Being Big On A Train

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Hi OP,

I'm big on the trains. 6'4" and 290.

In the superliner diners I fit the booth with maybe an inch and a half or so between my belly and the table. I do have some side-to-side discomfort however as my shoulders are pretty broad. This issue is compounded by my being left-handed. I do better if I can be seated in the one spot at the table where my left hand faces the aisle.

The lower berths of either the roomette or bedroom will likely be comfortable enough for you though the bathroom in the bedroom may be a bit tight. I prefer using the communal bathrooms and shower in the superliner sleepers even when I have the bedroom because the communal facilities are a little larger.

Go for the train, I think you'll find it to be OK for you.
 
I used to weigh 357 pounds (I'm 5'6"). The booths in the diner were really tight, but the bathrooms were mostly okay, and the hallways were okay as long as I went sideways.

Once I got down to 300 pounds, it became much easier. I didn't have any issues in the diner or hallways (I didn't have to turn sideways), and I could turn around in the bathroom.

Since you're much taller, I imagine you won't have any issues. Trains > planes when it comes to comfort. :)
 
Just while we are on this topic of larger people. What are the width of the roomette seats and are they different on a superliner vs. a viewliner sleeper?
 
benjibear said:
Just while we are on this topic of larger people. What are the width of the roomette seats and are they different on a superliner vs. a viewliner sleeper?
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The width of the seats in a Superliner roomette is 2 feet 4 inches. In the Viewliner, 1 of the two seats is exactly the same size as the Superliner; 2'4". The seat on the other side, the toilet side, is at least 6 to 8 inches smaller to accommodate the toilet.
 
My first Amtrak trip, on the Crescent, was with my best friend who was close to 300 pounds and about six feet tall, a BIG girl. I don't remember specific details, but if there had been any major problems, I think I'd remember that. We did just fine. I sat beside her in coach and I had plenty of room. Felt like I was in a Lazy Boy recliner. Best wishes for a fun trip!
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback, really has helped and made me less anxious about it.

I saw that you can get a discount if you are with AAA? Is it a big discount? One worth using? I don't own AAA, my father does, but I assume because I'm immediate family it wouldn't matter as that's how AAA works. Do they check for the card once on the train? Or just online/at the store when buying tickets?
 
10% on rail only when bought at least 3 days before the trip. It doesn't apply to sleeper accomodations or business class. In all the years I've traveled on Amtrak, I have never once been asked for the AAA card on the train, but you do need the card number to book the discount.
 
Okay. I think I'll still do it being I'm on a train for a little while. Any savings is good right? I have the card and everything for when it's booked, just won't after it.
 
Maybe carry a photocopy of the AAA card and maybe something to document that you were authorized to use it? Just something to think about. I've used the disability discount a few times on the NEC and have not yet been asked for documentation, though I carry it with me.
 
As a AAA member ou can get a 10% discount on most Amtrak trains, booked at least 3 days in advance. I think it's worth using. However I have been a AAA member for many years and not because of Amtrak. If your father books the tickets he can use his AAA discount for other family members. When you (or he) books online, you will be asked for your AAA member number. I have never been asked by a station agent or on-board staff to show my AAA membership card. Caveat: If your over 62, the 15% Senior Discount exceeds the AAA discount, so I use it instead, but book other family members traveling with me under the AAA discount. Full info is available on http://amtrak.com under the "Deals" tab.
 
It's too bad it doesn't apply to accomodation charges, since in a sleeper those are almost always considerably more that the rail portion of the fare.

Don't worry about the AAA card onboard, as I said, I've never once been asked for it in hundreds of thousands of Amtrak miles.
 
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I think I'll bring a photocopy of it just for the safe side of things. I have a scanner so it'd be stupid to be that lazy. Don't want my first time to be ruined of course.
 
I was wondering what everyone does for internet on the trains? I believe the only train I will be on that has WIFI is the 715 San Joaquin? Do you all just hook your phones up as a hotspot or what? Also am I allowed to use a power strip? Being I'll want to use the Laptop, charge phone and anything else I can think of?
 
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I have a Verizon MiFi that I use when traveling. I also use a power strip.
 
:hi:

At my worst I was 370. I now average between 320-330 and have started to shrink in hgt, now down to 5'11"

I've always slept fine in a lower berth.

At my worst ( 370) I went to the diner and thought oops, I think I'll eat in my room.

The lady who "ran" the dining car saw my face and asked me to come back in 15 minutes stating she was SURE she could make me comfortable. She had removed the cushions from the seat and velcrowed ( sp ? ) the covers back in place. I had plenty of room and had 2 other LARGE people seated at my booth. This woman knew what to do and made us all feel VERY comfortable. Of course she was tipped well and the 3 of use made sure to plan on eating together for the rest of our trip.

