Auto Train Questions

[abcnews]

Looks like we will head south in August on the Auto Train. It will be me and my wife and 3 of our 5 children. The ages of the children traveling are 22, 16 and 10 so we needed 4 adult tickets and 1 child.. My two oldest (we have 5 kids) may not attend. I booked a Deluxe BR though AGR for 20,000 and the car for 10,000. Also purchased two more adult tickets (Roomette) for about $376 - includes meals.

Here are my questions>..

1. Is there a special dinning car just for the Roomette/BR riders, and another for Coach class?

2. Is there a Sightseer Observation on both consists? Or just one SS Lounge on one of the Auto Trains - and another style of lounge, on the other Train - traveling opposite direction..

3. Any other special cars in addition to a lounge and Dining room?

4. Any thoughts on Bedroom K or Car #5431? The location? Is it up or down?

5. Should we try to get the Roomette in the same car as our Deluxe BR?

Any tips or thoughts on the Auto Train?

I chose this route because I though that it would be a fun trip for a family, a rare Superliner trip on the East Coast, and it is rather affordable. After a few days in FL we will just drive back home to VA.

 

[Acela150]

I can answer all of them.

1. As far as I know yes, they have separate dining cars for coach and sleeping car passengers.

2. Only one has a sightseer. Yes, there is a lounge to sit in if you don't want to be in room AFAIK.

3. No

4. Bedroom K is in the Deluxe Sleeper. I believe it's upstairs.

5. The Deluxe Sleeper only has what are now referred to as Bedrooms.No roomettes. Which are bigger then the roomettes. If you take a roomette you are downgrading your ticket. Stay in the Bedroom. You have your own bathroom. In roomettes you must share a bathroom with the rest of the Riders in roomettes.

Have fun,

Steve

 

[Guest]

Correction on #3: There is a downstairs Smoking Lounge on one of the cars, if you don't smoke you don't want to go into it for sure! (cough,cough!)Sounds like a good deal for sure using AGR points and paying for the roomette. As the previous poster said don't give up your bedroom, it's a one of a kind experience to be in an all bedroom sleeper! The diner for first class will be for all of you and wine is included on this trip FWIW!

 

[abcnews]

Wow - wine complimentary with diner (nice). Like First Class Air Travel.

My kids are very excited - I have instilled in them, a love of train travel. This really sounds like a fun trip - considering options of Rail travel (in August - limited bucket rates). The other nice trains were high bucket or "sold out (Cardinal). School starts in Sept so it offers a last blast of fun (and our only attempt at any form of a vacation in 2010).

 

[abcnews]

We are also excited about the SL Deluxe BR. We did travel to NYC once in a VL Deluxe BR, it was nice, but hard to sleep at that high speed of travel. Looking forward to 70 mph speed of AT. Right? 70 mph?

Also, any photos available of the Deluxe BR?

Mike

 

[AlanB]

The Auto Train typically does not run with a Sightseer Lounge. The AT typically uses specially converted dining cars, now referred to at AT lounges. The backup car, in case one of those regular AT lounges is down, is a specially equiped Sightseer Lounge. It does pop up from time to time, and it can be the sleeper lounge or the coach lounge, there is no rule on where in the consist it lands.

There is indeed a seperate dining car for sleeper pax and that car has a different, and slightly better menu, than the coach dining car.

Bedroom K is indeed in one of the 2 deluxe sleepers on the train and it is upstairs. It will be the second room from the stairs. There are still roomettes in the deluxe sleeper downstairs, the normal 4 roomettes 11, 12, 13, & 14 along with a family room and handicapped room. Know that requesting one of those rooms could up the price, so be careful. It may not, I'm just warning you that it could happen. That said, it probably would be preferable to be in the same sleeper. Failing that, at the very least, try to get a roomette in the next sleeper. You don't want to end up with your room on the north side of the diner and lounge, while the roomette is on the south side of the diner & lounge.

Finally, if you haven't already, you may wish to check out these hints & tips from On Track On Line specially written for the Auto Train.

 

[rrdude]

Wow - wine complimentary with diner (nice). Like First Class Air Travel.

My kids are very excited - I have instilled in them, a love of train travel. This really sounds like a fun trip - considering options of Rail travel (in August - limited bucket rates). The other nice trains were high bucket or "sold out (Cardinal). School starts in Sept so it offers a last blast of fun (and our only attempt at any form of a vacation in 2010).

