrak is known for, hopefully it will be restored by October.

Looking forward to your input and this 'trip of a lifetime'
 
Welcome to the forum! I hope you stick around and post a trip report for us.

There is room for a medium suitcase and a few other things, especially with just one person in the Bedroom. You can put something under the armchair, there is a little shelf over the armchair, and it's not too much trouble to have something on the sofa during the day and on the chair at night. When I travel with my wife in a Bedroom, some luggage has to be stored on the downstairs rack, and I don't find that to be inconvenient. In fact, I always take my shower in the larger shower room downstairs, instead of getting my toilet room all wet. I like the A Bedroom for solo travel, since there is less noise from your neighbor.
 
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I've never actually travelled in a bedroom, but I'll take a crack at this. Also, welcome to the forum, it's great.

It's decently roomy, considering you're on a moving hotel. I think it's fine for a three day trip. Most say it's comfortable for two, so for one you should have a good amount of room. The bathroom is really a closet, I'd advise you take a shower downstairs.

I would advise you to check 0 luggage. You can't access it at ALL, and if something goes wrong it might end up somewhere else. I would stow the suitcase(s) in the rack downstairs, and have the backpack and camera bag in your room. There is some room for those things inside the bedroom. I wouldn't worry about theft too much for the suitcase.

1. Lots of snacks, moist towelettes, duct tape, books/entertainment (you will not have cell service for a good chunk of the time), some cash for tips (you should tip your SCA and dining staff, due note the cafe car is not accepting cash). A power strip might come in handy, but with separate bedrooms, maybe not. I'm sure there is so much more, but those are the main things I'd say. Other, more experienced people with definitely have more to say on that, I'm sure.

Traditional dining should be back by late May/early June, so you should have it.
 
Now, just in case, here are some of my generic tips!

-Masks are required at all times when you aren't in your room. Not sure how it'll be in October

-Take advantage of the shower! It's honestly not that bad to use. I'd advise you to use it at a fresh air stop for the first time as they are longer and will give you a chance to get use to it without being bumped around.

-You probably know this, but the train can get very late. Expect a delay of up to 90 minutes.

-With Amtrak staff, it's a hit or miss. There are stories of terrible crews who couldn't care less about your experience, and others that will make it one you will always remember.

-Don't get off at any station that is not a fresh air stop. if you do, do not stray more than 10 feet as they will leave you.

Bring an open mind! This is public transit. Also, try to see if you can find a route guide of somesort, or try to get some information about the route. Don't want to miss anything.

You will be going through five mountain ranges that you might be able to see:
-Glacier National Park on the 2nd to last day of the Empire Builder, it might be too dark .
-The Cascades on the last day of the Empire Builder, might be too dark as well.
-The Cascades on the Starlight during the late evening, might be too dark.
-Donner Pass through the Sierra Nevada's on the Zephyr, you will definitely be able to see.
-The Rockies on the Zephyr during the arrival into Glenwood (I think) and from there to Denver. Might be too dark to see the descent into Denver, unfortunately.
 
It looks like you have a great itinerary. And we learned today that "traditional dining" will be restored to all of the western trains in June, which most importantly means the meals you'll receive on board will be of decent quality and presentation, unlike the stuff Amtrak has been serving for the past year.

I'm doubting if you each have separate bedrooms that they're both Bedroom A, unless you deliberately reserved that, as there is only one Bedroom A per car. Are you in the same car on each train?

When we travel on the Superliner (bilevel) cars, which all of the trains on your trip use, we generally carry backpacks and smaller bags up to our room and stow the big suitcases in the luggage area downstairs. Even if you have to go down once a day to fetch things, that's less inconvenient than trying to lug the suitcases upstairs and squeeze them into your room. Definitely take the camera bag to your room. If it's busy, lots of other people are headed to that downstairs luggage area periodically to fetch things from their bags, so the bags get moved around a lot; I wouldn't leave anything fragile in them.

If things are reasonably normal by October, be sure the check out the springs for which Glenwood Springs is named. We visited there in January, and it was quite the experience to jump into the warm water in our swim trunks and look up at the snow falling on our faces.
 
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If there's any flexibility at all in your travel dates, shop around for dates with the lowest fares.

F'rinstance, fares for one adult in a Bedroom from Chicago to Seattle can range from $895 to $2,215! Other fares can be found here: Long Distance Train Coach & Sleeper Fares (Buckets)

And if you've never been out West, don't bury your nose in your PDA. I find the Big Sky Country of Montana absolutely mesmerizing!
 
Speaking of each of you being in your own bedroom, check with Amtrak, you might be able to book two adjoining bedrooms (E/D or C/B.
There is a door between the two that your attendant can open and you could move back and forth between the two rooms. You can close it again if desired during your trip.
 
niemi24s said:
If there's any flexibility at all in your travel dates, shop around for dates with the lowest fares.

F'rinstance, fares for one adult in a Bedroom from Chicago to Seattle can range from $895 to $2,215! Other fares can be found here: Long Distance Train Coach & Sleeper Fares (Buckets)

And if you've never been out West, don't bury your nose in your PDA. I find the Big Sky Country of Montana absolutely mesmerizing!
Click to expand...
Mesmerized...
1971 124.jpg

1971 125.jpg
 
These are some great replies, exactly what I thought id get from this group! We have family in SFO area, and in Aspen, I lived there a long time so very familiar with Glenwood Springs and some of The West. I have never been to Seattle nor across the upper regions, the Dakotas, Montanna Idaho etc, so all new territory for me! My only other long distance Amtrak ride was CHI to Dallas while in High School to see a friend who had moved there. Coach seating, I remember seeing the "fancy" bedrooms, and thinking that would be great to have one of those!
 