As June stated, the restroom is a different story. Try and use the handicapped one if possible. Get a roomette because the restroom in the bedroom seems to be even smaller so no use spending the extra money IMHO ( and keep as little in your pockets as possible......if it falls out on the restroom floor, it will be harder to retrieve than one of those stuffed animal crane games at a carnival.

All in all, you should have few problems if any and most big people are the first ones to help other big people if you need a helping hand......well, not in the restroom :eek:

Have a great trip
 
Thanks for that, Mike. I think we still prefer the bedroom for the room, there would be more room than in the Roomette right? If it's not a big difference then I will go with the Roomette, but I figured we'd have more room in a bedroom.

Are the bathrooms located in the same car? and are they all on the bottom?

I don't ride trains so I'm not sure exactly about everything. Is there a better time to shower than another? Are they usually packed full or are there usually a lot of empty rooms?
 
AlanB said:
benjibear said:
Just while we are on this topic of larger people. What are the width of the roomette seats and are they different on a superliner vs. a viewliner sleeper?
Click to expand...
The width of the seats in a Superliner roomette is 2 feet 4 inches. In the Viewliner, 1 of the two seats is exactly the same size as the Superliner; 2'4". The seat on the other side, the toilet side, is at least 6 to 8 inches smaller to accommodate the toilet.
Click to expand...
Worth noting that the roomette seats (both Superliner and Viewliner) feel wider than that since those measurements are at the seat--there's more elbow- and shoulder-room than that.
 
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You may want to consider 2 roomettes. 2 roomettes are cheaper than even one bedroom most of the time, and the roomette seats are plenty big and you hang out in each other's rooms as much as you like. Another possible benefit is if there is availability and get a decent phone agent, you can book them across from each other and have views out of both sides of the train. Also both people would have lowers at night and no one would have to use the upper. While the bed in the Bedroom is significantly larger than that in the roomette, the uppers are the same size in both.

Bedrooms have an enclosed toilet/shower in an enclosed cubby that is quite small. A lot of people in Bedrooms choose to use the common shower anyway as it is larger.

All Bedrooms are on the upper level and there are 10 Roomettes on the upper level. There is one toilet on the upper level. On the lower level there are 4 Roomettes, the Family Bedroom and the Accessible Bedroom. There are 4 toilets and the common shower on the lower level. All bathrooms are meant for use by all passengers in the car. The shower usually gets the most use the first thing in the morning. I've developed a habit of showering mid-morning on Amtrak journeys, after the morning rush has died down. I seldom have to wait for it then. I go to breakfast, then shower.

The load factors are usually pretty high. Don't expect to see a lot of vacant rooms, or rooms that are vacant the whole trip. Remember, they can turn over over the course of the trip.
 
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Two rooms is something to keep in mind, at least for the 43 hour trip. I think we'd be fine for the 17 hour one. Definitely something to think about. Thanks for mentioning that.
 
Not sure if it would make a difference, but the layout of the bedroom makes you sleep side to side and the rocking of the train can bother some people that way where the roomettes sleep head to foot. I usually go coach, but the one time I did use a sleeper it was in the bedroom and I hated the sleeping arrangement, I always felt like I was falling on my head when the car rocked side to side.
 
Roughly how big are the bathrooms for the Superliner Bedroom. Is there a comparison? Would you say they are roughly the same size as a Porter Potty (the standard size, not the new larger/handicap size)? Or would they be smaller?
 
Additionally, how do the rooms work? I see there are 10 roomettes on top and I think five bedrooms? Do they have all roomettes on one side of the train, then the bedrooms on the other side? If so, do they all use the same staircase or are there two? One for roomettes and one for bedrooms?
 
Amtrak.com has diagrams, pictures, and dimensions of all the accommodations and the layout of the cars, plus a lot of other helpful info. There's not a lot of legroom in a roomette, at least in a Viewliner.
 
I have a friend who is very insecure about her size. Despite little prior experience with Amtrak she is planning to take a Silver Service train overnight for a conference and has settled on the Roomette. What advice would you give to preserve her dignity aboard? I am hoping that this will prove a better experience than flying and not turn into her first and last Amtrak attempt.

It's a viewliner, right? So are there bathrooms on the end of the car or does she make her way to coach?

Do these trains have the infamous Heritage diners? Are the crews pretty good about adjusting seats? My friend is pretty shy.

If you travel FC to NYP, can you stay in the FC (Metroliner? Acela?) lounge at NYP waiting for your connection, even if it's second class?
 
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