Trust me, you don't want to do the Cardinal. I was on it last week. Last time I was on it was over 25 years ago. What a shame. I couldn't help but describe it to myself as a "sad little excuse for a LD train".

Why? One Sleeper, One Food Service Car, and three coaches. With all that scenery, it's just a CRIME that Amtrak doesn't have Superliners and Sightseer Lounge cars.

(I know, I know, Amtrak doesn't have the equipment........)

The staff on board was pleasant, and to my utter amazement, both lunch and dinner were some of the better meals I have had on Amtrak, and they don't even have a "kitchen" on the Cardinal. The Flat Iron was more pot roast than steak, but delicious none-the-less. Veggies were another story, but one can only expect so much with such limited holding/cooking equipment.

You should certainly enjoy your trip south on the AT, it usually has the best crews across Amtrak, although I have run into a trip or two that made me wonder.

 

[abcnews]

We used to ride the Cardinal quite often - when it was Superliner, and riding in the Sightseer was unbelievable, so coach class was fine. But lately I have been more interested in planning an overnight trip - and with the Cardinal, it's hard to get a sleeper, unless you go way out into the future. Plus the 3 days a week really can limit your options.

I think that it still is an enjoyable ride, and the Viewliner car is now perhaps the best way to travel on the Cardinal. Just a bit tricky to get a room. I actually like the limited size of the train, the small First Class dining area is a nice place to hang out on the trip (between meals). And the Viewliner room is really nice at seeing the scenery of VA and WV. The 2nd window up top is great in the mountains, especially in the New River Gorge.

So for me, I think that the Cardinal is a top notch choice for a scenic train ride, you just need to be in a Viewliner. But that is hard to arrange with 5 (or more) traveling together.

 

[rrdude]

We used to ride the Cardinal quite often - when it was Superliner, and riding in the Sightseer was unbelievable, so coach class was fine. But lately I have been more interested in planning an overnight trip - and with the Cardinal, it's hard to get a sleeper, unless you go way out into the future. Plus the 3 days a week really can limit your options.

I think that it still is an enjoyable ride, and the Viewliner car is now perhaps the best way to travel on the Cardinal. Just a bit tricky to get a room. I actually like the limited size of the train, the small First Class dining area is a nice place to hang out on the trip (between meals). And the Viewliner room is really nice at seeing the scenery of VA and WV. The 2nd window up top is great in the mountains, especially in the New River Gorge.

So for me, I think that the Cardinal is a top notch choice for a scenic train ride, you just need to be in a Viewliner. But that is hard to arrange with 5 (or more) traveling together.

The ROUTE is amazing, but the current consist, in either coach or Viewliner leaves so much to be desired. If in the sleeper, you are pretty much limited to one side of the train for scenery. In coach, well, we know what it's like in the Amfleet II's. The group that designed them "forgot" one of the advantages of rail travel was LOOKING out the window. So camp out in the food service car? Hmm, although I did, in order to get some kind of view out the windows, it just doesn't cut it in my mind. I'd take the Capitol Limited 99 times out of 100, until they re-outfit the Cardinal with Superliner equipment.

Love the route, underwhelmed by the equipment. It's on my "avoid" list 'til then.

 

[sunchaser]

We are also excited about the SL Deluxe BR. We did travel to NYC once in a VL Deluxe BR, it was nice, but hard to sleep at that high speed of travel. Looking forward to 70 mph speed of AT. Right? 70 mph?

Also, any photos available of the Deluxe BR?

Mike

Here is a diagramof the upper level of the Deluxe Bedroom.

Here is a diagram of the lower level.

It will look just like the pictures on amtrak.com of the other Superliner Bedrooms.

Here is a panorama of the Bedroom.

Have a great trip!

 

[Ryan]

I'm with ABCNEWS - the "it's a pathetic consist" is the lamest excuse ever to take or not take a train. If I'm in my room, I couldn't care less if there 2 or 200 other cars on the train with me. The food was hot a great, the different menu than the rest of the trip was a treat, and the service was excellent. The New River Gorge isn't to be missed, and the double windows in a Viewliner make it like your own private sightseer lounge (albeit out one side only).

 

[rrdude]

I'm with ABCNEWS - the "it's a pathetic consist" is the lamest excuse ever to take or not take a train. If I'm in my room, I couldn't care less if there 2 or 200 other cars on the train with me. The food was hot a great, the different menu than the rest of the trip was a treat, and the service was excellent. The New River Gorge isn't to be missed, and the double windows in a Viewliner make it like your own private sightseer lounge (albeit out one side only).

