Arriving Fargo, ND at 2:15 AM - Services at Train Station?

[dlagrua]

My wife and myself are planning a 2020 trip to Glacier National Park. We will take the Empire builder from CHI to East Glacier or Essex so we know what to expect there in our evening arrival. On the trip back we will stop in Fargo, N.D. for a couple of days but the Empire builder pulls in at 2:15 AM. Is there any transportation or hotel services available at that hour?

 

[OBS]

Taxi...There are many hotels/motels in the area

 

[jebr]

There almost certainly would be taxis or Uber/Lyft available at that hour, especially on weekends. Both Fargo, ND and neighboring Moorhead, MN have large colleges, and 2 AM is bar close time. At most you might have to wait a bit for them to finish up a run, but they should still be out and about. There are a few hotels within a few blocks that could be walkable as well.

As for hotels, you'd have to check with individual hotels. However, I wouldn't expect there to be any with shuttles to/from the Amtrak station that early in the morning. The bus service in town also doesn't run overnight.

Are you planning on renting a car once in town, or just exploring on foot and supplementing with Uber/Lyft? If you're planning on the latter, I'd suggest staying at one of the downtown hotels, as there's a decent amount of things to walk to in/near downtown.

 

[dlagrua]

There almost certainly would be taxis or Uber/Lyft available at that hour, especially on weekends. Both Fargo, ND and neighboring Moorhead, MN have large colleges, and 2 AM is bar close time. At most you might have to wait a bit for them to finish up a run, but they should still be out and about. There are a few hotels within a few blocks that could be walkable as well.

As for hotels, you'd have to check with individual hotels. However, I wouldn't expect there to be any with shuttles to/from the Amtrak station that early in the morning. The bus service in town also doesn't run overnight.

Are you planning on renting a car once in town, or just exploring on foot and supplementing with Uber/Lyft? If you're planning on the latter, I'd suggest staying at one of the downtown hotels, as there's a decent amount of things to walk to in/near downtown.

Arriving in any city in the wee hours of the morning always presents challenges. Last year we arrived in Kansas City at 11 PM and there were no cabs to be found. If it hadn't been for the trolley that stops outside Union Station and takes you into downtown, it would have been a long evening. The final three block walk to the Crown Plaza was spooky with not a soul to be seen. Will try to make advance arrangements for station to hotel transport.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I used to catch the empire builder after riding Jefferson lines up to Fargo. The Amtrak station opens at midnight so I’d hang around the bus station or go to a nearby diner before calling a cab. Never had a problem getting a cab around midnight. Even in a blizzard that would have shut down a lesser town! Ha