.

I'm doubting if you each have separate bedrooms that they're both Bedroom A, unless you deliberately reserved that, as there is only one Bedroom A per car. Are you in the same car on each train?

We are in the same car, and only have one room "A" on two of our four segments. Sounds like "A" has the advantage of no neighbors but is a little smaller with the clipped off corner.


When we travel on the Superliner (bilevel) cars, which all of the trains on your trip use, we generally carry backpacks and smaller bags up to our room and stow the big suitcases in the luggage area downstairs. Even if you have to go down once a day to fetch things, that's less inconvenient than trying to lug the suitcases upstairs and squeeze them into your room. Definitely take the camera bag to your room. If it's busy, lots of other people are headed to that downstairs luggage area periodically to fetch things from their bags, so the bags get moved around a lot; I wouldn't leave anything fragile in them.

If things are reasonably normal by October, be sure the check out the springs for which Glenwood Springs is named. We visited there in January, and it was quite the experience to jump into the warm water in our swim trunks and look up at the snow falling on our faces.

I love the Glenwood Springs Pool and Springs! Used to live in Aspen , so I am familiar with them and they are great.
 
Irelandvegas65 said:
Here is the October 2021 intinerary: Chicago Union Station to Seattle King Street Station Empir.. Two nights in Seattle.
Seattle to Emeryville CA two nights in San Francisco Via Coast Starlight and Amtrak Bus service.
Emeryville to Glenwood Springs co, two nights in Glenwood and then on to Chicago via California Zephyr.
Click to expand...
I am wondering why there is a bus involved. It is my understanding that Coast Starlight goes all the way from Seattle to Emeryville without having to involve a bus. Is there some kind of work scheduled to be done on the tracks in October?
 
Barb Stout said:
I am wondering why there is a bus involved. It is my understanding that Coast Starlight goes all the way from Seattle to Emeryville without having to involve a bus. Is there some kind of work scheduled to be done on the tracks in October?
Click to expand...
They are taking the bus from Emeryville to San Francisco.
 
tomfuller said:
If the California Zephyr goes back to a daily schedule (I hope), you might want to spend only 24 hours in Glenwood Springs. I agree with the two nights in the cities.
The roomettes are good for single people. Many people get roomettes across the aisle for their kids instead of family bedrooms.
Click to expand...
Actually, having my brother and sister who live in Aspen well will most likely stay there with them. It’s about a 45 minute free bus ride or they might come get us. My hitchhiking days in the roaring fork valley are past me at this point, but I’ve done it! Initial plan was to stay at the hotel Denver across from the station but who can re sister staying with willing family? 🤪🙄
 
Sounds like great trip ! I stay in bedroom A with a 22" suitcase under the chair , a backpack on the shelf, a couple of things hung in the skinny closet, a small soft side cooler for any snacks/drinks and i put my laptop on the chair at bedtime.

I always use the bedroom shower and just wipe it down with a spare towel. I dont find a need for books or anything on long distance trips.
 
Some may be puzzled by my comment about being mesmerized by the Big Sky Country of Montana. My train trips are so infrequent I look forward to each one much like a ten year old kid. Not wanting to miss seeing anything along the way (and traveling only with camera and TracPhone as digital companions) I use USGS topographic maps to prepare my own route guides.

The one for the EB from SEA to CHI contains 366 items, an average of about one every 6 miles. Items include borders, rivers, tunnels, bridges, Amtrak stations, any settlement with a name and any other named or interesting feature on a topographic map. As an example, that 105 mile portion of the EB route between Havre and Shelby MT contains 16 things to keep an eye out for in between those station stops, 12 settlements and 4 railroad sidings - each with a name:
EB Route Placesb.jpg
Many sidings (circled s) were probably named by the railroad, perhaps after a nearby mountain, or in the case of Tiber for a dam 20 miles from Chester, MT. But a few, like Buelow, remain a mystery. It's just a 1½ mile long passing siding with no grain elevators or anything else to distinguish it.

As you can probably tell, it doesn't take much to get me mesmerized! :)
 
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I like the idea of a "self tour guide". that has notes and things to see! I seems much of the routes will not have cellular, so I may take my GPS Garmin to trace along with the route! great idea on the Topographic maps as well! The more I read here, the more I learn , glad I started far in advance, October will be here sooner than I think.
 
Would be nice, since Amtrak is dumping the free volunteer guides it seems, that they have someone write an app or provide on-train local wi-fi that uses free GPS so it can describe the things you can see while you listen/see the info on your cell phone or computer.
Nah! Why would they do something like that?
 
Irelandvegas65 said:
I like the idea of a "self tour guide". that has notes and things to see! I seems much of the routes will not have cellular, so I may take my GPS Garmin to trace along with the route! great idea on the Topographic maps as well! The more I read here, the more I learn , glad I started far in advance, October will be here sooner than I think.
Click to expand...
At least on an Android device, you can also tell Google Maps to preload maps for the areas through which you'll be traveling. It's a bit tedious, because the size of each download is limited to a certain data size, so you have to work your way along your route drawing a series of boxes. But it works well once the maps have all been downloaded, with no need for data in real time.

You'd want to do this where you have WiFi, unless you have unlimited data and an unusually fast connection. And you'll probably want to direct Google Map's data to an SD card, if you have that option.
 

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