No, disagree. I love trains, but this shabby little consist should be at the bottom of your bucket list. "double windows in a Viewliner make it like your own private sightseer lounge" WHAT? If you are sitting in a Roomette, you can hardly even see out of the top windows, (maybe you were referring to a Bedroom?) and if the top bunk is down, well, I don't understand how you could even compare that to a Viewliner.

Granted I agree 1000% on the scenery, provided you are on the correct side of the train. But riding a train, for me, is not just about the scenery. It's a lot of other things to, things I personally feel that the Poor Little Cardinal is missing.

 

[Ryan]

I was referring to a bedroom. For me, the Cardinal wasn't missing a thing, and was easily on par with our next leg on the Empire Builder.

 

[Donctor]

4. Any thoughts on Bedroom K or Car #5431? The location? Is it up or down?

Room K is on the upper level, one room away from the center of the car.

Car 5341 should be closer to the rear of the train's passenger section. Both the diner and the lounge will be ahead of you. Assuming the arrangement doesn't change, train 53 (southbound) should look like this:

Locomotive

Locomotive

Diner (coach)

Diner (coach)

Lounge (coach)

Coach

Coach

Coach

Coach

Sleeper

Sleeper

Deluxe Sleeper

Diner (sleeper)

Lounge (for sleeper)

Deluxe Sleeper — your car

Sleeper

Sleeper

Crew Dormitory

Auto Carriers...

 

[abcnews]

Thanks for all the help! Great tips and info. Our family is really excited about our trip next week.

*In fact, - our oldest daughter is now joining us. We already had 5 (one BR & one Roomette). So I just requested a coach ticket for her from AGR (5,500 points, less 5% rebate).

However, I was wondering. Our Roomette is not a free ticket, but a rather low $376 for two (total fare). What do you really think it would it cost to upgrade from a $376 Roomette on the Auto Train to a Bedroom - if they are available on the departure date? At the moment there seems to be available bedrooms on the Southbound AT out of Lorton on 8/21/10.

Just wondering how low they might go at the last minute, and if it's possible to upgrade on board?

Mike

 

[AlanB]

Mike,

If you're going to get a bedroom, do it as soon as you can. The price to upgrade at the station will be the same price that you see online right now, assuming that a bucket isn't kicked or that someone doesn't cancel who was holding a lower bucket.

And an onboard upgrade is not possible. Your last chance to change anything will be inside the terminal at Lorton. Once on board, you will remain in whatever accomodation you were ticketed for within the station. They actually collect the tickets in the station, not on the train.

 

[abcnews]

I was hopeful that they may take less than the quoted price on the website - if they had a lot of unused BRs available at departure. Since we had already paid for a Roomette, there really would be no addl. costs for Amtrak. Still includes two meals for two people either way.. Just looking for a deal for more space. But the current BR fare has gotten pretty high. Not really wise to upgrade from $376 Roomette. Like another $300 or so...

Also - the 6th passenger in our party - my oldest daughter, is fine with coach. In fact, she and another daughter will return on Silver Star in a Viewliner Roomette. If our Roomette portion had been a free ticket on AGR - I would just trade it back in for a BR (20,000 points) and use it for three daughters (new rule - 3 in a BR allowed). But the roomette is a real ticket - with a rather low fare.

 

[abcnews]

OK - I called Amtrak Guest Rewards today and requested a 2nd Deluxe BR. So now all 6 of us have sleeper berths. No one will be in coach.

However, I now have an additional Roomette ticket for two - which I had purchased for $376 (low rate). It worked well when we had only 5 traveling (one BR plus one Roomette), but now with 6 traveling we just don't need it anymore.

It's my understanding that I can cancel the Roomette (ASAP) and get a voucher for full amount. Is that correct? Keep in mind that we are 5 or 6 days from our departure date (August 21). I called Amtrak and asked about the rules for canceling, and it seems that we can actually still get a full credit on our credit card for the rail portion ($93 + $93), and a voucher for the full Accommodation rate (Roomette $190), with no penalty. I think I will just go for the voucher for the entire amount. We may use it later on this winter - towards a low bucket BR fare over two zones (like Ashland, VA to Chicago @ $422 for a BR verses 30,000 points on AGR)

I just did not want to cancel the Roomette too quickly - simply because all Roomettes on that train are now sold out, so once I cancel (tonight or Tuesday AM), I could probably not get the roomette back - and certainly not at $376.

