Cardinal in Biz Class or Cap Limited in Sleeper?

[guest]

I'm traveling east from Chicago to DC and trying to decide between the Cardinal in Business Class or the Capitol Limited in a Sleeper. With such poor food options, I don't see the value of paying for a sleeper on the Cardinal, but I'm also not entirely sold on the idea of sleeping upright -- even if it is on leather seats. Anyone done this trip in biz class overnight who might be able to provide insight?

On the other hand, I've done the Cap Limited WESTbound several times, so it's a "seen that, done that" sort of proposition. I've only traveled on the Cardinal once, westbound. I thought it was the more scenic trip.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[JayPea]

I was just on the Cardinal yesterday and if that was any indication you will have two seats to yourself. I rode from Chicago to Charlottesville and there couldn't have been more than half a dozen there at any time. I was in a sleeper but stayed in the lounge part of business class most of the time.

 

[dlagrua]

From our last three PHL-CHI Cardinal trips I have really soured on the Cardinal. The bedrooms on that run are really in beat up condition. One one trip the A/C went out and it was a couple of hours before they got it working again. On another trip the bathroom light went out and we had to use the bathroom by flashlights (that we always carry) . Oh the third trip the hall was freezing cold but the room was considerably warmer, not cool at all. The food is average at best although the lone servers/cooks do a credible job. You get all this for traveling in a well beat up Viewliner at one of the highest sleeper prices and the longest NY-CHI time in the system. The good things about it is the scenery, and it is an easy route to sleep on. The train creeps along slowly on much of the route and you don't get get jarred around .

 

[Seaboard92]

The other option you could do is what I did. Except I was taking the Cardinal west. I went coach to CIN and then sleeper from there. I was able to get a 400 dollar roomette based on the WAS-CHI price for 78. So at night I slept flat and the day I spent in coach but mostly in the lounge.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

the Capitol Limited has full dining, as well as a much better lounge car, never done either eastbound, but the Cap has great views of the potomac river

 

[Seaboard92]

If you take the Cardinal eastbound you should be guaranteed to have the New River Gorge in daylight. Actually all of the good scenery in daylight and if your late a bit of I think the Ohio River Valley but I'm not sure.

 

[MikefromCrete]

The only reasons to ride the Cardinal between WAS and CUS is for the scenery in West Virginia and to notch the train on your quest to ride all Amtrak routes. If you really just want to get to one of the endpoints, ride the Cap for better dining, a real lounge car and Superliners, which I like better than single level cars.

 

[PVD]

Also, the Cap is every day vs 3 days a week which lowers risk of a blown connection or service disruption. While I do agree about the SL lounge and the dining being better on the CL, I actually prefer the VL roomette to the SL.