 

[AlanB]

You can indeed, assuming that you don't have the ticket printed, get a full refund for the railfare. If the ticket is printed, then you'd be facing the 10% penalty with a refund.

The only way to preserve the sleeper fare however is by voucher at this point. Any other way will see you loosing that money.

So it probably makes the most sense to simply get a voucher for the entire value of the ticket, railfare and sleeper fare.

As for cancelling, just make sure that you get it done soon as you don't want to forget to do it either. Once the train departs, you forfeit the accomodation fare.

And actually, the room should go back into inventory at it's original price. So unless revenue management gets a hold of things, you should actually be able to cancel the room and rebook it a minute later at the same price. Of course if someone else swoops in at that precise moment that you cancel, then they could steal it away from you.

 

[abcnews]

Thanks Alan!

And yes, I had already printed the tickets, so I'm fine with a voucher. It's like money in the bank. And no penalty.

BTW - Strange - I just looked - and on the day we are traveling (Saturday, August 21st) the Auto Train is about sold out. It will not let you buy a coach ticket, or a Roomette, or a Family BR. Only a Bedroom at like over $800 with two traveling - plus the car. I'm surprised it is that close to capacity. Also looks to be about sold out on Friday too. Yet Sunday (8/22) has plenty of availability at very low rates on roomettes.

I'm really surprised, it's so full at this time of year. I would think the Northbound would be getting the heavy demand - maybe it is?

Thanks again

 

[abcnews]

I just looked at a recent interior sketch of the Superliner BR car - our second BR that we just added is Bedroom "A" on the very first sleeping car (after coach) . Too bad, but the train is about sold out. I guess we'll put 3 of our kids in there, it will still beat traveling in coach.

It looks to me like BR "A" has a bit of the corner cut off the far interior corner of the bathroom. Is that the only area that is cut off? At least you don't notice it until you open the bathroom door. The rest of the room appears to be the same as all of the others.

 

[AlanB]

BTW - Strange - I just looked - and on the day we are traveling (Saturday, August 21st) the Auto Train is about sold out. It will not let you buy a coach ticket, or a Roomette, or a Family BR. Only a Bedroom at like over $800 with two traveling - plus the car. I'm surprised it is that close to capacity. Also looks to be about sold out on Friday too. Yet Sunday (8/22) has plenty of availability at very low rates on roomettes.

I'm really surprised, it's so full at this time of year. I would think the Northbound would be getting the heavy demand - maybe it is?

The Auto Train has 2 peak seasons, Disney and Snowbird. The Disney season lasts all summer, and the Snowbird season runs in the spring & fall. Winter is the slowest time for the AutoTrain, except around Thanksgiving & Christmas/New Years.

 

[AlanB]

I just looked at a recent interior sketch of the Superliner BR car - our second BR that we just added is Bedroom "A" on the very first sleeping car (after coach) . Too bad, but the train is about sold out. I guess we'll put 3 of our kids in there, it will still beat traveling in coach.

It looks to me like BR "A" has a bit of the corner cut off the far interior corner of the bathroom. Is that the only area that is cut off? At least you don't notice it until you open the bathroom door. The rest of the room appears to be the same as all of the others.

Actually what happens is that the bathroom cannot go into that corner, so it's moved about halfway down that wall towards where the small chair is. You enter the bathroom by walking towards the hall door, turning left, and then left again into the bathroom. This effectively reduces the amount of floor space in the room.

But I've no doubt that your kids will survive the experience and as you noted, "it's better than coach."

 

[dlagrua]

I just looked at a recent interior sketch of the Superliner BR car - our second BR that we just added is Bedroom "A" on the very first sleeping car (after coach) . Too bad, but the train is about sold out. I guess we'll put 3 of our kids in there, it will still beat traveling in coach.

It looks to me like BR "A" has a bit of the corner cut off the far interior corner of the bathroom. Is that the only area that is cut off? At least you don't notice it until you open the bathroom door. The rest of the room appears to be the same as all of the others.

Be flexible on dates and you can usually get a decent fare on the AT. Once I booked only three montsh out and secured low bucket for mid December. The A bedroom is not the end of the world. It does have the corner cut off but still has the same size bathroom, a chair, the sofa by day and the two bunk beds by night. The space that is tighter is the area around the chair. I've never traveled in bedroom A but went into one on my last trip and checked it out.